Facts for Traveller to South Africa
Location
South Africa is located on the southern tip of the African continent,
bordered by northern neighbours Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
It encompasses the independent mountain kingdoms of Lesotho and Swaziland
and is flanked by the Atlantic Ocean on the west and the warm Indian Ocean
on the east - giving the country its spectacular range of biodiversity.
Size
South Africa occupies 4% of the continent's total landmass, covering an
area of 1 221 040 square kilometres. The country is five times larger than
Great Britain and three times the size of Texas.
People
South Africa is home to some 43 million people - a colourful population
as diverse in makeup as the country's geography is varied. Almost 77% are
black (or African), 11% white and 9% "coloured", the local label for people
of mixed African, Asian and white descent. Just over half the population
live in the cities. Three-quarters are Christian and most of the other major
world religions are represented here.
Climate
South Africa enjoys a temperate and pleasant climate, with lovely warm
sunny days most of the year. The seasons of the southern hemisphere are
opposite to those in the northern hemisphere so our summers runs from
November to February, when most of the country is characterised by hot
weather with afternoon thunderstorms. Winters are generally mild and dry.
South Africa enjoys one of the world's highest average daily hours of
sunshine - 8.5 compared with 3.8 in London, 6.4 in Rome and 6.9 in New York.
Average temperatures in ºC Summer Winter
| Average temperatures in ºC |
Summer |
Winter |
| Cape Town |
20 |
12.6 |
| Durban |
23.6 |
17 |
| Johannesburg |
19.4 |
11.1 |
| Pretoria |
22.4 |
12.9 |
For daily and long-term forecasts for South Africa, visit www.weathersa.co.za.
Language
There are 11 officially recognised languages, most of them indigenous to
South Africa. English is one of these, and everywhere you go, you can expect
to find people who speak and understand it. English is the language of the
cities, of commerce and banking, of government and official documents. Road
signs and official forms are in English. The President makes his speeches in
English and at any hotel, the service staff will speak English.
Provinces & Major Cities
South Africa is divided into nine provinces, namely Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu- Natal, Limpopo, Mpumulanga, Northern Cape, North West and the Western Cape. Major cities include the modern economic hub of Johannesburg, coastal Cape Town picturesquely perched between mountain and
sea, historic Pretoria and the 'sun and surf central' city of Durban.
Time Differences
South Africa operates two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time throughout
the year, making it an hour ahead of Central European Winter Time, seven
hours ahead of Eastern Standard Winter Time and seven hours behind
Australian Central Time.
Money
The currency unit is the Rand, denoted by the symbol R, with 100 cents
making up R1 (one Rand). Foreign currency can be exchanged at local banks
and Bureaux de Changes. Most major international credit cards such as
American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard, Visa and their affiliates are
accepted for most purchases.
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