South Africa
Africa · Pretoria · ZA
South Africa commands the southern tip of the African continent, a country of almost surreal geographic and cultural variety packed into an area roughly twice the size of France. The Western Cape's winelands roll across valleys framed by jagged mountain ranges, while the Karoo's semi-desert interior stretches beneath skies so enormous they seem to curve at the edges. The Drakensberg Mountains rise in basalt cliffs and green basins along the Lesotho border, hiding San rock art galleries dating back thousands of years. The Indian and Atlantic oceans collide along the Garden Route, where indigenous forests meet white sand beaches and lagoons teeming with birdlife. South Africa's cultural complexity mirrors its geography — Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans, and English traditions coexist in a society still actively negotiating its post-apartheid identity. The country's wildlife reserves, from Kruger to Addo, offer some of the most accessible big-five safari experiences anywhere on the continent, making it a gateway for first-time African wilderness encounters.
Overview
South Africa is a country in Africa. Its capital is Pretoria and the international dialling code is +27. Languages commonly used in everyday life here include English. Local currency is the South African Rand (ZAR). Our guide covers 3 airports, including Cape Town International Airport, King Shaka International Airport, O.R. Tambo International Airport. We also list 4 cities in South Africa: Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban and more.
Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula
Cape Town occupies one of the most spectacular settings of any city on earth, nestled between the flat-topped bulk of Table Mountain and the cold Atlantic waters of Table Bay. The mountain's sandstone plateau, often draped in a cloud formation locals call the tablecloth, is accessible by rotating cable car or hiking trails that wind through fynbos — a scrubland vegetation unique to the Cape Floral Kingdom, the smallest yet most diverse of the world's six floral regions. The Cape Peninsula drive southward through Hout Bay, past the penguin colony at Boulders Beach, and terminates at the Cape of Good Hope, where the Atlantic's cold Benguela Current meets the warmer Agulhas Current offshore. Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, established in nineteen-thirteen on the mountain's eastern slopes, protects indigenous species including the silver tree and thousands of protea varieties. The city's food and wine culture, shaped by Malay, Dutch, and British influences, thrives in the neighbourhoods of Woodstock and the Franschhoek valley.
Kruger National Park and Big Five Safari
Kruger National Park covers nearly five million acres of lowveld bushveld in northeastern South Africa, making it one of the largest game reserves on the continent and home to every species of African large mammal except giraffe. Self-drive safaris, the park's founding tradition, allow visitors to traverse over 1,200 miles of paved and gravel roads at their own pace, stopping to observe elephants browsing on marula trees, lions resting in shade during the midday heat, and leopards — the most elusive of the big five — spotted at dawn along riverbeds. The park's rest camps, from the busy Skukuza to the remote Punda Maria, are fenced against wildlife and provide basic but comfortable accommodation within walking distance of game viewing hides. Birdlife is extraordinary, with over five hundred species recorded, including the martial eagle with its seven-foot wingspan and the lilac-breasted roller, whose iridescent plumage makes it the unofficial symbol of African birdwatching.
The Garden Route's Coastal Forest
The Garden Route stretches roughly 200 kilometres along South Africa's southeastern coast between Mossel Bay and Storms River, threading through indigenous temperate forest, coastal lagoons, and rocky headlands. Tsitsikamma National Park protects the route's eastern end, where the Otter Trail — widely considered South Africa's finest multi-day hike — winds five days along clifftops and through bluegum and yellowwood forest to reach the suspension bridge over the Storms River mouth. Wilderness National Park, further west, centres on a chain of interconnected lakes and estuaries where pelicans, herons, and African fish eagles congregate along reed-fringed waterways. Knysna, a town built around a lagoon accessible only through narrow sandstone Heads, has become synonymous with the region's oyster culture, served fresh from beds floating in the estuary. The Knysna Heads themselves are dramatic sandstone cliffs that frame the lagoon's single entrance, creating tidal currents that challenge even experienced kayakers.
The Drakensberg and San Rock Art
The Drakensberg, known as uKhahlamba in Zulu meaning barrier of spears, rises as a basalt escarpment along South Africa's eastern border with Lesotho, reaching heights exceeding 11,000 feet at Thabana Ntlenyana. The escarpment's sheer cliff faces and deep valleys contain the greatest concentration of San rock art in the world — over thirty-five thousand recorded paintings and engravings made by the San people over thousands of years. Kamberg Nature Reserve protects the Game Pass Shelter, where paintings depicting eland hunts and trance dance ceremonies remain visible in extraordinary detail on sheltered rock overhangs. The uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, combines this cultural treasure with alpine grasslands, protea-covered slopes, and rivers that carve through sandstone gorges. Hiking routes through the amphitheatres and valleys below the escarpment offer views across into Lesotho's highlands, creating a sense of wild, elevated remoteness that belies the region's relative accessibility from Durban.
The Winelands and Cape Dutch Architecture
The Cape Winelands occupy a series of valleys west and north of Cape Town where Huguenot settlers established vineyards in the late seventeenth century, creating a wine tradition that has grown into one of the southern hemisphere's most respected regions. Stellenbosch, the oldest surviving town in the Cape, features a main street lined with oak trees and Cape Dutch buildings whose white-washed gables and thatched roofs date to the seventeen-hundreds. Franschhoek, whose name means French corner, preserves the heritage of Huguenot refugees whose church, built in seventeen-fifty-four, still stands alongside its original wine cellar. The region produces world-class pinotage — a grape variety unique to South Africa, created in nineteen-twenty-five by crossing pinot noir with cinsaut — alongside chenin blanc, cabernet sauvignon, and increasingly celebrated natural wines. Wine estates throughout the valleys welcome visitors with tasting rooms set against mountain backdrops, and the annual harvest in January and February brings a festive energy to the entire region.
Compare hotels, cover your trip and stay connected.
- Capital
- Pretoria
- Currency
- South African Rand (ZAR)
- Languages
- English
- Calling code
- +27
- Internet TLD
- za
Entry requirements
Check who can enter →See which passports travel visa-free or need a visa to enter South Africa.
Which nationalities can enter South Africa?
Current visa status for tourism for the origins we cover, with links to the detailed requirements.
Airports (3)
All airports →Cities (4)
All cities →Frequently asked questions
Do I need a visa to visit South Africa?
For the origins we track, travellers from Australia, Canada, France, Germany and Italy currently enter South Africa visa-free for tourism, and 3 more origins are visa-free too. Entry rules depend on your passport and the purpose of your trip, so check the current requirements for your own nationality with our entry requirements tool.
What is the capital of South Africa?
Pretoria is the capital of South Africa, and the country sits in Africa.
What currency is used in South Africa?
You pay with South African Rand (ZAR) in South Africa. Exchange rates move day to day, so check the current rate before you change money or use your card abroad.
Which languages do people speak in South Africa?
The languages we list for South Africa are English. A couple of greetings in the local language go a long way when you travel, even in cities where another language is widely used.
What is the international dialling code for South Africa?
The dialling code for South Africa is +27 — keep the plus sign when you save the number.
Which airports serve South Africa?
We cover 3 airports for South Africa, including Cape Town International Airport (CPT), King Shaka International Airport (DUR), O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB).
Which cities in South Africa do you cover?
Our guide lists 4 cities for South Africa: Pretoria (capital), Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg.