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We’re proud to bring you our 3rd edition, showing off some of the many things which make South Africa exciting, beautiful and challenging.
Highlights this year include the spectacular new facilities at Liliesleaf Farm, new gardens and Kwakunje! cultural village at Talana Museum, Lookout Hill in Khayelitsha and funky shopping at The Old Biscuit Mill. And try new restaurants at Red Location Museum, Two Oceans Aquarium and Gold of Africa Museum!
Through our properties you’ll also meet heroes of the past, including Albert Luthuli, Trevor Huddleston, Oliver Tambo and Samora Machel. We welcome foreign visitors to these magical places, and encourage South Africans to get out there and explore our own country!
Warm wishes
James Delaney, Leo Morena,
Khutso Ramaoka and the Moja team
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CLIMATE
The topography of the country and the cold Benguela current of the west coast and the warm Mozambique current of the east coast have a moderating effect on the climate, which varies widely. Despite regional differences, the winters are predominantly mild and snow is limited to the high mountain peaks. The mean annual rainfall is just over 500 mm but rain is very unevenly spread through the country. The Western Cape has a Mediterranean climate with warm, dry summers and a winter rainfall. On average, Cape temperatures in summer vary between 14°C and 25°C, and in winter from 6°C to 17°C. The Cape interior, the Free State and Gauteng have hot summers (temperatures regularly exceed 30°C) with afternoon thunder-showers and cold, frosty winters. KwaZulu-Natal has a subtropical climate with high humidity in the summer months. Mpumalanga and the Lowveld have mild winters.
CURRENCY
The currency of the country is the rand (R). Bank-notes are in denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 rands. The international symbol for the currency is ZAR.
CREDIT CARDS
International credit cards, Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Diners Club are honoured by most restaurants, shops, hotels, car rental firms and other point of sale services. Proof of identity may be requested. Important - you can only pay cash at petrol stations: credit cards are not accepted.
CUSTOMS
On arriving in the country visitors should enter the green channel at customs if the goods in their possession are within the duty-free customs allowance and are not for commercial purposes, prohibited or restricted. Customs charges are payable before leaving the customs hall.
FOREIGN EXCHANGE
Traveller’s cheques should be purchased in Sterling, US Dollars or Euros and can be exchanged at any commercial bank or foreign exchange outlet. Banking hours are Monday – Friday (08h30 – 16h00) and Saturday (08h30 – 11h00). Automatic teller machines (ATM’s) are open 24 hours and are located throughout the country. Commercial services at the major airports are open to accommodate all international flights. The major foreign exchange outlets include: Rennies Foreign Exchange Phone: 011 407 3211, Diners Club Phone: 011 358 8400, and American Express Phone: 011 359 0200.
HEALTH
No immunisation is required for visitors entering the country other than for those who have left an area infected by yellow fever. In such cases, visitors will need a valid international yellow-fever vaccination certificate. Certain areas of South Africa fall within a malaria zone and visitors should check the necessary precautions in advance. For Mpumalanga and northern KwaZulu-Natal, a malaria prophylaxis is most advisable.
GRATUITY & TIPPING
In South Africa, gratuities are not included in the final bill, and gratuities for good service are welcome. At accommodation establishments, gratuities are usually divided amongst all staff. In restaurants, tipping ranges from 10% to 20%, depending on the quality of the service.
LANGUAGE
South Africa has 11 official languages: Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu. English is spoken by most South Africans. French, German and Italian are also spoken in many of the larger hotels.
SAFETY
As in most countries of the world, travellers are advised to take the necessary safety precautions. It is not advisable to walk alone in deserted streets, especially after dark, and only taxis booked through a reputable taxi company should be used. Visitors should try to avoid attracting unnecessary attention by not carrying bulky camera bags or wearing expensive jewellery. All valuables should be locked in the hotel’s safety deposit box. Ideally, traveller’s cheques or credit cards should be used, to avoid carrying around large amounts of cash. By exercising reasonable care, visitors can ensure an enjoyable stay in the country.
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BY DESTINATION
Search www.mojaheritage.co.za by destination. Moja has divided South Africa into 12 destinations. Under each Destination, there are headers for Categories and Attractions.
BY CATEGORY
Search under Categories for museums, arts, nature and all the other categories shown above here.
BY ATTRACTIONS
Search under Attractions for all the visitor attractions to be found at that Destinaton.
TOUR OPERATORS
Each page can be printed or saved as a PDF for ease of distribution to visitors.
Copyright © 2008 Moja Marketing
Box 87778 Houghton 2041, South Africa
t 011 484 4488 f 086 602 2097
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SHOPPING
The larger cities and towns have many shopping malls with department stores and speciality shops. There are arts and craft markets throughout the country. South Africa is well known for its gold and diamonds. Jewellery, leather goods, African curios, antiques, ceramics and clothing are among the attractions. Trading hours are mostly all day Monday – Saturday. Many shops in the cities are open on Sunday, and evenings.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
The country has a sophiticated telecommunications system. For international calls to South Africa the code is +27 followed by the area code prefix (the first 0 in the area code should not be dialled). For calls from South Africa the international access code is 09, and international dialling codes can be found in South African telephone directories. The country is well serviced with coin- and card-operated public telephones. Important telephone numbers: Police Emergency: 10111, Directory Enquiries (International): 0903, Directory Enquiries (Local): 1023, Booked Trunk Calls and Enquiries: 0020, International Booked/ Collect / Reversed Charge Calls: 0900. The Post Office is open from 08h30 to 16h30 on weekdays and from 08h00 to 12h00 on Saturdays. An international and domestic Speed Service delivers, door-to-door, within 24 hours, every day between the main centres.
MOBILE/CELL PHONES
National routes are covered by South Africa’s cellular phone networks, and cellular telephones are available for hire at the major airports. Most car hire companies offer this service with a pay-as-you-go card.
TRAVELLING & FUEL
Vehicles are available for hire at all major airports. Visitors must be in possession of a valid international driver’s licence. Large petrol station complexes, with shops and restaurants, are situated along the major tourist routes. Credit cards are not accepted for fuel purchases. Traffic laws are strictly enforced and seat belts must be worn. The speed-limit is 120 km/h on freeways and 60 km/h in residential areas. Road maps are available from bookstores, the Automobile Association and tourist information centres. South Africa has international airports in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Kruger Park International.
VAT
VAT at a current rate of 14% is levied on the majority of products in South Africa. Foreign tourists may claim a VAT refund at their exit point for all purchases which exceed R250-00. In order to qualify for a refund, visitors require a valid passport, the original tax invoice/till-slips, proof of payment and a VAT 263 form. In order to obtain a refund, all items on which a VAT refund is claimed should be presented to an authorised official for examination on departure from South Africa. Authorised officials are South African customs officials and VAT refund personnel.
VISAS
All visitors require a valid passport, and those from certain countries may also require a visa. Information on visa requirements can be obtained from travel agents, a South African Embassy or trade mission abroad or the Department of Home Affairs in Pretoria, Private Bag X114, Pretoria, 0001. Phone: 012 314 8911. Fax: 012 314 8516. Visas are not issued at SA border posts. Visitors intending to re-enter the country after visiting neighouring countries in Southern Africa should apply for a multiple-entry visa. Visa extensions may be obtained from the Department of Home Affairs.
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