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South Africa – Travel Guide

Facts to assist you when travelling to South Africa

 

Population

The South African population currently stands at 60 million (2021).

 

Capital and Largest City of South Africa

  • Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, Pretoria.

 

Official Language(s) of South Africa

  • South Africa has 11 official languages, including Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans, English, Pedi, Tswana, Southern Sotho, Tsonga, Swazi, Venda, and Southern Ndebele.

 

Currency of South Africa

  • The South African Rand (Sign: R; Code: ZAR).

 

Office Hours in South Africa

  • 9am – 5pm. 45 hours per week. People in South Africa works for nine hours in a day (excluding lunch break) in a working week of five days or less, or eight hours in a day (excluding lunch break) in a working week or more than five days a week.

 

Weekends in South Africa

  • Weekends are held over Saturdays and Sundays.

 

Time Zone

  • UTC+2.

 

Calling Code

  • +27.

 

Tipping

  • Tipping in South Africa is generally 10% or 20% of the total bill.

 

Embassies in South Africa

  • Most countries are represented by an Embassy or by a High Commission. Click here for more information.

 

Government

  • The official ruling party in South Africa is the African National Congress (ANC).

 

Climate

  • South Africa lies between 22°S and 35°S in the Southern Hemisphere’s subtropical zone. The country lies between two oceans, Atlantic and the Indian, which affects its climate. South Africa experiences a high degree of sunshine, while their rainfall equated to about half of the global average. Its internal regions are semi-desert and dry, while the Western Cape has a Mediterranean climate. Most of the country experiences summer rain, except some regions located along the coast.

 

Transport

  • The main international airports are Johannesburg and Cape Town. The different modes of transportation in South Africa include roads, railways, airports, water, and pipelines for petroleum oil. The majority of people in South Africa use informal minibus taxis or personal vehicles as their main mode of transport. In the main cities there are also app-based ride-hailing services, such as Uber and Bolt.

 

Economy

  • South Africa’s economy is the second largest on the entire continent, and one of the most industrialised. The country is an upper-middle income economy. Its main industries are agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, manufacturing, electricity, gas, water, and construction.

 

Hospitality

  • There are so many different cultures in South Africa, each of which has their own way of doing things and are respectful of the other coexisting cultures around them. Often times people celebrate each other’s cultures as a result of cultures intertwining and interracial marriages. South Africa is one of the most diverse countries in the world, and all of its cultures are reported to be equally friendly.

 

Greetings

  • Owing to there being 11 official languages, there are also a multitude of ways in which people greet and approach one another. However, most people in the country speak or have an understanding of English, so a simple ‘’Hello’’ would suffice. The most frequently used greetings are ‘’Molo,’’ which is Xhosa, ‘’Sawubona,’’which is Zulu, or ‘’Howzit!’’ which is used and understood by the entire population, all around the country.

 

Money

  • The South African Rand is divided into 100 cents and is also the legal tender in the Common Monetary Area Member states, which includes its neighbours Namibia, Lesotho and Eswatini. International banks in South Africa are ABSA, Standard Chartered Bank, Citi Bank, and Commonwealth Bank of South Africa.

 

Transportation

  • South Africans drive on the left hand side of the road. Most roads in the major cities are well maintained, but roads in smaller cities may lack infrastructure or have potholes. Public transport is preeminent in South Africa, with taxis, busses and app-based hailing systems being fairly reliable. However, commuting can sometimes be unsafe due to the frequent strikes in the industry.

 

Safety

  • The overall crime rate in South Africa is quite high, and citizens face threats of hijacking, robberies, burglaries, rape, and murder. However, South African police prioritise protecting tourists. Therefore, crime levels in areas that are popular amongst tourists will often be much lower than the rest of the country.

 

Culture

  • Due to the country’s culture being so diverse, lots of emphasis is placed on respecting on another’s beliefs and cultures, and this is even included in the country’s constitutions as well. South Africans celebrate Heritage Day on the 21st of September, and pay tribute to their unique and diverse cultures.

 

Shops

  • In major cities shopping will not be a hassle as the capitals of South Africa has plenty of shopping malls with many local, international, and even designer brand stores. There are endless entertainment options. South Africans love art and food, so there are innumerable theatres, galleries, and restaurants around the country, but especially in the major cities.

 

To read more exciting blogs, please click on the link below:

Blog

 

Written by Saudika Hendricks

Edited by Eloise Williams

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Kenya – Travel Guide

Facts to assist you when travelling to Kenya

 

Population

  • The Kenyan population currently stands at 53.01 million (2021).

 

Capital City and Largest City

  • The capital of Kenya is Nairobi, with a population of 4. 397 million (2019).

 

Official Language

  • The official languages of Kenya is English and Swahili.

 

Currency

  • The Kenyan Shilling.

 

Office Hours

  • 08:00 – 17:00.

 

Weekend

  • Weekends in Kenya is held over Saturday and Sunday.

 

Time Zone

  • UTC+3.

 

Calling Code

  • +254.

 

Tipping

  • If a service charge is not included in the bill, a tip of 10% is acceptable.

 

Embassies

  • Most countries are represented by Embassies or consulates located in the capital city.

 

Government

  • Unitary presidential constitutional republic.

 

Climate

  • Kenya’s climate varies from tropical along the coast to temperate inland to arid in the north and northeast parts of the country. The area receives a great deal of sunshine every month, and summer clothes are worn throughout the year. It is usually cool at night and early in the morning inland at higher elevations.

 

The “long rains” season occurs from March/April to May/June. The “short rains” season occurs from October to November/December. The rainfall is sometimes heavy and often falls in the afternoons and evenings. The temperature remains high throughout these months of tropical rain. The hottest period is February and March, leading into the season of the long rains, and the coldest is in July, until mid-August.

 

Transport

  • Main airport: Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (Nairobi). The country has an extensive network of paved and unpaved roads. Kenya’s railway system links the nation’s ports and major cities, connecting it with neighbouring Uganda. There are 15 airports which have paved runways.

Kenya has a major international port at Mombasa.

 

Economy

  • Main industries include small-scale consumer goods (plastic, furniture, batteries, textiles, clothing, soap, cigarettes, flour), agricultural products, horticulture, oil refining; aluminium, steel, lead; cement, commercial ship repair, and tourism.

 

Hospitality

  • The best course of action is to behave formally and follow the lead of others. The honoured guest is usually served first, followed by the men, children, and women. Do not begin eating until the eldest male has been served and started eating. If you use your hands then scoop the food with the thumb and first two fingers of the right hand.

 

Greetings

  • Handshakes are the most common means of greeting. However, Muslim men/women do not always shake hands with women/men. The most common greeting is “Jambo?” (“How are you?”), which is generally said immediately prior to the handshake. People are generally addressed by their academic, professional or honorific title followed by their surname. Once a personal relationship has developed, you may be able to address a person by their title and first name, first name alone, or nickname. Wait for the Kenyan to determine that your friendship has reached this level of intimacy. Women over the age of 21 are often addressed as “Mama” and men over the age of 35 are often addressed as “Mzee”.

 

Money

  • The Kenya currency unit is the shilling (KSH), divided in 100 cents. The Kenyan shilling has been quite stable over the years. The best currencies to bring are US dollars, UK pounds or euros. It is advisable to exchange these for the local currency as soon as possible at banks and forex bureaus. Barclays Bank is the best banking option, because their ATMs accept both Visa, MasterCard, Cirrus and Plus bank cards. The ATMs of Kenya Commercial Bank accept only Visa cards.

 

Transportation

  • Driving is on the left-hand side of the road. Public transport is limited, unreliable, uncomfortable, slow and not recommended. It is common practice for expats to employ a driver. If driving do so carefully and slowly (speed kills), remember animals and humans can cross the road at any time, try never to drive at night, roads are often poorly maintained and pot holes are to be found.

 

Safety

  • As in any country, there are a few safety and security issues in Kenya. Kenya is a poor country, and there are many people who are forced to make a living by illegal means. Normal Kenyan citizens are definitely targets, but rich, naive tourists are an even bigger temptation for thieves, pick pockets, and con artists. Crime is not so common in rural areas, but is in big cities, especially Nairobi. By taking necessary precautions, however, the risks of a security incident can be reduced drastically. Violent crime is rare in Kenya, even in Nairobi.

 

Culture

  • In Kenya, respect for elders is important. Many Kenyans still believe strongly in the ancestor world, where the dead have powers for good or bad over their living descendants.

 

Shops

  • Shopping in Nairobi is convenient and safe. There are plenty of modern shopping malls, grocery stores, open-air markets, convenience stores and supermarkets located throughout the city.

 

To read more exciting blogs, please click on the link below:

Blog

 

Written by Saudika Hendricks

Edited by Eloise Williams

Lize-Mari Ras
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From the Horse’s Mouth – Namibia

Namibia, a country in southwest Africa, is distinguished by the Namib desert along the Atlantic Ocean coast. The country is home to diverse wildlife, including a significant cheetah population. The capital city of Namibia is Windhoek.

How are birthdays celebrated?

Birthdays are celebrated well. People bake or buy cake, soft drinks and beer and prepare food and celebrate with family and friends.

When you first meet someone, how do you greet them?

We greet people with a smile and then a handshake, or with a handshake and a kiss on both cheeks.

What languages are spoken in your country?

People in Namibia speak many languages including Afrikaans, English, Herero, Oshiwambo, Nama/Damara, Rukwangali, Tswana, German, Khoe Khoe Gowab.

What side of the road do people drive on? What do we need to know about driving in Namibia?

In Namibia we drive on the left-hand side of the road. The speed limit in town is 60km/ph and on the highway it is 120km/ph.

How important is punctuality?

Extremely important!

That probably comes from the German influence…

What types of music are popular? Who are some of your most popular musicians?

Local and International genres that are popular are Hip Hop, R & B, Soul, Afro-pop, House and Kwaito.

Some popular local musicians:

  • Gazza – watch and listen here.
  • The Dogg – watch and listen here.
  • Lady May – watch and listen here.
  • EES – watch and listen here.

 

Are there any traditional dances?

There are so many! Have a look at the videos below to learn more about them.

  • Oshiwambo – watch and listen here.
  • Tswana – watch and listen here.
  • San – watch and listen here.

 

What traditional festivals are celebrated in your community?

Only a few of Namibia’s cultural events are open to outsiders. These include Independence Day on the 21 March, which is probably the most important day on most Namibian calendars. Independence festivities occur in every village, town and city and will often include singing and dancing as well as the obligatory speeches by members of parliament.

Maherero Day occurs in Okahandja on the weekend closest to the 26th of August. Thousands of Herero people gather in traditional dress for a memorial service to their chiefs, this is a spectacular and fun occasion. If you are going to be in Namibia around this time it is worth visiting this festival, tours are often arranged from Windhoek.

Namibia also has several German style beer festivals the two most notable being Oktoberfest which takes place in Windhoek during late October and WIKA (Windhoek carnival) which happens in April.

What are your seasons like?

With 300 days of sunshine on average per year, Namibia is truly a sunny place. Summer is from October to April and temperatures can reach 40 degrees Celsius (104º Fahernheit), which fall at night to cool levels. Average monthly temperatures range from 20 º C to 34º C in summer. Average minimum winter temperatures range between 6°C and 10°C and average winter day temperatures between 18°C and 22°C. The rainy season lasts from October till April.

What are Namibia’s major industries?

The largest industries in Nambia that contributes towards its economy is fishing, mining, manufacturing and agriculture. Namibia is rich in natural resources such as uranium, zinc, copper, lead, gold, silver, tin, marble and granite. The mining industry brings in half of the country’s foreign earnings.

How do people spend their free time?

People spend their free time drinking, interacting, and bonding at social gatherings.

What do people drink?

Namibians drink traditional beer, wine, homemade ginger beer, whiskey, and brandy.

What is a popular local dish?

Oshiwambo Chicken, Mahangu porridge and dried spinach are a favourite throughout the country.

The staple food of the north-central regions is mahangu (a kind of pearl millet that is cultivated in the northern regions). The grain is pounded in mortars with long wooden pestles and cooked into a stiff porridge, oshimbombo, to be eaten with a variety of accompaniments – from chicken, ondjuhwa; wild spinach, ekaka; and bean sauce, oshigali, to mopane worms, omagungu, when available.

What do you pay for?

  • (USD1.00 = approx. N18, 70)
  • A cup of coffee will cost approximately 32 N$
  • A can of Coca Cola will cost approximately 15 N$
  • A 2-Course meal for 2 people at a midrange restaurant will cost approximately 630 N$
  • A loaf of bread will cost approximately 13 N$
  • 1 litre of milk will cost approximately 21 N$

 

Security – in general?

Namibia is a very peaceful nation. People have freedom of speech and movement. Good security and infrastructure are in place, but do exercise caution at all times like in any other country.

 

To read more exciting blogs, please click on the link below:

Blog

Written by Eloise Williams

Edited by Saudika Hendricks

Contributions by Mirinda Subes

Lize-Mari Ras
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From the Horse’s Mouth – Cameroon

Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon on the Gulf of Guinea, is a Central African country of varied terrain and wildlife. Its inland capital, Yaoundé, and its biggest city, Douala, are transit points to ecotourism sites as well as beach resorts like Kribi – near the Chutes de la Lobé waterfalls, which plunge directly into the sea – and Limbe, which is home to a wildlife centre.

How are birthdays celebrated?

Birthdays are either celebrated quietly with a cake and a few friends and family members, or a feast is organised in which friends, family, and colleagues are invited to rejoice with the person celebrating. Birthday feasts are usually organised over weekends.

When you first meet someone, how do you greet them?

In Cameroon, it is not polite to offer a handshake to a person who is your senior. The junior will say good morning or afternoon and wait for the senior to offer his or her hand. It is not also advisable to shake the hand of a senior person whilst wearing a cap or hat – while your right hand reaches out to the hand being offered, your left hand should be used to remove the hat or cap.

What languages are spoken in your country?

French and English are the two official languages in Cameroon. The country has ten regions, eight are Francophone and two Anglophone. While these are the two official languages, Cameroon is home to about 230 ethnic groups and each group has its own language. Therefore about 230 local languages are spoken in Cameroon.

What side of the road do people drive on? What do we need to know about driving in Cameroon?

In Cameroon people drive on the right-hand side of the road. Driving is generally different from one town to another. In Douala, the commercial capital, driving is very hectic. You must have a valid driving license, of course, and your car must be in good condition. We also have lots of motorbikes which makes it difficult to drive as they don’t really respect rules and regulations. The roads are not good, even in the major cities such as Douala and Yaounde. It is quite common to be stuck in traffic for anything from two to four hours at any given time.

How important is punctuality?

Punctuality is commonly not very important and ‘’African Time’’ is the order of the day. Most people will generally be 30 minutes to 1 hour late and will routinely blame traffic jams for this. For official and government appointments, however, you are expected to be punctual.

What types of music are popular? Who are some of your most popular musicians?

Makossa and Bikutsi traditionally used to be the popular music forms in Cameroon. The advent of globalisation, however, brought many musical genres to Cameroon. For example, hip-hop, R&B, Congolese rhumba and music from Nigeria.

Some musicians presently popular in our country:

  • Petit Pays – Watch and listen here.
  • Manu Dibango – Watch and listen here.
  • Richard Bona – Watch and listen here.
  • and Charlotte Dipanda – Watch and listen here.

 

Are there any Traditional Dances?

As mentioned earlier, Cameroon has more than two hundred ethnic groups and each group has their own traditional dance. Here are examples of a couple of traditional dances:

  • The Bakan Pygmies Dance – Watch it here.
  • The Assiko (Bassa traditional dance) – Watch it here.

 

What traditional Festivals are celebrated in your community?

  • The Batanga community of Kribi celebrates Mayi on the 9 of May every year – Click here to watch.
  • The Duala community celebrates Ngondo each year on the Wourri river shores – Click here to watch.

 

 

What are your seasons like?

Cameroon has two seasons, a rainy and dry season. In the southern part of the country, the rainy season lasts up to nine months – generally April to November/December. Interestingly the 4th most rainy city in the world, Debudscha, is found in the Southwest Region of Cameroon.

And the dry season lasts only three months,  generally from December/January to March.

In the northern part of the country the dry season can last about ten months while the rainy season can last just two months.

What are Cameroon’s major industries?

Agriculture is the major industry (cocoa and coffee mainly but also vegetables and fruit). Other industries that contribute significantly to the economy of Cameroon is oil, gas, manufacturing, finance and trade.

How do people spend their free time?

In cities, people spend time in their homes with occasional visits to friends or family and trips to Limbe and Kribi over weekends during the sunny season. Whilst in the rural areas, people spend time chatting about politics and many other topics over a bottle of white wine or locally made spirit. People also like gossiping – we call it kongossa in Cameroon.

What do people drink?

What people drink in Cameroon depends on their pockets. The majority go for locally made drinks like white wine made from palm tree (matango) or locally made spirits (odontol, arki). Meanwhile those who can afford it drink beer – some favourites are Guinness, Heineken and Kadji. South African wines are also quite popular.

What is a popular local dish?

It is very difficult to pinpoint one popular dish in Cameroon. Each region may have one or two popular dishes. However, Poisson Braisé/Roasted Fish, which can be seen below, seems to be a dish found nationwide.

And the very popular breakfast of Beignets Haricots/Puff Puff & Beans (Puff Puff or Pof Pof are fried balls made mainly from flour and yeast and they are yummy).

What do you pay for?

  • (1 USD = XAF 603)
  • A cup of coffee in a restaurant will cost you approximately 880,00 XAF.
  • A can of Coca Cola will cost you approximately 750,00 XAF.
  • A 2-Course meal for 2 people at a midrange restaurant will cost you approximately 45 500,00 XAF.
  • A loaf of bread will cost you approximately 362, 00 XAF.
  • A litre of milk will cost you approximately 1 390,00 XAF.

 

 

Security – in general?

People visiting the far north, north Adamoua and eastern regions of Cameroon should be mindful of their safety. The Boko Haram group and rebel groups from the Central African Republic have made these areas unstable. The rest of Cameroon, however, is generally relatively safe and the main cities, Douala and Yaoundé are very lively with people enjoying going out at night. The surrounding cities like Kribi, Limbe, where people like go to relax and enjoy the sea are also safe.

 

To read more exciting blogs, please click on the link below:

Blog

Written by Eloise Williams

Edited by Saudika Hendricks

Contributions Jacob Kuh and Benjamin Nwall