South Africa
South Africa - no travel wish remains unfulfilled here: walks on the dream beaches of the Indian Ocean, whale watching on the Garden Route, balloon trips over the Karoo steppe or a visit to Kruger National Park, one of the largest game reserves in the world. Although there are 11 official languages in South Africa, the majority of people can speak English, which makes communication possible almost everywhere. The epitome of luxurious travel is, of course, the Blue Train, which has been offering exquisite train travel since its introduction in 1923. The Pretoria - Cape Town route is offered as well as new routes such as Durban etc. www.bluetrain.co.za
Location
Südafrika
Area
Südspitze von Afrika
Population
52.98 million inhabitants
Language
Afrikaans, English, South Ndebele, isiXhosa, isiZulu, North Sotho, Sesotho, Setswana, Siswati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga
Largest city
Johannesburg
Capital city
Pretoria
Religion
25% Independent African Churches
17% other Christian churches
Weather
South Africa is located in the southern hemisphere of the earth and therefore has seasons that are "mirror-inverted" to those in our northern hemisphere. So when we are enjoying the height of summer in July and August, South Africa is in winter. However, there are hardly any weather extremes because South Africa is located in the temperate subtropical zone. Although the country stretches over 13 degrees of latitude, it has fairly regular temperatures.
Best time to travel
During the summer months from December to April
Climate
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Max. Temperature | 26 | 27 | 25 | 23 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 23 | 25 |
| Min. Temperature | 16 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 15 |
| Hours of Sunshine | 11 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| Rainy days | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 |
Time difference (to MEZ)
Kapstadt: UTC/GMT +2 Stunde
Currency
Edge
Visa
German, Austrian and Swiss citizens need a passport for a stay of up to three months, which must be valid for at least thirty (30) days after leaving the Republic of South Africa. A visa does not need to be applied for in advance from Germany. The passport must have at least one free page for endorsements.
Food in South Africa - Culinary stronghold of Cape Town
In the restaurants in and around
Cape Town you will find the cuisine of many countries. Fresh and tasty fruit and vegetables
and vegetables grow directly in the country due to the good South African climate.
Meat is also available in excellent quality.
The traditional cuisine in Cape Town
is a mix of different countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, France,
Germany, England and the Netherlands. In the winter months
Springbok in any form is very popular. Live Cape Rock lobster (crayfish),
snails and many other types of freshly caught fish are available everywhere.
available everywhere. Fish and seafood are also very popular in the region around Cape Town.
common and extremely popular.
National Parks South Africa - Close to nature - Augrabies Falls National Park
The thundering 56 m deep waterfall is one of the highlights of this national park and attracts not only cliff divers, but also other tourists who like to keep an eye out for predators and rare eagles.
- Mountain Zebra National Park
The Mountain Zebra National Park was established to save the Cape Mountain zebra from extinction and today there is a healthy population of these zebras sharing the park with buffalo and rhino. But birdwatchers also get their money's worth in this park, with many other rare bird species living here in addition to the blue crane.
- Addo Elephant National Park
Addo Elephant National Park was founded in 1931 after the population of elephants was reduced by shooting. However, the ecosystem has since been restored and over 200 pachyderms now live in the park along with Cape buffalo and antelope.
- Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
The park is also known as the "Peace Parks", as two parks have been merged and the wild animals can now roam across borders. Day hikes are offered in each of the three camps in the national park, which also offer overnight accommodation and campsites.
Shopping in South Africa - the right souvenir for everyone
Shopping in South Africa is possible without restrictions, especially in the major cities. Tourists love to stroll through the huge shopping malls, enjoy the variety of products and grab the occasional bargain.
The large shopping malls are comparable to those in the USA, as they offer designer boutiques, electronics stores and supermarkets as well as numerous food and entertainment outlets to round off a day of shopping. Locals themselves associate shopping in South Africa with fun and variety. Tourists will find a number of souvenir stores in the major cities such as Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, where they are sure to find a nice vacation souvenir to take home with them.
