South Africa FAQs

Visas

Visas are not required for South Africa if you hold a US, Canadian and the UK passport. For travellers who do need to obtain a visa before travel please ensure you have time for the relevant paperwork before your departure.

To enter South Africa it is necessary to have a passport with at  least six months remaining from the intended date of departure and passports must have two blank pages, facing each other, for entry stamps.

Please note that requirements can change and we recommend that our guests contact the local embassy in the country where you live for the most recent and up to date information.

Passports

It’s important that your passport is valid for at least six months after your intended departure and you should have two consecutive blank pages facing each other for the relevant immigration stamps. If you visit other countries you will need two blank pages per country.

If you hold South African citizenship, you must enter and exit South Africa on your South African passport. It is an offence for a South African citizen aged 18 or over to enter or leave the country on a foreign passport.

We will confirm certain elements of your trip such as domestic flights, permits or train tickets using your current passport details. If a member of your party changes their name in their passport after booking (for example, through marriage or adoption) this could mean having to reissue important parts of the trip at an extra cost and subject to availability. 

Medical

You will not need a yellow fever certificate if you enter South Africa from the USA or Europe. However, if you are travelling between two East African countries on your trip or you are visiting Zanzibar you will require proof of Yellow Fever vaccination.

There are rules regarding travelling with minors in South Africa. If the child is not travelling with both legal guardians, then extra paperwork will need to be obtained before travel. It’s important to make sure you have enough time to arrange the relevant paperwork before your departure. Please check with your travel designer or concierge about this well in advance.

Yes, once your trip is confirmed it is essential that you take out comprehensive travel insurance to cover you in case anything unexpected happens. 

We always recommend that our guests get the maximum level of coverage that you feel comfortable investing in. Read more about travel insurance for US travellers here and travellers from other countries here.

Yes, you should visit a travel doctor before your trip as they may recommend certain vaccinations or medications before or during travel. Vaccines commonly recommended for travellers to Southern Africa include Tetanus, Diphtheria, Polio, Typhoid, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Rabies and Meningitis.

There is a risk of Malaria in parts of South Africa. Please speak with your travel doctor about the best anti-malaria medication for you and bring insect repellent, wear a long-sleeved shirt and long trousers with closed shoes in the evenings and early mornings. Please seek medical advice before applying very strong insect repellent to young children.

As mentioned above under Entry Requirements you may need proof of yellow fever certificate if visiting other East African countries.

Most flights in South Africa flying into safari camps are air on small aircraft and require soft-sided duffle bags, without wheels and not weighing more than 20kg per person. 

Flights between towns and cities are typically taken on medium size aircraft and have a luggage limit of 23kg per person in the economy cabin.

Please speak with your travel designer or concierge if you have any questions regarding your luggage allowance and excess luggage. Please inform us in advance if anyone travelling has an individual weight of more than 100kgs (220lbs) as an additional weight allowance on the aircraft must be purchased for safety and comfort.

We suggest that you check in online 24 hours before your domestic, regional and international flights. We will provide you with the tickets and details of the flights we have arranged for you approximately 2 weeks before travel.

Travel pack

Before you head off on your adventure you will be sent a travel pack.The travel pack is full of great information and is also a beautiful keepsake. It is not necessary to travel with vouchers or confirmations on your trip but we do recommend having a printed copy of your travel itinerary to hand when you arrive into South Africa.

Bon Voyage email

Around 2 weeks before you depart we will email you an electronic version of your travel pack including your domestic flight tickets. Once you’ve received this email your Travel Designer will reach out to arrange a time for you to talk on the phone to go over any last minute questions and talk you through the information we’ve sent over.

Local currency and US dollars

South Africa’s local currency is the South Africa Rand/ZAR. You will need local currency (or a credit/debit card) for most purchases in South Africa. It’s sometimes possible to tip in USD while on safari but on the whole you’ll find staff prefer the local currency. Obtaining local currency from ATMs and currency exchange counters in large airports and cities is straightforward. The US dollar bills you bring with you from home should be no older than 2011 with no damage such as rips, tears or even deep fold marks.

Credit and debit cards

Credit and debit cards are widely accepted in most places visited by tourists (hotels or larger restaurants in cities) including the camps and lodges you will be visiting. There are some exceptions at small or remote camps so please check with your travel designer or concierge.

ATMs

ATMs are available in the major cities but not when you’re on safari so you must make sure you have the cash you need before heading into remote areas. If you visit a few countries on your trip remember that you might also need USD cash to pay for visas. You will only be able to withdraw local currency at ATMs in South Africa. 

Travellers cheques

Although still accepted in some hotels in major cities they are difficult to exchange. Most safari lodges do not accept travellers cheques or exchange them.

Although tipping is discretionary many workers in the tourism industry do rely on tips to make up part of their income. Below is a rough tipping guide, you may wish to tip more or less depending on service. All the amounts are per day, per person recommendations based on two people travelling together. We recommend you tip in ZAR which is the local currency but USD is also sometimes accepted.

In Cities:

• 10-15% in restaurants
• ZAR 200 for a half day with your city guide and ZAR 200 for the driver
• ZAR 100 for drivers on short transfers
• ZAR 50 per day for hotel housekeeping
• ZAR 75 for a private butler per day
• ZAR 10 – 25 for hotel or airport porters per bag

On Safari:

• ZAR 100 per day  for your tracker
• ZAR 200 per day  your guide

Etiquette

Before taking photographs of local people you must ask permission first. It’s best to ask your guide, they will then tell you if it’s appropriate to ask or not. For some local cultures, it’s considered ‘bad luck’ for a stranger to take your photo. That said, locals in South Africa are very friendly so if you strike up a polite conversation, using your guide to translate if necessary, you won’t be strangers for long.

Around Kruger, and Madikwe the summer months (November through to April) are hot and humid with the chance of rain so you should bring lightweight clothing and waterproof jackets and shoes. July to October are dry months that can feel hot in the middle of the day but can get very chilly in the mornings and evenings – you will need jackets, beanies and thick socks.

Cape Town, the surrounding area and the Garden Route during the summer months are very pleasant with a low chance of rain and cooling breezes coming in from the coast. May to October can be cooler and you can experience light rain showers. 

What to pack

This is our essentials list, we recommend talking with your travel designer or concierge for a more personalised, comprehensive packing list based on the time of year and activities for your trip:

• Layers – it can be cold during early game drives, even in summer.
• Down jackets, if you are travelling during the cooler months
• Lightweight rain jackets for showers and to act as a windbreaker.
• Polarised sunglasses
• Swimwear
• Trousers and shirts with adjustable arm and leg lengths in lightweight, quick-dry fabrics
• Camera/Smartphone and/or camera with all the necessary charging leads, plugs and batteries
• Earplugs
• Sunscreen
• Insect repellent
• Sun hat
• Binoculars – your guide will have a pair but having your own can mean that you see a bit more for a bit longer
• Day bag for carrying all your daily essentials
• Closed-toe comfortable shoes for evenings in camp and site seeing.

Most Safari lodges do offer a laundry service for a small price or it’s included. This is normally done by hand so we recommend you wash your own personal items. City-based properties will also offer laundry service at an additional cost. 

We highly recommend that you make restaurant reservations in advance of your trip. Once your trip is confirmed you will be introduced to your concierge who will be able to assist you in not only making the reservations but also making recommendations based on your preferences.

We only recommend taking transfers arranged by Jacada travel, the team on the ground, your hotel or a restaurant we’ve reserved for you. Although there are metered taxis and even uber in the major cities it shouldn’t be necessary on your trip. 

Jeeps used on safari can be closed or open-sided depending on the area. Typically a safari jeep will seat between 4 to 9 passengers and are shared with others at your lodge. Please ask your travel designer or concierge about upgrading to a private vehicle. 

Plugs and power

South Africa operates on a 220 – 240V supply voltage and uses plug types N & M and M is the plug that has three large pins. 

Wifi and internet connection

Wifi is common in all larger city hotels and even on Safari too. On safari however, the connection can be patchy and is not always available throughout the entire property, sometimes only being available in the common areas or in the rooms.  There are some exceptions, so if this sort of connectivity is very important to you please discuss this with your travel designer or concierge.

Remote areas

Cell phone reception and roaming is not always possible in some remote areas so please bear this in mind when planning communications while on your trip.