VISITOR TRAVEL INFORMATION
Capital City: Pretoria (administrative), Cape Town (legislative), Bloemfontein (judicial)
Area: 1,233,404 sq km
Provinces: There are 9 Provinces in South Africa:
• Western Cape
• Eastern Cape
• Northern Cape
• North West
• KwaZulu-Natal
• Free State
• Gauteng
• Mpumalanga
• Limpopo
Population: ca. 46,900,000
Time Zone: Central African Time (GMT +2)
Seasons: South Africa is in the southern hemisphere, thus June (when the conference is being held) is in our winter (see information of Port Elizabeth for expected temperatures).
Languages: South Africa has 11 official languages:
• English
• Afrikaans
• Xhosa
• Zulu
• Tswana
• Tsonga
• Sepedi
• Sesotho
• Swati
• Ndebele
• Venda
Despite the large number of languages, English speaking visitors will have no problem communicating while travelling through the country.
Religions: Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Jewish and traditional religions
Mineral Resources: gold, diamonds, chromium, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, tin, uranium, platinum, copper
Currency: Rand (R, ZAR).
One Rand = 100 cents.
Notes issued are R10, R20, R50, R100 and R200.
Coins issued are 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, R1, R2, and R5.
You will be able to change foreign currency at any bank or FOREX dealer.
Visas: Many visitors require visas to enter South Africa.
Electricity: 220/230V 50Hz
Driving: As in the UK, we drive on the left hand side of the road. Thus, in the cars the steering wheel is located on the right. Most vehicles have manual transmission.
Cell Phone Rental: If you wish, you will be able to rent cell phones from one of the three national cell phone companies at any major airport (e.g., Johannesburg, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth).
Malaria: Portions of South Africa do have malaria (i.e., northern KwaZulu-Natal or Mpumalanga northern). However, the Eastern Cape and Nelson Mandela Bay are malaria free.
The Eastern Cape is the second largest province in South Africa. It is extremely diverse incorporating all seven of South Africa's Biomes
(i.e., Thicket, Grassland, Forest, Fynbos, Savanna, Nama Karoo and Succulent Karoo). Scenery varies from over 800 km of white sand beaches and
rocky shoreline, to the lush Tsitsikamma Forest, rugged Baviaanskloof Wilderness Area, and arid Karoo. Some of the key attractions include the:
• Addo Elephant National Park
• Tsitsikamma National Park
• Baviaanskloof Wilderness Area
• scenic Garden Route
• Valley of Desolation
• world's highest bungee jump
• Grahamstown Arts Festival.
Area: 169,600 sq km
Population: ca. 7,000,000
Major Cities: Port Elizabeth, East London
National Parks and Nature Reserves:
• Addo Elephant National Park
• Baviaankloof Wilderness Area
• Tsitsikamma National Park
• Groendal Wilderness Area
• Double Drift Game Reserve
• Mountain Zebra National Park
• Karoo Nature Reserve
• Gariep Nature Reserve
• Dwesa Nature Reserve
• Silaka Nature Reserve
Nicknames: PE, Friendly City, Windy City
Names: iBayhi (Xhosa)
Population: ca. 1,006,000
Location: On Algoa Bay, on the southern Indian Ocean coastline.
Size: Largest City in the Eastern Cape and the 6th largest city in South Africa.
Languages: In Port Elizabeth, you will likely hear and encounter English, Afrikaans and Xhosa. Everyone, however, speaks and understands English.
Typical Temperatures in June (degrees centigrade):
• Mean: 14°
• Max: 20°
• Min: 9°
Mean Rainfall in June: 62 mm
Mean Ocean Temperature in June (degrees centigrade): 16°
General Wind Conditions: Light to strong westerly
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