South Africa

British passport holders do not need a visa to visit South Africa for tourism for up to 90 days. Your passport must be valid for at least 30 days after the day you leave and have at least 2 blank pages for entry stamps.

Make sure your passport is in good condition: damaged passports can be refused at immigration. Rules can change, so always check GOV.UK travel advice before you travel.

No vaccinations are required to enter South Africa from the UK, but talk to your GP or a travel health clinic at least 6 weeks before you go about which are recommended for you.

Kruger and Victoria Falls are malaria areas: ask about malaria tablets if you are going there. Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town and the main sporting cities are not malaria areas, and Pilanesberg next to Sun City is malaria-free.

The currency is the South African rand (ZAR). Credit and debit cards are widely accepted. For cash, banks and bureaux de change in town give better rates than the airport counters.

Tipping is customary in restaurants and for porters and guides, and cash in rand is preferred.

Check your UK provider’s roaming package before you go: roaming can be expensive. Or buy a local SIM card on arrival, at the airport or in shopping centres. Vodacom and MTN are the largest networks. Data is affordable and coverage is excellent in the cities.

Tap water in the major cities is safe to drink. At the cricket, carry water: it is a long day in the sun. Most grounds have refill points.

December and January are high summer. Expect 26 to 34°C on the Highveld (Johannesburg, Pretoria, Centurion), with afternoon thunderstorms that usually clear within the hour. Cape Town is cooler, about 22 to 28°C, with a steady south-easterly breeze.

Pack light, breathable clothes, a proper hat, strong sunscreen (SPF 50+), and a light layer for the evenings: it cools quickly after sunset.

South Africa uses the Type M plug: three large round pins, 230V. It is different from UK and European plugs, so bring an adaptor or buy one at the airport.

Domestic flights connect the major cities quickly: Johannesburg to Cape Town is about 2 hours by air. Centurion is 30 to 40 minutes from central Johannesburg by road.

We do not recommend self-driving on a first visit. Private transfers are safer and easier, and we arrange them for you.

The gateway to South Africa. Base yourself in Sandton, the commercial heart of the city around Nelson Mandela Square: safe, walkable within the precinct, full of good restaurants, and 15 to 20 minutes from the Wanderers. OR Tambo airport is 45 to 50 minutes from Sandton, more in rush hour.

• The Apartheid Museum: essential, moving and world class (allow 3 to 4 hours)
• A guided Soweto tour, including Mandela House on Vilakazi Street
• Montecasino: restaurants, cinema and casino
• The SA National Museum of Military History, near the Wanderers
• The Lion & Safari Park or the Rhino & Lion Nature Reserve, for wildlife without the drive to Kruger
• Ellis Park, where the Springboks won the 1995 World Cup final

Centurion sits between Johannesburg and Pretoria, about 35 km north of Johannesburg. SuperSport Park hosts the Boxing Day Test, and Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria is the home of the Bulls.

• Pretoria: the Union Buildings, Church Square and the Voortrekker Monument (30 minutes’ drive)
• Centurion Mall: shops and restaurants beside the lake
• Golf: several good courses within 20 minutes
• Acrobranch: treetop zip lines, good for families
• The Rhino & Lion Nature Reserve, about 45 minutes away

Table Mountain, the Atlantic seaboard, the Winelands 45 minutes away, and Newlands, perhaps the most beautiful cricket ground in the world. The airport is 20 to 30 minutes from Newlands and the V&A Waterfront.

Where to stay: the V&A Waterfront, central and lively, with restaurants and harbour views; Sea Point and Green Point, a relaxed Atlantic neighbourhood with its famous promenade; Newlands and Claremont, the leafy southern suburbs closest to the cricket ground, quieter, with good wine bars and cafés.

• The Table Mountain cableway: go early or late to avoid the queues, weather permitting
• The Cape Peninsula: Chapman's Peak, the penguins at Boulders Beach and Cape Point
• Robben Island: book well ahead, as the ferries sell out
• The V&A Waterfront: the Two Oceans Aquarium and the Zeitz MOCAA art museum
• Shark cage diving at Gansbaai or Simon's Town (seasonal, weather permitting)
• Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, on the slopes of Table Mountain
• Long Street, Cape Town's nightlife and restaurant strip
• The Sea Point Promenade, a coastal walk for a rest day

Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl, about 45 minutes from Cape Town. The drive alone is worth it. Boland Park in Paarl hosts one-day internationals among the vineyards, and many visitors combine a match day with a wine tasting.

Stay a night or two for the full experience: Babylonstoren, Grande Provence and Leeu Estates are all exceptional. Stellenbosch is also home to Maties, one of the great university rugby clubs, and Pearl Valley golf course is between Paarl and Franschhoek.

The City of Roses, the judicial capital of South Africa, in the heart of the Free State: quieter and more traditional, with a surprising history (J.R.R. Tolkien was born here in 1892). Mangaung Oval is a compact, friendly ground with a classic, unhurried feel.

On Nelson Mandela Bay at the eastern end of the Garden Route. St George's Park is one of the oldest Test grounds in the world, and St Francis Links, a Jack Nicklaus links course, is about an hour and a half away.

Warm water and long beaches on the Indian Ocean. Kings Park is the home of the Sharks, Durban Country Club is among the best golf courses in the country, and Kingsmead hosts Test cricket.

The ultimate Big Five safari. Kruger is about an hour by air from Johannesburg, or 5 to 6 hours by road. Lodges near Hazyview or Kruger Gate give the best access. Allow at least 2 to 3 nights, best before or after the Highveld leg of a trip.

One of the world's great road trips, from Cape Town or Port Elizabeth through Wilderness, Knysna and Plettenberg Bay. Forests, dramatic coastline, the bungee jump at Bloukrans Bridge, and Knysna oysters. Allow 3 to 5 days; it fits well after Cape Town.

One of the natural wonders of the world, a short flight from Johannesburg. Allow at least 2 nights: helicopter flights over the Falls, white-water rafting on the Zambezi, sunset cruises, and the bungee jump from the Victoria Falls Bridge.

Next door to South Africa, and a short flight from Cape Town or Johannesburg: the red dunes of Sossusvlei, the Skeleton Coast and Etosha. An extension we can plan for you on request.