TRAVEL GUIDE: South Africa

It’s breathtaking, captivating, bustling, endless . . . it’s South Africa!

BEST TIMES TO VISIT

Since South Africa is in the southern hemisphere, it’s summer there when it’s winter in Europe. Summer begins in November and lasts till February, which if you think about it, makes this the ideal time to visit if you want to escape the cold weather.

Depending on where you’re visiting, the average day temperature in summer ranges from a minimum of 15°C ( 59°F) to a maximum of 28°C (82°F). In winter the average day temperatures are 9°C to 23°C (66°F to 73°F). Just ensure you have a jacket to put on as it can get chilly at night.

Late winter is popular for game spotting because the vegetation is sparse and animals

visit the waterholes to drink. Summer in the Lowveld can be extremely hot. Alternatively, you can go on a winter beach holiday in Durban or on the KwaZulu-Natal coast as average temperatures hover around the 26°C mark.

In Cape Town, the best time to visit is in spring and autumn, which is April and May or the beginning of September to October. Spring is particularly breathtaking as you’ll get to witness first-hand some of South Africa’s most beautiful indigenous flowers bloom.

Autumn offers a relief from the summer heat while the vineyards of the Cape Winelands start to change colour.

PEOPLE AND LANGUAGES

South Africans have been referred to as the ‘rainbow nation’, a title which illuminates the country’s cultural diversity.

South Africa is home to a multi-cultural melting pot of 55 million beautiful people of diverse origins, cultures, languages and religions.

There are 11 officially recognised languages, most of which are indigenous to South Africa. English is spoken everywhere you go.

English is the language of the cities, of commerce and banking, of government and official documents.

All road signs and official forms are in English and at any South African hotel, Bed and Breakfast or Guest House the service staff will speak English. Other languages you can expect to hear are Xhosa, Zulu and Afrikaans.

All road signs and official forms are in English and at any South African hotel, Bed and Breakfast or Guest House the service staff will speak English.