South Africa
South Africa packs an entire continent’s worth of scenery into one country, from Cape Town’s Table Mountain and Winelands to Kruger National Park’s big-game safaris and the dramatic Drakensberg range. Johannesburg, the country’s largest city, is its main commercial and aviation gateway, with a history shaped by gold mining and the fight against apartheid, told powerfully at the Apartheid Museum and in Soweto. Cape Town, by contrast, draws travellers with its coastal beauty, world-class restaurants and nearby Cape Winelands. South African cuisine is a genuine melting pot: braai (barbecue) culture, Cape Malay curries, biltong and a thriving wine industry that ranks among the world’s best.
Explore South Africa Destinations: Johannesburg.
Capital
Pretoria (administrative); Cape Town (legislative); Bloemfontein (judicial)
Main Gateway Airport
O.R. Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg (JNB)
Currency
South African Rand (ZAR)
Languages Spoken
11 official languages, including Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans and English
Climate & Weather
Varies by region; generally temperate with a Mediterranean climate around Cape Town and a subtropical climate in the north and east
Best Time to Visit
May to September (dry winter) for safaris in Kruger; November to March for Cape Town's warm summer
Popular Cities to Fly To
Johannesburg is the main international gateway, with strong connections to Cape Town, Durban and safari lodges near Kruger
Popular Attractions
Table Mountain, Kruger National Park, Cape Winelands, Apartheid Museum, Soweto, the Garden Route
Food & Culture
Braai (barbecue) culture, Cape Malay curries, biltong, and an award-winning wine industry centred on Stellenbosch and Franschhoek