Has anyone done South Africa?

[puzzledout]

Recommend it?

Where would you visit?

No, Siobhan isn't my real name. 😁 I lived in South Africa for about a year, posted there for work, (media, not travel industry!) and loved it.
That was many moons ago, I went back with DH some time afterwards and we travelled all over. It's a fabulous country.

I'm doing it!! That sound amazing!!

I am so loving this thread.

@SiobhanSharpe Long shot!

I find it quietly amusing about the load shedding tbh. It's inevitable. It happens. It can be a minor or a major inconvenience depending on how delicate and easily wound up you are. Yes, the traffic lights go out. But also almost always the traffic flows better than with them! Some random guy will take on traffic duty a lot of the time!
Most places have generators anyway and if they don't then really - just put down the iPad and go for a walk on the beach. Go out for coffee or a beer. Just get on with it like the locals do. All the supermarkets stock rechargeable lamp things that you can stand on a table in your room and they're cheap. Just get one and leave it for the next person. Load shedding is not a good enough reason to not go IMO.

@EffortlesslyInelegant When you are in the bush it doesn’t matter. It’s generators anyway!

We are staying at places with back up power for load shredding. It doesn't bother me but if it is a concern lots of the hotels and even the air bnbs where we are staying have back up power.

Just be aware that the FCO has a warning out for likely terrorist attacks in south Africa

I mostly found driving easy in SA. I wasn’t keen on the motorways because the convention there is to move over to the hard shoulder to let people pass. The hard shoulder of the motorway was full of children walking home from school when I was on it, but other drivers still wanted me to get out of their way! Aside from that particular madness, it was all fine. Surely difference like that are all part of life’s rich tapestry (though I wouldn’t drive at night, or stop if flagged down).

That warning has been there for years! Many years before I started going regularly and every year since.

Thank you for all these messages. I also have a question. We will do a drive along most of the places mentioned here and I’m uncertain about luggage. Should we get a big car that can hide away all our luggage in the boot but that most likely will scream ‘valuables’ or shall we get a smaller one that however might show there’s luggage in the boot to steal?
what do people do when they self drive and stop in all the places mentioned above?
thank you

@Ilovecashews we are getting a bigger car but mainly because we need to with 5 of us, suitcases and a double pushchair. But the places we are staying let us drop off and leave luggage at anytime

@Ilovecashews We have always had a car with a lockable boot with nothing showing. If you leave anything on show you are asking for trouble. In cities used manned car parks. You will have to pay but that’s what South Africans do. Always leave nothing on show in the car or boot. Don’t have an estate without a pull over cover for the boot. Sometimes they are missing . Never drive with your handbag on a seat or windows open in built up areas.

One piece of advice we were given : if someone wants the car more than you do, let them take it. Applies to other possessions too. Safety first at all times though.

@TizerorFizz

One piece of advice we were given : if someone wants the car more than you do, let them take it. Applies to other possessions too. Safety first at all times though.

Meh - this is not a holiday worthy of my money. Just.Not.Worth.It

Kudos to those of you who can shelve the sheer fear of being mugged/raped etc and can see past this to actually be able to enjoy what I’m sure is magnificent colourful culture and stunning safaris. I would love to experience it but I don’t think I’d ever be able to enjoy the experience because I’d just be shitting myself the whole time

@Fishbones1 We are robust pragmatic people. This advice was given because we had to drive through a township on our route in KZA. No other option. It was a main road and DC were coming out of the schools in brightly coloured uniforms. We didn’t anticipate ever needing the advice and never did. We had a boring car and were sensible. I don’t think many tourists ever have issues and my DC both boarded at a school for a term without any problems. You just have to take countries as you find them. Overall, tourists are safe.

@Fishbones1 i feel the same, dh and I talked about going later this year but I’ve always been a bit reluctant. Some friends of ours were held up by people wanting their stuff, they were okay but she had her bag
taken (nothing valuable in there) and he handed over his watch (again; not valuable, they were being sensible not taking any valuables out and about with them), they were terrified and really shaken up by it.
Not worth it to me either which is a shame because it’s a beautiful looking country that I’d always been curious about.

As I’ve travelled a lot I can add nasty incidents in quite a lot of places! Including the Caribbean, countries elsewhere in Africa and South America. SA really isn’t alone in having people who rob tourists. Mostly they rob beach other.

One thing about SA is that safety advice is given freely. You are unlikely to be robbed on a busy street. Wander off where you shouldn’t be, it’s a possibility. Wandering around at night is fooolish in some places. Take security and where you go seriously and you can stay safe. Park right be the restaurant. Don’t use a ATM unless you really keep your eyes open. Don’t walk up and down Table Mountain or into the furthest corners of the botanic gardens. Stay in well to do areas. Don’t go in a township and don’t get followed out of it. Just be sensible and you are safe.

Thank you, really appreciate the help

‘Don’t go in a township and don’t get followed out of it’ I’m not sure I understand this one. Can you explain please?

@Ilovecashews When you travel in South Africa or even walk around in the cities, the neighbourhoods change. We have been warned by numerous people to stay in, frankly, mostly white tourist areas. It’s obvious what they are. However some people want to see how others live. They decide they will drive into townships and do a DIY look around. They might just do a walking tour around. I have been told you might be followed afterwards and robbed so it’s risky. I’m sure others will feel the opposite and have been safe but my advice is to do a guided tour.

Not SA, but we are fairly certain we had a corrupt guide in Chile. My DH had a bag snatched. I think the guide gave details of where we would be. A quiet coffee shop. Car waiting in the street for a getaway. Definitely planned. So all I’m saying is it’s best to be careful and most South Africans you meet will endorse what I’ve said.

If anyone is going to Johannesburg there is a beautiful area called Parkhurst, it’s very bohemian and full of independent shops, cafes and gorgeous restaurants. The main bonus is that it’s safe enough to walk around the main streets, even as a tourist. I was there with family yesterday (never heard of it before) and it’s gorgeous. What isn’t gorgeous is the freezing cold weather I’ve just arrived home to - only 30 degrees colder!

Thank you, all very useful information!

I may have missed it, but I don't think anyone has mentioned Kimberley in the Northern Cape - famous for its diamond mine and the "Big Hole". It's not something I'd recommend for a first visit, but it's a fascinating place.

If you like mountains, the Drakensberg in the Eastern Cape is amazing - again, probably not for a first visit.

Word of warning about speeding: SA police are known for being less than visible (as in devious) about where they place speed traps and it's not unusual for visitors to find hire companies have debited their credit cards with speeding fines months after they return home. You do need eyes in the back of your head to spot police with a radar gun. We saw one lying in a storm drain, virtually invisible.

(We liked SA so much, we bought a house in Franschhoek.)

@DancingFerret They also do the same at “stop” junctions. Stop means stop. They were kind to DH who almost stopped! Speedo was zero but he had a slight forward movement! It’s not so easy when the road was totally clear.

As a South African, I find the UK's insistence on making speed traps visible completely bizarre. The whole point is to stop people speeding. Defeats the point entirely if you speed along until you get to the conveniently highlighted camera, at which point you slow down.

You do need eyes in the back of your head to spot police with a radar gun. We saw one lying in a storm drain, virtually invisible. OR, just a thought... you could.... wait for it this is a big one.... NOT SPEED?! Then the police could hide wherever they want and you would not get any fines.

On that note, speeding in most places in SA is stupid. This is a developing country. Roads are generally surprisingly good, but there are people and animals on the weirdest roads at the weirdest times. There's also a lot of traffic and a lot of vehicles that are barely road worthy. Plus, let's be honest, there are a lot of people who probably shouldn't be driving in the first place. Keeping to the speed limits will keep you, and others, safe.

Yes, I think people do need to have their wits about them when driving in SA. If it's not avoiding determined and over-zealous police looking for easy revenue, it's avoiding the over-crowded "taxis" (minibuses) doing their own thing with little regard for life and limb.

Despite that, we still love the country.