About South Africa
Facts about South Africa
- Name: Republic of South Africa
- Population: 6 million
- Capitals: Pretoria (executive), Cape Town (legislative), Bloemfontein (judicial)
- Area: 22 million km2
- Provinces: 9
- Languages: South Africa has 11 official languages including Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga, Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa and isiZulu.
- Religions: About 80% of South Africans are Christian, 15% have no religious affiliation and 5% are Muslim, Hindu, Jewish or of other
The Political Situation
South Africa is a democratic republic. The current president is Cyril Ramaphosa, from the African National Congress (ANC). The ANC has been the leading political party since 1994 when it brought democracy and the end of apartheid in 1994. While a lot of progress has been made in a variety of areas, South Africa is still one of the most unequal countries in the world, which gives rise to a range of challenges.
The country went through peaceful and fair elections on the 29th of May 2024, leading to the ANC losing its outright majority for the first time since 1994.
Some of the political parties had agreed to form a government of national unity, which encompassed ministers, their deputies and provincial leaders from the parties that agreed to be part of the agreement. Those who have not decided to be part of the government of national unity have committed to being a reasonable opposition that will hold the leaders accountable.
Your Host City – Johannesburg
Johannesburg, commonly referred to as Jo’burg or Jozi, is the lively hub of South Africa and a fantastic starting point for your adventures. As the largest city in the country, it’s a melting pot of cultures and a testament to both South Africa’s history and modernity. It is South Africa’s wealthiest city and is home to O R Tambo International Airport, which is the busiest on the continent. Additionally, Johannesburg is home to the Chris Hani-Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto, the largest hospital in Africa and the third-largest in the world. The Cradle of Humankind (Maropeng), located near Johannesburg, is one of the most significant paleoanthropological sites in the world. With over 10 million trees, the city also offers plenty of green spaces and countless other attractions.
Let’s Get Practical - What you need to know
Dress code
Smart casual, bring your beautiful African colours – we’d love to see you shine! Bring comfortable shoes, a light jacket or jersey in case one of the days is cooler. Also bring a couple of formal outfit for the gala dinner.
Plug points
Time Zone
- South Africa is in the GMT +2 time zone – 8 hours behind Melbourne, Australia.
Currency
- South African Rand (ZAR). Credit and debit cards as well as other forms of digital payment (Apple Pay) are widely accepted, therefore no need to worry about carrying a lot of cash around.
- Exchange rate:Get current rates at com
Weather in November
The temperatures in Johannesburg in November are comfortable with low of 17°C and high up to 28°C. It might rain on one of the days the temperature generally drops when it rains, so bring something warm, in case you need it.
Safety Tips
- Travellers often have safety concerns, but we want to assure you that Johannesburg has made great progress in ensuring tourism safety.
- To stay safe, it is recommended to stick to popular tourist areas and remain vigilant.
Useful Tips for South Africa
South Africa is multilingual and multicultural, as a result, South Africans are very friendly and helpful to people from all walks of life. Here are some useful tips that may help you understand us better.
We are warm people!
South Africans are known for their friendliness and warmth. You’ll often find South Africans nodding, waving and saying hello to strangers. So don’t be afraid to smile, say hello and engage in friendly conversation when you’re out and about. Whether you’re at the local market, on the beach, at a restaurant or simply strolling through the neighbourhood, acknowledging others fosters a sense of community and connection. “Hello,” “Hi,” and “Howzit” for a local flair.
Greeting is important in Mzansi
- Here are some of the typical ways of introducing yourself to someone in South Africa. After saying hello, ask how the person is and they will ask you too – especially on an individual basis:
- Shaking hands: When in doubt, this is always a good way to go, as it’s the main form of introducing yourself in most situations and is considered a sign of respect.
- Handshake hugging: This is typically how young men will greet each other in a more informal setting.
- Hugging: South Africans can be very friendly, so expect some hugging in more informal situations, particularly among women but not exclusively.
- Eye contact
- Maintaining good eye contact is essential – regardless of who you are talking to.
- Ask questions or for clarity
- Because we are a multicultural society, we are used to explaining things or asking for the spelling of a word on the phone because of the range of accents people have. Therefore, please feel free to ask politely for an explanation when you don’t understand something.
- Say thank you
- We say thank you to a waiter/waitress for bringing our food to the table, someone making space for us to pass on the pavement/ sidewalk, etc. Thank you is important.
- Respect of elders
- Elders (regardless of race/background) are respected – even by adults. So, when addressing someone older, you can call them aunty or uncle so and so.
Tipping is important
- Waiting staff: 10%-20% of the bill – depending on how great the service was.
- Below is for your information as you will have transport organised.
- Car guards: You’ll find car guards at most public parking to watch over your car while you’re away and sometimes even help you unload your groceries. While it’s not mandatory, tipping them your spare change from R1-R10 is greatly appreciated.
- Petrol attendants: Ensuring you never have to get out of your car, you’ll find petrol attendants at every petrol station across the country who will fill up your tank for you. If you’re doing a simple fill-up, tipping isn’t necessary. But if you’re getting the full service with window washing, oil and water checks and a tyre pump-up, then tipping R5-R30 is appreciated.
- Beggars at traffic lights: being one of the most unequal countries in the world, you will notice some beggars at traffic lights. Please don’t feel compelled to give, every single time. However, if and when you can please share small change with them.
Don’ts
- It’s impolite to point with your index finger so use an open hand
- Talking with your hands in your pockets is considered rude
- Don’t be disrespectful.
Words and Phrases
Words and phrases
As the economic hub of South Africa, Johannesburg is very multilingual so you will find slang that is derived from different languages. Here are a few you might hear or want to play around with:
Word / phrase | Meaning |
Heita! [hey-ta] | Slang for hello |
Howzit? | much like Australia, this is another way of saying hello |
Lekker [lek-uh] | (Afrikaans) Means delicious, but also used to say something is ‘great’ or ‘nice’. For example, ‘The food was lekker’, or ‘We had a lekker day.’ |
Robot [robot – as in robotics] | Traffic light |
Mzanzi [əmˈzʌns] | South Africa – derived from isiXhosa for uMzantsi meaning ‘the South’ |
Sisi [sea-sea] | Sister (isiZulu) – Also use if you don’t know a person’s name – can be hotel staff, etc. instead of saying ‘hey’ when trying to get their attention. |
Bhuti | Brother (isiZulu) |
Broer [broo-r] OR Boet [boot] | Brother / friend (Afrikaans) – borrowed from Dutch – used like how Americans use the word “bro”. |
China [china] | Slang for young man / friend |
Friend – mostly used in the townships | |
| Colloquial exclamation of surprise, disapproval, exasperation or regret derived from Xhosa. E.g. “Eish, I missed my train!” / “Eish! That horrible.” |
Ag [agh] | is not short for aggressive or agriculture — it’s a filler word to express irritation or resignation. Eg. ‘Ag, no man!’, or ‘Ag, let’s go.’ |
Yebo [yay-bo] | A Zulu word that means yes! Example sentence: Will you come to my brother’s wedding with me? Yebo! |
Sharp / sharp-sharp [sharp] | Often doubled up for effect (sharp sharp!) and means: okay / everything is okay / and also used as another way of saying ‘goodbye’. |
Garage | Petrol / service station |
Sorry [sorry] | Used a lot in place of ‘excuse me’ – at the beginning of a sentence. Example: ‘sorry, where is the toilet?’ |
Shame [shame] / sometimes stated as shem [sham] | Used as an expression for sympathy or admiration. E.g. ‘Ag, shame man, poor girl!’ ‘Shame, he’s so cute.’ |
| You’ll often hear South Africans mention that they will do something ‘just now’. This does not mean they’ll do it immediately, but rather a bit later. It may sound illogical but makes complete sense in South Africa! |
Right now | Right this second |
Now, now | Could be anything between 5-30 minutes |
Just now | Usually refers to anything from an hour on to simply later in the day. |
Township [town-ship] | Urban areas located close to cities and towns that were formally allocated for people of colour only. For example, Soweto is a township. |
Braai [br-eye]
| Used as a noun and verb for an outdoor ‘barbecue’ where meat is cooked over a fire or coals. E.g. ‘We’re having a braai tomorrow.’ ‘We braaied the meat yesterday’. A braai is a popular social event in South Africa, there’s a lot of braais that happen on Heritage Day – celebrated annually on September 24. |
Shisa nyama | A place where people go to buy meet and have it ‘braaid’/barbequed there. Sometimes the places also sell alcohol and play music and are more of hangout spot. |
Biltong [bill-tong] | A favourite South African snack made from dried and salted meat, similar to beef jerky. |
Boerewors [boor-uh-vors] | A sausage made from beef, mixed with either pork or lamb and a mixture of spices. an Afrikaans term for ‘farmer’s sausage’ — a traditional South African meat often enjoyed at a braai. |
Pap [pup] | Maize porridge (similar to polenta), staple in South Africa – often made thicker than morning porridge and had with meat or vegetables |
Chakalaka [ ch aa k aa l aa kh aa kh aa ] | A spicy South African relish dish made from beans, fresh veggies, onions, pepper, and tomatoes. |
Bunny chow [bunny chow – like ‘chow mein’]
| Often referred to simply as a bunny, is an Indian South African fast food dish consisting of a hollowed-out loaf of white bread filled with curry and a serving of salad on the side. |
Kota [quarter] | Similar to the bunny chow but with fries, processed meats (sausages, polony, etc.) cheese and fried egg – customer decides what they want. |
Malva pudding | A Dutch import, malva pudding is a sweet and sticky baked sponge pudding made with apricot jam and served smothered warm custard. |
Milk tart | Milktart consists of a pastry case filled with milk, eggs and sugar, which is usually thickened with flour. The finished tart is traditionally dusted with cinnamon. A real South African comfort food, it is served as a dessert, and also available in many bakeries. *Similar to the British custard tart or Portuguese pasteis de nata |
| This cocktail-come-dessert uses South African Amarula, a cream liqueur made from the indigenous marula fruit, blended with ice cream. Find it in every bar or take a bottle of Amarula home from duty-free to make your own! |
Soft drink |
Excited to start your South African adventure?
This guide has all you need to travel in and around South Africa.