• South Africa's national mascot, the Springbok, a dainty antelope

    South Africa's national mascot, the Springbok, a dainty antelope

  • Marked mountains overlook beach at Camps Bay, Cape Town

    Marked mountains overlook beach at Camps Bay, Cape Town

  • Aerial view of Johannesburg from Carlton Centre, Africa's tallest building

    Aerial view of Johannesburg from Carlton Centre, Africa's tallest building

South Africa: Overview

South Africa is an exhilarating and complex country. With its post-apartheid identity still in the process of definition, there is undoubtedly an abundance of energy and a sense of progress about the place. Travellers are returning to a remarkable land that has been off the trail for way too long.

FAST FACTS

Full name

The Republic of South Africa

Currency

Rand, ZAR (R)

Population

47900000

Languages

  • (official)
  • Afrikaans (official)
  • English (official)
  • Swazi (official)
  • (official)
  • Zulu (official)
  • (official)
  • (official)

Time zone(s)

  • GMT/UTC: +2

Voltage

220/230V

Hertz

50Hz

Plugs

  • South African/Indian-style plug with two circular metal pins above a large circular grounding pin

    South African/Indian-style plug with two circular metal pins above a large circular grounding pin

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