1. Geographical Location of South Africa.
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South Africa occupies the southernmost part of the African
continent, stretching between latitudes 22° to 35°S
and longitudes 17° to 33°E. Its surface area is
1 219 090 square kilometres.
Neighbouring countries include Namibia to the north-west,
Botswana and Zimbabwe to the north, Swaziland to the east
and Mozambique to the north-east. South Africa totally
surrounds the independent Kingdom of Lesotho.
South Africa is surrounded by the ocean on three sides
– to the west by the Atlantic Ocean and to the south
and east by the Indian Ocean, and has a coastline of about
3 000 kilometres.
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2. Population.
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population of more than 40 million includes some 20 ethnic
groups. |
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3. Language.
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are 11 official languages in South Africa. English is the
language of business and is widely spoken. Other languages
are: Afrikaans, Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Southern Sotho,
Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu. |
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4. Currency.
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unit currency of the rand is 100 cents.
Denominations: Coins: 1c, 2c, 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, R1,
R2, R5
Notes: R10, R20, R50, R100, R200
Major commercial banks, with a wide network of branches
throughout Southern Africa, offer foreign-exchange services.
Visitors can also obtain cash using foreign bank cards
from many automatic teller machines.
Major international credit cards such as American Express,
Diners, MasterCard, Standard Bank Card, Visa and their
affiliates are accepted.
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5. Entery Requirements.
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holders of more than 80 countries, including the USA, Canada,
Japan and the EU can visit South Africa without visas. Make
contact with South African Embassies or High Commissions
in this regard. |
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6. Health.
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than a certificate of inoculation against yellow fever for
visitors from an infected country, there are no other medical
requirements for visitors to South Africa.
Travellers to malaria areas within South Africa are cautioned
to take appropriate prophylaxis and personal protection
measures such as using insect repellent and clothing,
covering as much of the body as possible in the evenings.
While South Africa boasts excellent medical facilities,
visitors should ensure they take out insurance to cover
the cost of treatment should the need arise.
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