ElectricityElectrical current is 230 volts, 50Hz. Round,
three-pin plugs are standard. LanguageSouth Africa has 11 official languages, including
Afrikaans, English, Xhosa, Zulu and Sotho. English is widely
spoken. TippingWaitering is a livelihood and a tip of 10% is expected for good
service, if a service charge is not included in the bill. Tipping
for services rendered is widely anticipated by porters, taxi
drivers and petrol attendants. Golf caddies should be tipped
accordingly. 'Car guards' operate in the city centres and tourist
spots and will offer to look after your parked car; they are
usually immigrants from neighbouring countries looking for work and
will expect anything from R2 upwards on your return. Safety InformationSafety is an issue and visitors to South Africa should be aware
of the country's high incidence of crime. Although this tends to be
concentrated in pockets throughout the country, for example in the
township areas, opportunistic crime is fairly widespread.
Travellers should always be aware of these risks and exercise the
necessary precautions. Doors should be locked when driving and one
should not walk alone at night in city streets, isolated beaches or
remote areas. Berea and Hillbrow in Johannesburg are high-risk
areas and visitors should be cautious in these areas. There have
been recent incidents of robbery involving hikers walking on Table
Mountain and Lions Head in Cape Town so visitors should avoid
hiking alone. Be vigilant when using ATMs and do not display signs
of wealth (e.g. mobile phones, money, expensive jewellery) on the
streets. It is worthwhile noting that the South African authorities
do give high priority to the protection of tourists. Power outages
are common throughout the country; frequent blackouts and rolling
power cuts in January 2008 has forced the government to acknowledge
that the country has an electricity crisis on its hands. Local CustomsSouth African culture and etiquette in urban areas is very
Western. While standards of dress vary, beachwear is not to be worn
off the beach, and nude sunbathing is only permissible in a very
few designated areas. While in African townships it is frowned on
for women to wear pants or shorts and homosexuality is frowned on,
whereas it is legal and acceptable in all other areas. Although
locals may complain loudly about the country and government, they
will take offense if a foreigner is critical. Racism is a sensitive
issue, however interracial relationships are widely accepted. South
African racial terminology differs from what is acceptable in North
America: the terms 'black' and 'white' are appropriate for those of
African and Caucasian descent, respectively. 'Coloured' refers not
to black Africans, but those of mixed African and European descent
and is not considered an offensive term. South Africans are
friendly and hospitable, and will often go out of their way to
assist tourists who need help. BusinessSouth Africa's multicultural status means that business
etiquette may vary with different people, and according to
individual sectors, though it is most often similar to dealings in
Europe and the United States. Although there are 11 official
languages, English is the primary language of business. It is best
to dress formally for initial meetings. Generally South Africans
are regarded as relaxed and informal with regards to introductions
and the handling of business cards. Shaking hands is common for
both men and women. The giving of gifts is uncommon and
unnecessary. Business hours are generally 9am to 5pm Monday to
Friday with an hour taken over lunch from 1-2pm. CommunicationsThe international access code for South Africa is +27. The
outgoing code is 00 followed by the relevant country code (e.g.
0044 for the United Kingdom). As of 8 January 2007, South Africa
has changed to 10-digit dialling (so city codes must be included,
e.g. 021 for Cape Town) and international dialling has changed from
09 to 00. GSM mobile phone networks
| 
