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Emergency Telephone Nos: * Police
Flying Squad: 10111 all areas
Hospitals and Clinics
Pretoria Hospitals and
Clinics
Durban Hospitals and Clinics
Cape Town Hospitals and
Clinics
Travel Guide Poison Information
Mountain Rescue
Sea Rescue
Inoculations Travellers from the West don’t require regulatory inoculations for entry into South Africa. If you are travelling from a country where yellow fever is endemic, such as Kenya, Tanzania, or tropical South America then a relevant vaccination certificate is required. A yellow fever inoculation
only becomes valid 10 days after the shot so be sure to make arrangements
a few weeks in advance.
Malaria South Africa is mostly malaria free. Read our article containing essential malaria information if you’re planning a safari vacation or visiting the northern and north eastern areas of Mpumalanga, Limpopo, northern KwaZulu-Natal and the borders of the Northwest and Northern Province. Read more Sun Don’t ruin your holiday with an overdose of the sun's rays. Even in Cape Town the ultraviolet can be fierce and you can burn easily on an overcast day. The sunlight in the southern hemisphere is much more intense and transmits more ultraviolet than in the north. Fair skinned people should be particularly careful and take precautions. Limit exposure time, use a high protection sunscreen, don a broad-brimmed hat and wear good sunglasses that absorb more than 95 percent UVR and UVB. Be particularly careful with children, especially on the beach and near water. Cover them up with UV resistant full swimsuits or clothing, hats and apply SPF 30 sunscreen frequently. Drinking water Safe drinking water on tap is generally available in all tourist areas throughout South Africa although it is chlorinated. A wide range of bottled still and sparkling water can be purchased from most stores. Be careful of drinking water from rivers in populated areas. Some parts of KwaZulu-Natal, the Wild Coast and poor rural areas have occasional outbreaks of cholera and drinking bottled water or using purification tablets is essential. HIV/AIDS There is a high prevalence of HIV throughout South Africa and the universal precautions for safe sex apply; use a condom or abstain. Medical treatment in South Africa presents no special risk and only overland travellers going up Africa may want to take along a needle and a transfusion kit. Bilharzia Bilharzia, or schistosomiasis, is a parasitic disease carried in sub-Saharan Africa fresh waterways with the exception of mountainous areas. The parasites tunnel through the skin and work their way to the bladder or intestines where they lay eggs. Avoid swimming or canoeing in bilharzia infested rivers and dams. If avoidance isn’t an option then have a test once you return from your travels. Symptoms may be mild and if you do contract it, it is easily treated. Blood in urine or stools indicate advanced Bilharzia symptoms. Tick-bite fever Tick-bite fever can occasionally be contracted but is no cause for alarm. Symptoms such as fever, headaches and swollen glands start a week after being bitten and last for a few days. Applying an insect repellent if you are walking through tick-infested areas can prevent ticks from attaching themselves to you. Venomous snakes South Africa does have a number of venomous snakes although most bites are not fatal and consider yourself fortunate if you do see a snake. If you do get bitten, don’t panic and get to a clinic or hospital as soon as possible. Don't cut the wound or use a tourniquet. Being able to identify the snake from memory will be helpful for treatment. Rabies Rabies occurs throughout southern Africa. Avoid domestic and wild animals that act strangely and get to a clinic immediately if you are bitten. Hospitals South African state hospitals are quite well equipped but you will probably have to wait a long time before treatment. Private hospitals and clinics measure up to western standards and offer more personal attention although costs are considerably higher, which shouldn’t be a problem if you have comprehensive medical insurance. Medical insurance Before departing take out
comprehensive travel and medical insurance that includes medical evacuation
cover. Make sure your policy covers all the activities you intend to embark
on. If you plan to engage in extreme sports or adventure activities you
will probably be required to take out an extra premium.
The UK National Health Scheme website has information about travel-related diseases and how to steer clear of them... www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk Travel health Online has an extensive database of travel medicine providers and necessary vaccinations... www.tripprep.com International Society for
Travel Medicine www.istm.org
Languages and Cultures of South Africa South Africa is one of the
world's most multi-lingual and culturally diverse nations, lying second
to India. It lives up to its claim of being a ‘Rainbow Nation’ with eleven
official languages, bestowing equal status on the country's distinctive
peoples and their traditions. The official languages are English, Afrikaans,
isiNdebele (Ndebele), Sesotho sa Leboa (Northern Sotho), Sesotho (Southern
Sotho), siSwati, Xitsonga (Tsonga), Setswana (Tswana), TshiVenda (Venda),
isiXhosa (Xhosa) and isiZulu (Zulu).
English only notches fifth as a home language although it dominates throughout South Africa as the language of commerce, politics and the media. It is extensively spoken and generally understood throughout the country so there's no need to rush out and purchase phrase books for the other ten languages. South African English is not quite the Queen’s English, as is Australian English. It is spoken with a variety of pronunciations and has a vast vocabulary with a multitude of characterful Afrikaans and African words. English is spoken at home by 8.2% of South Africans, most of whom live in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. Afrikaans is a Dutch dialect that has German, French and English influences spiced up with a few Muslim and indigenous African modifications. Initially the language of Afrikaners, the white descendants of Dutch settlers, it is now the prevalent tongue of coloured people living in the Western and Northern Cape. Most Afrikaners live in Gauteng and the Free State. Widely spoken in all the regions of South Africa and Namibia, it is also the preferred language of the media in the Free State. The other nine South African official languages are all indigenous African languages from the four major ethnic groups, namely Nguni, Sotho, Shangaan-Tsonga and Venda. Most of South Africa's indigenous clans share a common ancestry but as groups split away and formed factions variations of the common languages developed. Zulu, Xhosa, siSwati and Ndebele are the languages belonging to the Nguni ethnic group and have adopted numerous clicks from the Khoisan languages. Zulu is the mother tongue of 23.8% of South Africa's population, followed by Xhosa at 17.6%. The Nguni languages all have similarities in syntax and grammar. The Sotho ethnic group comprises Southern Sotho which also uses clicks along with the diverse Northern Sotho and Tswana dialects. Southern Sotho is the mother tongue of 7.9% of South Africans, Tswana 8.2% and Northern Sotho 9.4% of South Africa's population. The remaining 11.6% of the population speak either Tsonga, Venda, siSwati or Ndebele at home. South Africa's Asian population are mostly Indian in origin and English-speaking although many also speak Tamil or Hindi. South Africa has the largest Indian community outside of India, a population of over one million descended from migrant labourers. These contractors came to work in the sugar cane fields of KwaZulu-Natal during the sugar cane boom of 1851 and settled there after fulfilling their 5 year contracts. Deepavali, the Festival of Lights, is their most important Hindu festival, usually falling around late October and November. On Deepavali morning oil lamps are lit for the Goddess of Light, symbolizing the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil. There are a considerable number of Chinese South Africans who are English-speaking and retain their languages of origin. Most are descendants of migrant labourers who came to work in the Johannesburg gold mines in the late 19th century. The cosmopolitan cities of Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg have a large number of German, Portuguese, Italian and French speaking communities. A vibrant dialect known as
tsotsi taal is largely spoken by men in urban areas with new words and
expressions added regularly. This dynamic fusion of Afrikaans, English
and various African languages evolved to make communication a lot simpler
among the different language groups.
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Update: November 30, 2007