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About Cape Town

Cape Town, the third most populous city in South Africa is the most popular tourist destination in the county. It is the provincial capital of the Western Cape, as well as the legislative capital of South Africa, where the National Parliament and many government offices are located.
The centre of Cape Town is located at the northern end of the Cape Peninsula.

Country Information

Full country name:
The Republic of South Africa

Area:
1,221,037 square kilometres

Population:
Approximately 44 million (as of 2000)

Capital City:
There are three capital cities in South Africa, they are Cape Town, which is the parliamentary capital, Pretoria, which is the administrative capital and Bloemfontein which is the judicial capital.

People:
77% of the population are black, 10% are white, 8% are of mixed race and 2.5% are of Indian or Asian descent.

Languages:
There are 11 official languages; Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, North Sotho, Sesotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu.

Government:
Legislative elections were held in South Africa on Wednesday, 14 April 2004. The African National Congress (ANC) of President Thabo Mbeki, which has been in power since the end of the apartheid system in 1994, was re-elected with an increased majority.

Religion:
Christianity is the most widely recognised religion in South Africa, with 75% of the population following the faith, 21% have no religious affiliation and among the rest of the South Africa's religions are Muslim, Hindu and Jewish.

National day:
27 April (Freedom day, anniversary of the first non-racial elections, 1994).

Currency:
Rand ZAR (R) The rand has the symbol "R" and is subdivided into 100 cents, symbol "c". The ISO 4217 code is ZAR.
The Current exchange rate is approximately 1 US dollar = R7.1741)
For updates on the exchange rate please visit the South African Reserve Bank website: http://www.reservebank.co.za

Currency Exchange:
You can exchange currency at the airport, at banks, at most major hotels, and at various exchange places throughout the city. Bank machines are also common, and most major international credit cards such as American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard, Visa and their affiliates are widely accepted.

Tax:
Value-added-tax (VAT) is charged on most items. Foreign tourists to South Africa can have their 14% VAT refunded provided that the value of the items purchased exceeds R250.00. VAT is refunded at the point of departure provided receipts are produced.

Business Hours:
Most businesses in Cape Town operate on a five-day business week, Monday to Friday, from 8 am or 9am to 5 pm, although some companies finish earlier on a Friday.
Stores vary in their hours, opening seven days a week from 9:30am am to 6 pm or 9pm.

Visas:
For more information about visas, visit the Visas and Embassies page of this website, or visit the website of South Africa's Department of Foreign Affairs at: http://www.dfa.gov.za/

Weather:
Cape Town enjoys a long summer from mid October to March. Temperatures vary from mid 20's to mid 30's with little rain over the period. The south-easterly wind blows fairly often, more so in November and December than in February and March.

Hospitals:
Cape Town has numerous clinics and hospitals equipped with the latest medical technology and internationally qualified specialists. Almost all pharmaceuticals are widely available.
South Africa's health system consists of a large public sector and a smaller but fast-growing private sector. The public sector is under-resourced and over-used, whereas the growing private sector, run largely on commercial lines, caters to middle and high-income earners.

Health Tips and Water

Inoculations:
Adults do not need any inoculations unless travelling from a yellow-fever endemic area (the yellow fever belt of Africa or South America), in which case you will need certification to prove your inoculation status when you arrive in South Africa. It is recommended that you have the required inoculations four to six weeks before you travel to South Africa (a yellow fever inoculation certificate only becomes valid 10 days after inoculation - after which it remains valid for 10 years).

Can I drink the water?
High-quality tap (faucet) water is available almost everywhere in South Africa, treated so as to be free of harmful micro-organisms. In any area other than informal or impoverished settlements, it is safe to drink straight from the tap. In some areas, the water is mineral-rich, and you may experience a bit of gastric distress for a day or two until you get used to it. Bottled mineral water, both sparkling and still, is readily available in most places.
Drinking water straight from rivers and streams could put you at risk of waterborne diseases, especially in downstream of human settlements. In the Cape, particularly, the water contains humic acid, which can create a light brown colour in the water, this is absolutely harmless. You may also find this colouring in tap water in some areas. It's fine.

Do I need to take malaria tablets?
Many of the main tourist areas are malaria-free, so you need not worry at all. Consult your doctor or a specialist travel clinic for the latest advice concerning malaria prophylaxis, as it changes regularly.

Local Transportation:
Getting around Cape Town is easy. Public transport options around Cape Town include city buses, taxi's, rikkis, commuter trains and minibuses. The way most South Africans get around is by minibus taxi. They are cheap, efficient and plentiful. You can hail them like you would a cab anywhere in the world. You'll also see Rikkis in the center of Cape Town, they are small brightly coloured vans that operate like taxis. Metro Trains run to all the suburban areas and they go as far as Stellenbosch and Paarl in the Winelands. The commuter train out to Simons Town is actually worth taking just for the ride itself. It travels so close to the ocean, passengers sometimes get soaked by the spray.
http://www.capetown.gov.za/home/transport.asp

Cuisine:
South African cuisine is heavily meat-based. A popular meal is the distinctively South African social gathering known as a braai, or barbecue. South Africa has also developed into a major wine producer. Although there are many South African traditional foods, you will also find Chinese restaurants, Indian restaurants, fish and chip shops and many other more mainstream eateries.
Most meals will be provided through the AWID forum.

Average Meal Prices:

Tipping:
Tipping in bars and restaurants is usual; 10% to 15% is reasonable. The staff is often paid very low wages (or even no wages). Tipping taxi drivers, petrol-pump attendants and so on is also common.

Crime:
Crime is a problem in South Africa. It is advised that women traveling alone are to be prudent. Carry only essential items, and keep your bags and belongings close to you at all times. Whenever possible, travel with friends. It is never advisable to go into unlit or deserted streets, during the day or at night. Avoid unnecessary displays of expensive jewellery, cameras and other valuable items, and do not carry around large amounts of money. Keep your handbag close to your body and do not keep all of your money or keys inside it, instead keep some items in your pocket. If you get into an unwanted situation shout 'fire' rather than 'help'.

Important Safety Phone numbers:
. Police 10111
. Ambulance 10177
. Fire 1022

Wheelchair Accessibility:
The conference centre and hotels AWID has selected are wheelchair accessible.

Other helpful facts & information

Time Zone:
Standard time zone: UTC/GMT +2 hours

Dialling Code:
South Africa 27, Cape Town 21 + number

Electricity:
South Africa's electricity supply: 220/230 volts AC 50 Hz. Most plugs have three round pins but some plugs with two smaller pins are also found on appliances. Adaptors can be purchased but note that most international adaptors do not work, therefore you may not want to bring electrical appliances.

Weights & measures:
Metric

For more information regarding Cape Town, you can visit: http://www.tourismcapetown.co.za