South Africa

By car

By car
Vioolsdrift
+27 027 761-8760
Open 24 hours
On the N7 N of Springbok
By car
Oshoek
+27 017 882-0138
7AM-10PM
120 km/75 mi from Ermelo on the N17 towards Mbabane
By car
Maseru Bridge
+27 051 924-4004
Open 24 hours
15 km/9 mi from Ladybrand on the N8 towards Maseru
By car
Sani Pass
+27 051 430-3664
8AM-4PM
In the KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg park
By car
Kosi Bay
+27 035 592-0251
8AM-4PM
R22 btwn Hluhluwe and Ponta do Ouro
By car
Ficksburg Bridge
+27 051 933-2760
Open 24 hours
Just outside Ficksburg
By car
By car

Mozambique border

By car
Skilpadsnek
+27 018 366-1469
6AM-10PM
On the N4, 54 km/34 mi from Zeerust
By car
By car

Zimbabwe border

By car
By car

Lesotho border

By car
Lebombo
+27 013 790-7203
6AM to 10PM
On the N4 btwn Nelspruit and Maputo
By car
By car

Should you be entering from one of the other countries in Southern Africa you might want to do so by car. South Africa operates a number of land border posts between itself and immediately neighboring countries. The more commonly used ones are:

Botswana border

By car
By car

Swaziland border

By car
Nakop
+27 054 571-0008
Open 24 hours
132 km/82 mi from Upington on the N10 towards Ariamsvlei
By car
Beit Bridge
+27 015 530-0070
Open 24 hours
On N1 approximately 16 km/10 mi N of Messina
By car
By car

Namibia border

By car
By car

Open times are often extended during South African holidays..For a full list of entry ports or any additional information see the South African Border Information Service (http://www.rsaborders.co.za/) or contact them on +27 086 026-7337.

By ship

By ship
By ship

Most of the larger cruise lines, such as Princess Cruises (http://www.princess.com/p...) offer Cape Town as one of their destinations, but you can also try something different

By ship
RMS St Helena

This passenger/cargo ship is the last working Royal Mail Ship and stops at Cape Town on its way to St Helena.

By plane
By plane

South Africa has 10 international airports, the two major ones being Cape Town International and OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg.Durban International Airport is the third biggest airport. Regular Flights from and to: Blantyre, Cairo, Gaborone, Dar es Salaam, Harare, Lilongwe, Livingstone, Luanda, Lusaka, Kinshasa, Maputo, Manzini, Maun, Mauritius, Nairobi, Victoria Falls and Windhoek.

Direct flights also arrive from major European centres, including: Amsterdam, Athens, Madrid, London, Paris, Istanbul, Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich and Lisbon. There are also direct flights from Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha, New York, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Buenos Aires, Mumbai, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Sao Paulo, Singapore, Sydney and Perth. You may also want to have a look at Discount airlines in Africa.

See Air travel in South Africa for detailed information.Note: Baggage theft at airports is common especially at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg so avoid putting valuables such as jewelry and expensive devices in your main luggage if you can and place them in your hand luggage.

Visas[61]

The following nationalities do not need a visa for a stay of 90 days or less:Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Paraguay, Portugal, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania 90 days per 1 year, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, Zimbabwe, and citizens of British Overseas Territories.

The following nationalities do not need a visa for a stay of 30 days or less:Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Cape Verde, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Gabon, Guyana, Hong Kong BNO passports or SAR passports, Hungary, Jordan, Lesotho, Macau, Malaysia, Malawi, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Peru, Poland, Seychelles, Slovakia, South Korea, Swaziland, Thailand, Turkey, and Zambia.

Citizens of India have to apply for tourist visas but this visa is issued gratis. The same applies to South Africans visiting India. This is because of the reciprocity that India shares with a lot of countries like Argentina, Uruguay and Mongolia.

Do not show up without a visa if you are required to have one, as visas will not be issued at points of entry. If needed, you can extend your visa in South Africa. With an extension the total amount of time you are allowed to stay is 6 months. Additional information as well as Visa application forms can be found at the Department of Home Affairs (http://www.home-affairs.g...) , ph +27 012 810 8911.

The Department of Home Affairs is notoriously inefficient, so make sure to apply for visas and visa extensions as early as possible.

Make sure you have 2 blank pages back to back in your passport and that it is valid for at least 30 days after your intended date of departure, or you will be sent back! Make sure you have a return ticket available or they will send you back. If you need to pick up a ticket at the airport have the flight number and details handy and speak with the customs guy, they should check your story out and let you in be firm. Be wary of arriving with a damaged passport as new security measures might trip up your entry.