Location: Southern Africa.

South African Tourism Board (SATOUR)

Private Bag X164, 442 Rigel Avenue South, Erasmusrand, Pretoria 0181, South Africa

Tel: (12) 347 0600. Fax: (12) 454 889 or 454 768.

High Commission of the Republic of South Africa

South Africa House, Trafalgar Square,

London WC2N 5DP

Tel: (0171) 930 4488. Fax: (0171) 451 7284. Opening hours: 1000-1200 and 1400-1600 Monday to Friday.

South African Consulate

Address as for High Commission

Tel: (0891) 441 100 (Visa, immigration and health information line; calls are charged at the rate of 39p/49p per minute). Fax: (0171) 451 7280. Opening hours (personal applications only): 1000-1200 and 1400-1600 Monday to Friday.

South African Tourism Board (SATOUR)

5-6 Alt Grove, London SW19 4DZ

Tel: (0181) 944 8080. Fax: (0181) 944 6705. Opening hours: 0930-1700 Monday to Friday.

British High Commission

255 Hill Street, Arcadia, Pretoria 0002, South Africa

Tel: (12) 433 121. Fax: (12) 433 207.

91 Parliament Street, Cape Town 8001, South Africa

Tel: (21) 461 7220. Fax: (21) 461 0017.

Consulates in: Cape Town, Durban, East London, Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth.

Embassy of the Republic of South Africa

3051 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington,

DC 20008

Tel: (202) 232 4400. Fax: (202) 265 1607 or 232 3402.

Consulates in: Chicago, Los Angeles and New York (tel: (212) 213 4880).

South African Tourism Board (SATOUR)

Suite 2040, 500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110

Tel: (212) 730 2929 or (1 800) 822 5368 (toll free within the USA only). Fax: (212) 764 1980.

Office also in: Los Angeles.

Embassy of the United States of America

PO Box 9536, 877 Pretorius Street, Pretoria,

South Africa

Tel: (12) 342 1048. Fax: (12) 342 2299.

Consulates in: Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg.

High Commission of the Republic of South Africa

15 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1M 1M8

Tel: (613) 744 0330. Fax: (613) 741 1639.

Consulates in: Montréal and Toronto.

South African Tourism Board (SATOUR)

Suite 205, 4117 Lawrence Avenue East, Scarborough, Ontario M1E 2S2

Tel: (416) 283 0563. Fax: (416) 283 5465.

Canadian High Commission

Private Bag X13, 1103 Arcadia Street, Hatfield 0083, Pretoria, South Africa

AREA: 1,221,037 sq km (471,445 sq miles).

POPULATION: 40,436,000 (1994 estimate).

POPULATION DENSITY: 33.1 per sq km.

CAPITAL: Pretoria (administrative). Population: 1,080,187 (1991).

Cape Town (legislative). Population: 2,350,157 (1991).

Bloemfontein (judicial). Population: 300,150 (1991).

GEOGRAPHY: The Republic of South Africa lies at the southern end of the African continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the east and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and is bordered to the north by Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Swaziland and totally encloses Lesotho. South Africa has three major geographical regions, namely plateau, mountains and the coastal belt. The high plateau has sharp escarpments which rise above the plains, or veld. The vegetation is open grassland, changing to bush in the Northern Transvaal, and the Thornveld in the arid southwest. Despite two major river systems, the Limpopo and the Orange, most of the plateau lacks surface water. Along the coastline are sandy beaches and rocky coves, and the vegetation is shrublike. The mountainous regions which run along the coastline from the Cape of Good Hope to the Limpopo Valley in the northeast of the country are split into the Drakensberg, Nuweveldberg and Stormberg ranges.

Following the 1994 elections, South Africa was organised into nine regions. These comprise the Western Cape with its state and national capital of Cape Town, the Eastern Cape with its state capital of King William's Town, the Northern Cape with its state capital Kimberley, KwaZulu/Natal with its state capital Pietermaritzburg, the Orange Free State with its state capital of Bloemfontein, the North West with its state capital Mmabatho, the Northern Transvaal with its state capital Pietersburg, the Eastern Transvaal with its state capital of Nelspruit, and PWV (Pretoria and Witwatersrand Vereeniging) with its state capital of Johannesburg.

LANGUAGE: The official languages at national level are Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, Sesotho sa Leboa, Sesotho, siSwati, Xitsonga, Setswana, Tshivenda, isiXhosa and isiZulu.

Religion: Dutch Reformed Church, Nederduitsch Hervormde, Church of England, Roman Catholic, Congregational, Methodist, Lutheran and other Christian groups. There are also Jews, independent black church movements, Hindus and Muslims.

TIME: GMT + 2.

ELECTRICITY: 250 volts AC (Pretoria) and 220/230 volts AC elsewhere, 50Hz.

COMMUNICATIONS: Telephone: IDD is available. Country code: 27. Outgoing international code: 09. Fax: Most main hotels have this service. Telex/telegram: Telegraph services are available in all towns. Public telex facilities are available in Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg (24-hour service) and Pretoria post offices. Post: Airmail to Europe takes up to seven days. Post office hours: Generally 0800-1630 Monday to Friday, 0800-1200 Saturday. Some transactions may not be carried out after 1530 Monday to Friday or after 1100 Saturday. The smaller post offices close for lunch 1300-1400. Poste Restante services are available throughout the country. Press: The main newspapers are in English and Afrikaans, and include Business Day, Cape Times, The Argus, The Citizen, The Star, Sowetan Citizen and Natal Mercury.

BBC World Service and Voice of America frequencies: From time to time these change. See the contents for more information.

Regulations and requirements many be subject to change at short notice, and you are advised to contact the appropriate diplomat or consular authority before finalising travel arrangements. Details of these may be found at the head of the country's entry. Any numbers in the chart refer to the footnotes below.

PASSPORTS: Valid passport required by all. Passports must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the date of departure from South Africa.

VISAS: Required by all except:

(a) nationals of countries referred to in the chart above;

(b) nationals of Cape Verde, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore and Switzerland for business, tourist or transit purposes;

(c) nationals of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Israel, Malta, Paraguay, St Helena and Uruguay for business, tourist or transit purposes of up to 90 days;

(d) nationals of Barbados, Belize, Benin, Botswana, Bolivia, Comoro Islands, Côte d'Ivoire, Congo, Cyprus, Egypt, Gabon, Hong Kong, Hungary, Jordan, Kenya, South Korea, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Namibia, Peru, Senegal, Slovak Republic, Swaziland, Thailand, Turkey (except holders of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, who do require visas) and Zambia for business, tourist or transit purposes of up to 30 days.

Note: Holders of Visitors' visas are not allowed to take up employment in South Africa.

Types of visas: Business/Visitor's/Re-entry/Transit, which cost £20, and Study and Work Permits (longer term), which cost £66. Nationals of Zimbabwe and India are exempt from visa fees.

Application to: Consulate (or Consular section at Embassy). For addresses, see top of entry. Applicants in countries where South Africa is not represented may send their applications direct to the Director-General for Home Affairs, Private Bag X114, Civitas, Struben Street, Pretoria 0001.

Application requirements: (a) Valid passport. (b) 2 passport-size photos. (c) 1 application form correctly filled out (failure to complete the application fully and in detail may result in visa being delayed or refused). (d) Proof of sufficient funds to cover expenses of visit. (e) Onward/return ticket and, if in transit, proof of sufficient documentation for admission to the country of destination. (f) No criminal record. (g) Visitors should be of sound mind and body. (h) In the case of failure to comply with any regulations, visitors may be required to leave a deposit with the Immigration Officer.

Working days required: Applications should be made well in advance. Although the minimum time taken is 2 days, nationals requiring a visa applying from the UK are advised to apply up to 10 weeks beforehand.

Currency: Rand (R) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of R200, 100, 50, 20 and 10. Coins are in denominations of R5, 2 and 1, and 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cents.

Credit cards: Access/Mastercard, American Express, Diners Club and Visa are widely accepted. Check with your credit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other facilities which may be available.

Travellers cheques: Valid at banks, hotels, restaurants and shops.

Currency restrictions: The import and export of SA Reserve Bank notes is limited to R500. There is free import of foreign currency, subject to declaration. The export of foreign currency is limited to the amount declared on arrival.

The following goods may be imported into South Africa by passengers over 18 years of age without incurring customs duty:

400 cigarettes and 50 cigars and 250g of tobacco; 1 litre of spirits and 2 litres of wine; 50ml of perfume and 250ml eau de toilette; gifts up to a value of R500 per person.

Special Certificate

1: A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from travellers over one year of age arriving from infected areas. African countries formerly classified as endemic zones are considered by the South African authorities to be infected areas. Travellers arriving on flights with scheduled airlines that originated outside an infected area, and passengers who transited through an infected area but remained at the scheduled airport or in the adjacent town during transit, do not require a certificate. Passengers arriving by unscheduled flights at airports other than those used by scheduled airlines must possess a certificate. Infants under one year of age without a certificate may be subject to surveillance and will not be allowed into Natal or to the Lowveld of the Transvaal within six days of leaving an infected area.

2: Following WHO guidelines issued in 1973, a cholera vaccination certificate is not a condition of entry to South Africa. However, cholera is a risk in parts of this country, particularly in rural areas, and precautions are recommended for those likely to be at risk. Up-to-date advice should be sought before deciding whether these precautions should include vaccination, as medical opinion is divided over its effectiveness. See the contents for theHealth section.

3: Malaria risk, predominantly in the malignant falciparum form, exists throughout the year in Northern Transvaal (including the Kruger National Park), Eastern Lowveld and Northern Natal. Resistance to chloroquine has been reported. It is strongly recommended that visitors to these areas take anti-malaria tablets before entering these zones (tablets are available from pharmacies without prescription).

4: Tap water is considered safe to drink in urban areas but may be contaminated elsewhere and sterilisation is advisable. Milk is pasteurised and dairy products are safe for consumption. Local meat, poultry, seafood, fruit and vegetables are generally considered safe to eat.

Rabies is present. For those at high risk, vaccination before arrival should be considered. If you are bitten abroad seek medical advice without delay. For more information, consult the contents for theHealth section.

Bilharzia (schistosomiasis) is common in the north and east and may be present elsewhere. Avoid swimming and paddling in fresh water. Swimming pools which are well-chlorinated and maintained are safe.

Health care: Medical facilities are excellent. Health insurance is recommended.

AIR: South Africa's national airline is South African Airways (SAA).

For free advice on air travel, call the Air Travel Advisory Bureau on (0171) 636 5000 (London) or (0161) 832 2000 (Manchester).

Approximate flight times: From London to Cape Town is 11 hours 35 minutes, to Durban 12 hours 55 minutes and to Johannesburg is 10 hours 50 minutes.

From Los Angeles to Johannesburg is 23 hours 5 minutes (no direct flight available).

International airports: D F Malan Airport (CPT) (Cape Town), 22km (14 miles) southeast of the city (travel time - 25 minutes). Tel: (21) 934 0407. Airport facilities include outgoing duty-free shop, car rental (0600-0305), bank/bureau de change (0830-1630 Monday to Friday, 0830-1200 Saturday) and restaurant/bar (0600-0305). Inter-Cape buses meet all inward and outgoing flights. Courtesy buses are operated by some hotels. Taxis are available, with a surcharge after 2300.

Louis Botha Airport (DUR) (Durban), 16km (10 miles) southwest of the city (travel time - 20 minutes). Tel: (31) 426 111 or 426 145. Airport facilities include outgoing duty-free shop, car rental (0600-1330), bank/bureau de change and bar/restaurant. Coaches meet all arrivals 0800-2200. Taxis are available.

Jan Smuts International Airport (JNB) (Johannesburg), 24km (15 miles) east of the city (travel time - 30 minutes). Airport facilities include incoming and outgoing duty-free shops, post office, car rental, bank/bureau de change (24 hours), restaurant (0700-2200) and bar (1000-2400). Bus services to Pretoria and Johannesburg are available 0500-2200. Trains link Kempton Park with Johannesburg. Taxis are available. Courtesy coaches are operated by some major hotels.

SEA: The main ports are Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth and East London. St Helena Shipping Co Ltd runs a regular passenger service from Avonmouth to Cape Town. The Royal Viking Line includes South Africa on its southern Africa cruise. Cruises are offered by various companies between South Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands. Cruise lines include P&O and Cunard.

RAIL: The main routes are from South Africa to Zimbabwe, Botswana and Mozambique. Contact South African Railways (TRANSNET).

AIR: Daily flights link Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria, Port Elizabeth, East London, Kimberley and Bloemfontein with other connecting flights to provincial towns. South African Airways (SAA) operate on the principal routes.

Discounts: An 'Africa Explorer' fare is available to foreign visitors entering South Africa with an IATA airline. It offers a significant saving for anyone planning to use SAA's internal network. The fare is valid for a minimum of seven days and a maximum of one month: travel may originate and terminate at any point within South Africa which is served by the airline. Travel is not permitted more than once in the same direction over any given sector. There is also a 30% reduction on some standby fares. SAA has various other discount domestic fares including Apex, Slumber, Supersaver and Saver fares. Contact SAA for details.

SEA: Starlight Cruises offer links between major ports.

RAIL: The principal intercity services are as follows: the Blue Train (luxury express) between Pretoria, Johannesburg and Cape Town (every other day); the Trans-Oranje between Cape Town and Durban via Kimberley and Bloemfontein (weekly); and the Trans-Natal Express between Durban and Johannesburg (daily). Rovos Rail offer luxury steam safaris to the eastern Transvaal. The Transnet Museum also offers various steam safaris around South Africa and Zimbabwe, and the Trans-Karoo Express travels between Cape Town, Johannesburg and Pretoria (four times a week). All long-distance trains are equipped with sleeping compartments, included in fares, and most have restaurant cars. Reservations are recommended for principal trains and all overnight journeys. There are frequent local trains in the Cape Town and Pretoria/Johannesburg urban areas. All trains have first- and second-class accommodation. Children under 2 years of age travel free. Children aged 2-11 pay half fare.

ROAD: There is a well-maintained network of roads and motorways in populous regions. 30% of roads are paved (with all major roads tarred to a high standard). Traffic drives on the left. Fines for speeding are very heavy. It is illegal to carry petrol other than in built-in petrol tanks. Petrol stations are usually open all week 0700-1900. Some are open 24 hours. Bus/coach: Various operators, such as Greyhound and Translux, run intercity express links using modern air-conditioned coaches. Courier/drivers supervise the tours. On many of the intercity tours passengers may break their journey at any scheduled stop en route by prior arrangement at time of booking and continue on a subsequent coach at no extra cost other than for additional accommodation. Taxi: Available throughout the country, at all towns, hotels and airports, with rates for distance and time. For long-distance travel, a quotation should be sought. Car hire: Self-drive and chauffeur-driven cars are available at most airports and in major city centres. Avis, Imperial and Budget are represented nationwide. Documentation: An International Driving Permit is required. British visitors who are planning to drive in South Africa should check with the AA or RAC prior to departure that they have all the correct documentation.

URBAN: There are good bus and suburban rail networks in all the main towns, with trolleybuses in Johannesburg. Fares in Cape Town and Johannesburg are zonal, with payment in cash or with 10-ride pre-purchase 'clipcards' from kiosks. In Pretoria there are various pre-purchase ticket systems, including a cheap pass for off-peak travel only. In Durban, conventional buses face stiff competition from minibuses and combi-taxis (both legal and illegal), which are also found in other South African towns. These should be used with care. For ordinary taxis, fares within the city areas are more expensive than long distances. Taxis do not cruise and must be called from a rank. Taxi drivers expect a 10% tip.

Johannesburg 2.00 15.00 25.00

Durban 2.00 18.00 38.00

Pretoria 2.00 16.00 26.00

Port Elizabeth 1.00 7.00 -

South Africa offers a wide range of accommodation from luxury 5-star hotels to thatched huts (rondavels) in game reserves. 'Time-sharing condominiums' are developing in popular resorts. Comprehensive accommodation guides giving details of facilities, including provision for the handicapped, are available at all SATOUR offices and from tourism board regional offices. Information covers hotels, motels, game park rest camps, caravan and campsites and supplementary accommodation such as beach cottages, holiday flats and bungalows. Rates should always be confirmed at time of booking. It is forbidden by law to levy service charges, although phone calls may be charged for.

HOTELS: All hotels are registered with the South African Tourism Board, which controls standards. For further information, contact SATOUR Standards Department, Private Bag X164, Pretoria 0001. Tel: (12) 347 0600. Fax: (12) 454 768. 800 hotels are members of the Federated Hotel Association of South Africa (FEDHASA), PO Box 718, Second floor, NBS Building, 310 Oak Avenue, Randburg 2125. Tel: (11) 886 8007. Fax: (11) 789 4811. FEDHASA has regional offices throughout the country. Grading: The National Grading and Classification Scheme was introduced in 1994. Participation is voluntarily. Hotels are graded 1 to 5 stars according to the range of facilities on offer plus an optional classification band grading the level of services and hospitality. The classification band is colour-coded as follows:

Burgundy - Acceptable standard of services and hospitality in addition to the required facilities.

Silver - Superior services, hospitality, quality and ambience.

Each hotel taking part in the scheme will display a plaque indicating the star-rating and the classification band.

SELF-CATERING: Holiday flats, guest farms, resorts and health spas are available along main routes. Grading: The Accreditation and Classification Programme for self-catering accommodation is part of the National Grading and Classification Scheme which was introduced in 1994. Self-catering accommodation is graded 1 to 5 stars according to the facilities available and the level of services and hospitality. The classification band is split into three levels.

CAMPING/CARAVANNING: Caravan parks are to be found along all the tourist routes in South Africa, particularly at places favoured for recreation and sightseeing. The standard is usually high. Many caravan parks have campsites. A number of companies can arrange motor camper rentals, with a range of fully equipped vehicles. Full details can be obtained from SATOUR. Grading: Camp and caravan sites are classed as self-catering accommodation (see above).

South Africa was organised into nine regions in 1994 (see Geography above).

Nicknamed 'Witwatersrand' (Ridge of White Waters) by 19th-century prospectors, the area contains the richest gold reef in the world. The man-made lakes scattered along the reef provide facilities for boating, fishing and birdwatching, and the area is rich in parks, nature reserves and gardens.

JOHANNESBURG: The discovery of gold near Johannesburg in 1886 turned a small shanty town into the bustling modern city which is today the centre of the world's gold-mining industry and the commercial nucleus of South Africa.

Sightseeing: Carlton Panorama is 202m (663ft) high, providing stunning views over Johannesburg, along with a sound and light show. Northcliff Ridge is the highest natural point in Johannesburg, affording a panoramic view of the city. Gold Reef City is a living replica of early Johannesburg, complete with hotels, bars, shops and theatres. Johannesburg Art Gallery has a fine collection of English, Dutch, French and South African art. The Planetarium makes an interesting visit, as do the craft markets at Zoo Lake and Hillbrow. The Florence Bloom Bird Sanctuary, within Delta Park, is home for a large variety of birds, as is the Melrose Bird Sanctuary. The Harvey Wild Flower Reserve at Linksfield has stunning views over Johannesburg and Magaliesberg. The Zoological Gardens have a wide variety of animals and The Botanic Gardens contain exotic trees, over 4000 species of roses, and a herb garden.

Museums: Johannesburg has numerous museums. The Adler Museum of the History of Medicine includes an African herbarium and a witch doctor's premises; The Afrikana Museum contains exhibitions of early Johannesburg memorabilia in their settlement of the Cape; The Africana Museum contains a vast ethnological collection; The Bensusan Museum of Photography has early equipment and a history of photography; The Bernberg Museum of Costume houses 18th- and 19th-century period costumes; and The Jewish Museum has displays of ceremonial art and a history of South African Judaism from the 1920s to the present day.

PRETORIA: Named after the Voortrekker leader Andries Pretorius, Pretoria is the administrative capital of the country with many parks and gardens. The city is known as the 'Jacaranda City' because of the flowering trees lining its streets in late spring. Its indigenous flora include protea, aloe, cycad, acacia, wild fig and fever trees.

Sightseeing: Church Street is 26km (16 miles) long and one of the world's longest straight streets. There are many museums, including The Fort Klapperkop Military Museum, The Museum of Geological Survey (with its collection of fossils and precious/semi-precious stones), The Pretoria Art Museum and The Transvaal Museum of Natural History. The State Theatre has facilities for all the performing arts. The Austin Roberts Bird Sanctuary features a variety of waterbirds. Other nature sanctuaries include Derdepoort Regional Park, Fountains Valley Nature Reserve, Wonderboom Nature Reserve, The National Botanical Garden and Meyers Park Nature Reserve.

EXCURSIONS: The Southern Transvaal's many attractions include dozens of nature reserves. The beautiful Magaliesberg mountain range, named after Magali, chief of the Po tribe, has abundant flora and fauna in private game and nature reserves, providing a nesting ground for the endangered Cape vulture. The area boasts the Hartbeespoort Dam, a popular recreational spot, complete with watersports, fishing, hiking and camping facilities. The Aquarium, 3km (2 miles) from the dam, has indigenous and exotic fish, as well as crocodiles and performing seals. There is a zoo and snake park and a nature reserve.

The high and virtually treeless grassland plateau of the Transvaal stretches for hundreds of kilometres until it reaches the Drakensberg range of mountains, plunging into a beautiful subtropical woodland known as the Lowveld. Vast numbers of animals can be found here.

EXCURSIONS: The Kruger National Park comprises about 2,000,000 hectares and has a variety of animal species unequalled elsewhere on the African continent. Species include zebra, giraffe, wildebeest, elephant, impala, leopard, cheetah, rhino, buffalo, cicada, ostrich, lilac-breasted roller, hornbill and fish eagle. There is excellent accommodation in the park.

Manyeleti Game Reserve, to the east of the Kruger, houses two trail camps, Khoka Moya and Honey Guide, who cater particularly for those preferring game-viewing on foot. Open-vehicle game drives take place in the evening. Khoka Moya comprises four double en suite cabins and separate dining, lounge and bar areas. Honey Guide accommodates a maximum of 12 in six large East African tents. Two- and three-day package safaris are a speciality.

The western border of the Kruger National Park has seen the development of several private game reserves, to provide sanctuaries for the Lowveld flora and fauna. The Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve offers excellent wildlife game-viewing of giraffe, antelope, warthog, lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo, leopard, hyena, zebra and bountiful birdlife. Thatched bungalows and a variety of activities are also available to visitors. Other game reserves in this region include the Klaserie, Timbavati and the Umbabat Nature Reserve.

There are many panoramic routes which can be taken through this area, but one of the most famous is the Summit Route. This takes in Long Tom Pass, 2150m (7050ft) above sea level; Sabie, situated against the backdrop of Mauchsberg and Mount Anderson with an abundance of waterfalls and wild flowers; Graskop, a forestry village perched on a spur of the Drakensberg escarpment; Pilgrim's Rest, a gold-rush town with many historic buildings; Mount Sheba Nature Reserve, embracing 1500 hectares of ravines and waterfalls; Pinnacle Rock, a massive, free-standing granite column; God's Window, a spectacular viewing point over the Lowveld 1000m (3300ft) below; Lisbon Falls and Berlin Falls; Bourke's Luck Potholes, formed by the swirling action of pebble-laden flood water over the course of time; Blyde River Canyon and the Blyderivierspoort Nature Reserve, an immense ravine containing a multitude of flora and fauna and with spectacular viewing points; F H Odendaal Camp, with good vantage points and accommodation facilities; Sybrand Van Nierkerk (Swadini Camp), dominated by Mariepskop and the cliffs of Swadini buttress, with a reptile park just outside the nature reserve; The Museum of Man containing rock paintings and archaeological excavations; the Echo Caves at the head of the Molopong Valley, with their Stone and Iron Age tools; and the Abel Erasmus Pass and J G Strijdom Tunnel, rising 335m (1100ft) above the Ohrigstad River before descending more than 700m (2300ft) to the beautiful Olifants River.

This area, a vast (and often barren) wilderness, is watered by the Orange River and is home to large numbers of animals, many of them protected species. The discovery of vast diamond deposits in the northern Cape helped to create its principal town, Kimberley. In Namaqualand in the west, the discovery of copper as well as precious and semi-precious stones has continued since the 1850s. The area is also famous for its Bushmen rock-art.

KIMBERLEY: In 1866 a boy found a shiny 'pebble' at Hopetown, 128km (80 miles) south of Kimberley, allowing a primitive and sparsely populated settlement to become what is now the diamond capital of the world. Today, Kimberley is an attractive city with broad tree-lined streets and good shopping centres. Its attractions include The Big Hole, which is the largest man-made excavation in the world, and The Kimberley Mine Museum, with its replicas of 19th-century Kimberley at the height of the gold rush. The De Beers Hall Museum houses a display of cut and uncut diamonds; here can be seen the famous '616' - at 616 carats, the largest uncut diamond in the world - and the 'Eureka' diamond, the first to be discovered in South Africa. The William Humphreys Art Gallery has one of the finest collections of South African art, along with French, English, Dutch and Flemish contributions.

EXCURSIONS: Nooitgedacht, near Kimberley, has pavements of Ventersdorp lava, over 2500 million years old, polished by slow-moving glaciers during an ice age 250 million years ago. The area also has some very fine examples of Bushmen, or San, art, in the form of rock paintings. The paintings are scattered over an area stretching from the Cape to the Zambezi and from the east coast lowlands to the southwest. The engravings are usually 'pecked' into the rock with flint and similar sharp implements, and are characterised by a boldness and simplicity of design combined with extremely accurate draughtsmanship and limited use of colour. They are believed to be about 10,000 years old.

Olifantshoek has rock engravings and is known as the Gateway to the White and Roaring Sands at Witsand, 70km (45 miles) away. Any disturbance of the 100m (330ft) high sands, particularly in hot weather, produces a strange moaning noise.

The national park at Vaalbos has eland, kudu, giraffe, red hartebeest and springbok.

There are ancient and extensive mines on the southern slopes of the Gatkopies, near Postmasburg. Archaeological findings indicate that Hottentots mined here for specularite from AD700.

Augrabies is a Hottentot name for 'place of great noise', which accurately describes the falls plummeting 56m (184ft) into a 20m (66ft) wide ravine, 120km (75 miles) west of Upington. There are spectacular rapids as the river drops a further 35m (115ft) along the ravine's 18km (11-mile) length. The area is a national park, and is home to many animal species, including baboons, vervet monkeys, rhino and antelope.

The Kalahari Gemsbok National Park shares a common boundary with the Botswana National Park, a staggering area of 127,135 sq km (79,000 sq miles). It is the largest nature conservation area in southern Africa and one of the largest unspoilt ecosystems in the world, supporting fauna and flora in bewildering variety.

The eastern Cape has an extraordinary variety of scenic beauty, ranging from the vast and arid Great Karoo to the Knysna forest, the fertile agricultural lands of the Little Karoo and the Long Kloof. Two of the country's major seaports (East London and Port Elizabeth) are located in this area.

PORT ELIZABETH: This city has a thriving cultural life. The Cape Performing Arts Board presents ballet, opera, music and drama productions in the newly restored Opera House and there are productions of Shakespeare in The Mannville Open Air Theatre in St George's Park. The city boasts excellent shops and amenities, including extensive parks and public gardens. Plans are underway to 'reclaim' the city's beaches along the sheltered warm water bay, where all sorts of watersports can be enjoyed.

Sightseeing: Tourist attractions include the Apple Express, one of the few remaining narrow-gauge steam trains, in operation since 1906 and running from Port Elizabeth to Loerie in the Long Kloof. The City Hall and Market Square are worth a visit, with a replica of the Dias Cross, a memorial to the Portuguese navigator Bartholomeo Dias. There is also a memorial to Prester John here.

The Oceanarium, Snake Park and Tropical House are on the seafront at Humewood. The King George IV Art Gallery & Fine Arts Hall has an excellent collection of 19th- and 20th-century art. Settler's Park Nature Reserve at How Avenue abounds with indigenous flora and St George's Park has open-air exhibitions and craft fairs, as well as theatrical productions.

EXCURSIONS: The Addo Elephant National Park, 72km (45 miles) north of Port Elizabeth, was created in 1931 to protect the last of the eastern Cape elephants. There are also black rhino, buffalo and antelope and more than 170 species of birds.

The Zuurberg National Park is situated in the Winterhoek Mountains and contains a large variety of flora and fauna, including the Alexandria Forest, an evergreen coastal high forest, where black eagles breed.

East London is situated on the magnificent coastline of the eastern seaboard, part of the 'Romantic Coast'. There are excellent beaches at Eastern Beach, Nahoon Beach and Orient Beach. The city has very good amenities. The museum contains a fine natural history collection.

The Karoo is a vast and beautiful upland area with spectacular sunsets. The novelist Olive Schreiner made the area famous and her house at Cradock has been restored. The Mountain Zebra National Park is worth a visit, on the northern slopes of the Bankberg range. The town of Graaff-Reinet is situated in the heart of the Karoo Nature Reserve, at the foot of the Sneeuberg Mountains. It has many attractive 18th- and 19th-century buildings, as well as parks and museums, and is an excellent centre for exploring the area.

An area of outstanding natural and floral beauty, stretching from the remote rocky outcrops beyond Lambert's Bay in the west to the mountains of the southern peninsula. The area is famous for its wines.

CAPE TOWN: South Africa's legislative capital is situated at the foot of Table Mountain looking out onto the Atlantic Ocean. Places of interest include The Castle of Good Hope in Darling Street, built in 1666; The Cultural History Museum; the Malay quarter; The Nico Malan Theatre Complex; and The Old Townhouse on Greenmarket Square, housing a permanent collection of 17th-century Dutch and Flemish paintings. The Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, the old Victorian harbour which has been restored, offers free entertainment, a variety of shops, taverns and restaurants, and has become a major attraction. There are excellent sporting and shopping facilities.

EXCURSIONS: The Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve covers the southern tip of the Cape peninsula, with a profusion of flowers, birds and animals. There are many fishing villages and holiday resorts around the bay, including Llandudno, Hout Bay, Kommetjie and Fish Hoek; Chapman's Peak has a spectacular scenic drive from Hout Bay, traversing Chapman's Peak Mountain.

Stellenbosch, a centre for wine production, has many attractive buildings, including the Village Museum and the Dutch Reform Church. Franschhoek is also a wine production centre, which originally hosted refugee Huguenots from France, many of them involved in wine-growing, who brought their skills to South Africa.

The Franschhoek Pass is a spectacular mountain pass. The Drakenstein Valley has picturesque vineyards, orchards and farms and there are many 'wine routes' which can be followed. The Bontebok National Park, near Swellendam, has many varieties of game.

DURBAN: A holiday resort situated beside the Indian Ocean, is a cosmopolitan city, with a blend of Zulu, Western and Asian cultures. From palm-shaded, seafront promenades and modern skyscrapers, to temples, bazaars and mosques, Durban is a city of contrast. Because of its subtropical climate, it is possible to swim and sunbathe all year round. Sailing, windsurfing and diving are all popular activities, and Durban's sandy beaches make it popular with families. Durban Harbour is also a good starting point for pleasure cruises. Places of interest in the city include the Indian Bazaar, Victoria Street Market, Marine World and Durban Art Gallery. The City Hall is a gem of Edwardian architecture and also houses the Natural Science Museum. Durban is the natural place from which to visit the Zulu homelands, historic battlefields and game and nature reserves. The Natal Coast offers a choice of resorts, such as Scottburgh, Margate and Southbroom, with excellent beaches, fishing and golf. Northeast of Durban, the Dolphin Coast is a 90km (56-mile) stretch of beaches studded with coves and rock pools. Surfing, diving, sailing and snorkelling are all on offer here. The Hawaan Nature Reserve and the Lagoon Trail near Umhlanga are of interest to tree enthusiasts and bird lovers respectively.

Between Natal's coast and the mountains, there is an area of gentle pastoral beauty known as the Natal Midlands. This region is characterised by undulating wooded hills and grassy plains with scattered villages and lush farmland. There are a number of game reserves with a huge variety of animal and bird life in the Midlands and the foothills of the Drakensberg. The rivers flowing through the foothills offer excellent fishing. Pietermaritzburg is the largest city in the area. Although founded by the Voortrekkers, the town's architectural heritage is mostly Victorian. The city is particularly attractive in September, when the azaleas are in bloom. The Botanic Gardens enable visitors to look at a range of indigenous flora. Within easy reach of Pietermaritzburg are the Howick Falls, the Karkloof Falls and the Albert Falls Public Resort and Nature Reserve.

The Drakensberg is South Africa's largest mountain range. Its name means 'Dragon Mountain' and stems from the fossilised remains of dinosaurs found in the region. It is a refreshing place with cold mountain streams shaded by ferns and ancient yellowwood trees. The mountains are capped with snow in winter. The area provides good climbing and is the realm of eagles and bearded vultures. Popular climbs include Champagne Castle, Cathkin Peak and Cathedral Peak. There are nature trails for walkers and those on horseback. Hotels and leisure resorts (such as the Drakensberg Gardens and Sani Pass Hotel) have excellent facilities for other sports. In the nearby caves are good examples of the rock art of the Bushmen who, until a century ago, inhabited the area. The Main Caves situated in the Giant's Castle Game Reserve boast more than 500 rock paintings in a single shelter. The reserve is dominated by a massive basalt wall incorporating the peaks of Giant's Castle (3314m/10,873ft) and Injasuti (3459m/11,349ft). The reserve, which flanks the border with Lesotho, is home to the eland, other antelope and a variety of birds, including lammergeyer, Cape vulture, jackal buzzard, black eagle and lanner falcon. The Royal Natal National Park plugs a niche between Lesotho and the Orange Free State. It is one of Natal's most stunning reserves. Its dramatic scenery includes the Amphitheatre, an 8km-long (5mile) crescent-shaped curve in the main basalt wall. It is flanked by two impressive peaks, the Sentinel (3165m/10,384ft) and the Eastern Buttress (3047m/9997ft). Even higher is Mont-aux-Sources at 3284m (10,775ft). It is the source of the Tugela River which plummets 2000m (6562ft) over the edge of the plateau. Hikers should enjoy following the spectacular Tugela Gorge.

FOOD & DRINK: A thriving agricultural sector yields excellent fresh produce, meat, fruit and wines. Typical South African dishes include sosaties (a type of kebab), bobotie (a curried mince dish), bredies (meat, tomato and vegetable casseroles), crayfish (or rock lobster) and many other seafood dishes traditional to the Western Cape province. Curries and chutneys are excellent. Biltong (seasoned dried meat) is a savoury speciality. Although there is a wide choice of self-service restaurants, most have table service. Drink: There are excellent local red and white wines, and sherries. Beer is also very good. Bars/cocktail lounges have bartender service. 'Liquor stores' are open 0900-1800 weekdays and close at 1300 Saturday.

NIGHTLIFE: Cinemas show a variety of international films. In the large cities there are regular plays, operas and symphony concerts. There are a number of nightclubs and discotheques open until late. The large hotels usually have live music or cabaret.

SHOPPING: Stores are generally modern. Special purchases include Swakara coats, gold, diamond and semi-precious stone jewellery, leather, suede and fur goods, ceramics and African handicrafts, safari suits and feathers. Shopping hours: 0830-1700 Monday to Friday, 0830-1300 Saturday. Some shops are open Sunday.

SPORT: South Africans are ardent sports enthusiasts and, now that the country has re-entered the international arena, the success of national teams has been a source of immense pride and reconciliation for all sections of the community. The South African rugby team are current world champions, the football team won the African Nations Cup last year, while the cricket team have proved they are the equal of any in the world. Visitors are made welcome at all these games. Golf: Played on more than 400 courses. Visitors can play on weekdays. Fees are not exorbitant and equipment and caddies can be hired. Tennis/squash: Many hotels can arrange tennis and squash facilities. Hunting: Details are available from SATOUR. Sailing: Hotels on the coast will arrange sailing and yachting. Swimming: Hotels in coastal areas will give advice on the best sea bathing and surfing locations. Most hotels have swimming pools. Fishing: Sea fishing is particularly popular off the Indian Ocean coast.

SPECIAL EVENTS: The following is a selection of events and festivals celebrated in South Africa during 1997. For further details, contact SATOUR (for addresses, see top of entry).

Jan '97 Cape Coon Carnival, Cape Town. Feb Shakespearean Festival, Port Elizabeth. Mar Jazz Festival, Cape Town. Apr Mardi Gras, Durban. Apr Nouveau Wine Festival, Paarl Mountain. May National Creative Arts Youth Festival, Durban. June Standard Bank National Arts Festival, Grahamstown. Aug International Film Festival, Durban, KwaZulu Natal. Sep Guiness Jazz Festival, Johannesburg. Oct Food and Wine Festival, Mossel Bay. Nov Mardi Gras and Street Carnival, Newcastle. Dec Neptune Festival, Kenton-on-Sea.

ECONOMY: South Africa has one of the world's largest economies and completely dominates the southern part of the African continent. Agriculture is strong enough to allow South Africa virtual self-sufficiency in foodstuffs: livestock is reared extensively, and sugar, maize and cereals are produced in large quantities. The foundation of the modern South African economy, however, is mining. The country has considerable deposits of common minerals such as coal, but also of valuable ores which are in high demand but are scarce everywhere else bar Russia: chromium, manganese, vanadium and platinum appear in the largest concentrations anywhere in the world. Its most valuable minerals, however, are gold and diamonds, and South Africa has long been the world's largest producer and exporter of both. The only key mineral that South Africa lacks is oil. Despite the importance of mining, manufacturing is the largest sector of the economy. Metal industries include steel and heavy engineering, producing machinery and transport equipment. Advanced technological and service industries have emerged in recent years, but have yet to compete in scale or sophistication with their counterparts in Europe, North America or Japan. Despite its power and diversity, the South African economy was debilitated during the late 1980s by the combined effects of global recession and sanctions. The government was forced into unprecedented debt rescheduling but found its foreign bankers less than sympathetic. This in turn forced the government to adopt the political reforms which it had resisted for so long. The Mandela government has committed itself to a gradual economic transition, although it has introduced a major Reconstruction and Development Programme to tackle the gross inequalities that afflict the country. Despite some recovery in the last two years, the economy has yet to resume previous levels of growth. Foreign debt remains a major burden and the rand has been persistently weak. On the positive side, Western governments have pledged increased financial assistance, investment and trade concessions (although a deal with the EU has been elusive). South Africa is the dominant member of the local South African Customs Union (with Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland); it has also recently joined the Southern African Development Community and the Orgasnisation of African Unity. The USA, the UK, Germany and Japan are South Africa's main trading partners.

Business: Suits are generally expected to be worn for meetings, safari-style suits are often suitable for summer. Appointments are generally necessary and punctuality is expected. Visiting cards are widely used. Office hours: 0830-1630 Monday to Friday.

Commercial information: The following organisations can offer advice: South African Chamber of Business (SACOB), PO Box 91267, Auckland Park 2006. Tel: (11) 482 2524 or 482 1281. Fax: (11) 726 1344; or

South African Foreign Trade Organisation (SAFTO), PO Box 782706, Sandton 2146. Tel: (11) 883 3737. Fax: (11) 883 6569.

History: Evidence for human and humanoid occupation of South Africa extends back two million years. Stone Age artefacts date from 40,000 years ago, from which time there appears to have been a continuous human culture. This culture has been identified as being related to that of the Khoisan peoples and it lasted until the arrival of the Europeans and the Bantus - who largely absorbed them. The Bantu population of the region arrived as a result of the great southernward migrations of Bantu peoples across central and southern Africa which occurred during the early and middle parts of this millennium. This largely displaced the Bushmen (whose aboriginal culture - still surviving in the Kalahari - is rivalled only in Australia) and the Khoiknoi ('Hottentots'). The European discovery of South Africa was roughly contemporaneous - the Portuguese navigator Bartholomeo Dias 'discovered' the Cape of Good Hope in 1488. In 1652 Dutch settlers, under Commander Jan van Riebeeck, arrived to start a victualling station for the Dutch East India Company. Numbers were swelled by French Huguenots in 1688 and again in 1820 by British settlers, after the British occupation of the Cape. During the 18th and 19th centuries, British and Boer settlers fought a series of wars with the local tribes. Control of the Cape region was also a matter of dispute - between the Dutch and the British. The latter finally gained control in 1806 and, dissatisfied with their new rulers, the Boer pioneers, or Voortrekkers, moved northwards to establish the independent republics of the Orange Free State and the Transvaal, bringing them into contact (and sometimes conflict) with the indigenous Africans, in particular, members of the Sotho and Nguni groups. In 1869, diamonds (and later gold) were discovered in the Transvaal, attracting huge numbers of fortune hunters, many of them British. President Paul Kruger of the Transvaal, fearing British domination, invoked strict franchise requirements. Britain's attempts at intervention resulted in the Anglo-Boer War, and the British victory in 1902 eventually resulted in the establishment of the Union of South Africa in 1910. In 1948 the National Party came to power and cemented the policy of apartheid: officially the separate development of all racial groups, but effectively the creation of semi-autonomous 'homelands' for non-whites and the preservation of white supremacy elsewhere. Four 'homelands' (Transkei, Bophuthatswana, Venda and Ciskei) were created comprising 13% of all land in the country. Though officially styled 'independent', the 'homelands' were not recognised internationally and were entirely dependent politically and economically on South Africa. The principal black opposition movement was the African National Congress (ANC). The bulk of the ANC's organisation and resources, including its military wing Umkhonto we Sizwe, ('Spear of the Nation') worked in exile elsewhere in southern Africa until very recently. The most important black political force outside the ANC has been Chief Buthelezi's Inkatha movement, with a power base in the Zulu areas in the southeast of the country. Successive governments dealt with black opposition with simple and brutal repression. Although, in public at least, the international community reacted strongly against apartheid and maintained economic sanctions against South Africa, there was simultaneously extensive and largely clandestine support from the West for the South African government and its economy. The problems for the South Africans started in the mid- to late 1980s. There was growing opposition to the Government among whites from two distinct quarters: right-wing Afrikaners such as the Conservative Party and the quasi-paramilitary AWB (Afrikaner Resistance Movement); and, more crucially for the Government, from the business community. However, the continuing presence of State President P W Botha - 'The Crocodile' to South African columnists and a staunch advocate of apartheid - seemed to preclude any significant shift in government attitudes. Then in February 1989, ill health suddenly forced him from office and the Education Minister, F W de Klerk, replaced him. Despite a reputation as a hard-liner, de Klerk was more flexible and imaginative. His accession coincided with massive agitation from the dispossessed black majority in South Africa as well as economic pressure which proved to be the decisive factor in forcing changes upon the regime. The economy had been in near-crisis for some time and South Africa's foreign creditors - multi-national banks, for the most part - refused to reschedule overdue loan repayments without a major change in domestic policies. It was made quite clear to Pretoria that the banks had the full backing of all major Western governments in taking this line. The South Africans, rapidly running out of money, had little choice and promptly set about considering a series of conciliatory measures. Among these were the peace settlement in Namibia, and the release of seven leading members of the African National Congress. On February 2, 1990, de Klerk announced: the 'un-banning' of the ANC, the South African Communist Party and 30 other anti-apartheid groups; the relaxation of the state of emergency; and the unconditional release of Nelson Mandela. Mandela and his ANC colleagues quickly started negotiating a final political settlement with the white government. The ANC is not a unitary movement, but a coalition of numerous diverse interests: Mandela describes it as 'an African parliament'. More significant was the deep schism which emerged between the ANC and Inkatha, which frequently exploded into violence - several thousand died - and was exploited and partially provoked by the white government in the latter stages of its rule, to try to discredit the ANC. Talks between the ANC and the Government went ahead nonetheless and led, at the end of November 1991, to a Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA) signed by all the main interested parties and setting down basic parameters for political transition. CODESA provided the forum which defined the country's new constitutional structure. De Klerk called a snap referendum for March 1992 to secure white endorsement for the constitutional changes. The outcome was a larger than expected majority in favour of the reform process, effectively neutralising all but the violent fringe of the white right. The AWB was finished off following a bizarre attempt to intervene in the chaotic politics of the 'homeland' of Bophuthatswana which left several right-wingers dead and the remainder humiliatingly escorted out by the South African army. It was the apparently irreconcilable feud between the ANC and Inkatha that dominated the political situation during 1993. Inkatha's leader, Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi, pulled out of the constitutional talks in July 1993, and Inkatha's non-appearance seemed at one stage to threaten the entire process. It was only in April 1994, at the very last stages of the negotiations, after concessions on a federal structure giving extensive powers to provincial governments, that Inkatha was persuaded to take part in the National Assembly and regional elections proposed by CODESA. These went ahead at the end of that month. The ANC won 63% of the poll, the National Party 20% and Inkatha 11%. The ANC thus narrowly failed to achieve the two-thirds majority allowing it to effect its own constitutional changes. Nelson Mandela became the country's President with Thabo Mbeki (ANC) and De Klerk as Deputy Presidents. The priorities for the new government were essentially simple: to provide decent standards of housing, education, health and other basic services for the great majority of the population whose needs were ignored under apartheid. Given the huge inequalities in the economy and at every level of society, the new government faced a monumental task. The practical necessity of not alienating domestic industrialists and international financiers means that the government has not been able to move as quickly as it might like. The ANC-led government has also inevitably experienced some difficulty in adjusting from running a liberation movement to running a government. The South African economy is performing moderately (see Trading Brief) and improvement is essential for the government to meet its ambitious Reconstruction and Development programme. The domestic scene continues to be marred by violence in Kwazulu-Natal. Abroad, South African diplomacy can be conducted more confidently after years of defensiveness and isolation but there are serious problems to be faced, not least the desperate situation in central Africa and the worsening crisis in Nigeria.

South Africa's climate is generally sunny and pleasant. Winters are usually mild, although snow falls on the mountain ranges of the Cape and Natal and occasionally in lower-lying areas, when a brief cold spell can be expected throughout the country. Since South Africa lies south of the Equator, the seasons are the reverse of those in the northern hemisphere.