Visitor infoRMATION
- May 3, 2024 clear sky 23° C
- May 4, 2024 clear sky 26° C
- May 5, 2024 few clouds 27° C
South African Time
South Africa does not change its clocks during the year, and there are no regional variations within the country. South African Standard Time is two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean (or Universal Standard) Time, one hour ahead of Central European Winter Time, and seven hours ahead of the USA’s Eastern Standard Winter Time.
Climate
Tshwane has a moderately dry subtropical climate with long hot and rainy summers and short cool and dry winters. The average annual temperature is 18.7 °C (65.7 °F). This is rather high considering its relatively high altitude of about 1350 metres and is due mainly to the City’s sheltered valley position, which acts as a heat trap and cuts it off from cool southerly and south-easterly air masses for much of the year. Rain is chiefly concentrated in the summer months, with drought conditions prevailing over the winter months, when frosts may be sharp. Snowfall is an extremely rare event – snowflakes were spotted in 1959, 1968 and 2012 in the city, but the city has never experienced an accumulation in its history. The seasons are:
• Summer: mid-October to mid-February
• Autumn: February to April
• Winter: May to July
• Spring: August to October
VAT (Value Added Tax)
VAT is currently at 15% and is included in the retail price displayed on most goods and services. Visitors to South African may claim refunds on VAT paid on goods to be taken out of the country. VAT refunds administration offices are found at all major international departure points. To claim VAT, the original VAT invoice document is required. Note that services rendered or goods consumed in South Africa do not qualify for a VAT refund.
People and Language
South Africa’s population exceeds 52 million people and has 11 official languages (English, Afrikaans, Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Southern Sotho, Tswana, Venda, Tsonga, Xhosa, Zulu and SiSwati). About 3 million of these people reside in Tshwane. The predominant languages in the Tshwane area are Tswana, Northern and Southern Sotho, Sepedi, Ndebele and Afrikaans. English is however widely spoken and understood throughout the city and is the official language of business. Road signs and other important visitor’s information are in English.
Currency
With a favourable exchange rate for many international currencies, you’ll find South Africa an inexpensive destination. And an easy one – our financial institutions are world-class, with no shortage of banks, bureaux de change and automatic tellers. South Africa’s unit of currency is the Rand, which is divided into 100 cents. Notes come in denominations of R10, R20, R50, R100 and R200; and coins come in 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, R1, R2 and R5.
All transactions are rounded down to the nearest 5c.
Money and Credit Cards
South Africa’s currency is the Rand (ZAR). There are hundred cents to one rand. Most establishments accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Diner’s Club credit cards. ATM’s are widely available throughout the city in the business and shopping areas from which cash can be drawn. Observe the usual safety precautions when using these machines to draw money.
Banks and Bureaux de change
All major banks will exchange foreign currency at selected branches. Bureaux de change can be found at all the major international arrival and departure points, as well as the major malls and business centres (in areas closest to Future Africa such as Brooklyn, Menlyn and Hatfield) and throughout Tshwane.