Hello, goddesses. Since today is the beloved Nelson Mandela’s 100th birthday and I returned from an awesome trip to South Africa a few weeks ago, I thought it was time to release some very important things that I would like to pass on about traveling to South Africa. While this wasn’t my first trip to South Africa, it was my first time organizing a trip there and not being with a group. This trip was to celebrate my husband and my 10th Anniversary and it was great but not perfect of course.

1. Travelzoo

Check Travelzoo for rates on flights and hotels. We used Travelzoo and we went with a 6 Day Johannesburg and Cape Town Trip with airfare, hotels, and transfers from online travel agency Tripmasters.

2. Turn your layover into a trip

First, make sure you don’t need a special visa for the country you plan to visit! If your flight has a layover, see if you can make an extra trip out of it. For us, there was a choice for a 2-hour layover in Amsterdam or a 22-hour layover. We did the 22 hours and booked a hotel (this hotel was not included in the Tripmasters package) in Amsterdam and spent the day sightseeing. We stayed in the Tulip Inn Schiphol. * Make sure you have everything you need for your layover in your carryon (medicine, change of clothing, shoes) your check bags will continue to your destination. <-ask the agent at check in to make sure.

3. Uber, Uber, Uber

Uber will be your best friend in South Africa and your safest option. We didn’t use Uber when we arrived in Johannesburg because neither of our phones would get a good signal on the third floor. The WiFi was less than great. If this happens to you in Johannesburg. Book your Uber on the first floor and then go to the pickup spot (it was on the 3rd floor but check the app for directions). The WiFi was better on the first floor.

Tip: Make sure your Uber app is already set up and your payment method is set up. I had my uber set up to link with my PayPal and it would not work in SA. (It could’ve just been my phone and the spotty WiFi but have a backup.

SAFETY: As a tourist, I would recommend not walking around alone in Joburg. This was advice given by one of our taxi drivers. He said even though we’re black, people automatically know we’re not South African and you may attract negative attention from people without good intentions. So, hail an Uber even if the distance is close.

4. You may need to buy a SIM card in South Africa

Vodacom is bae. So right now I have Virgin Mobile. But when I called to get an international plan, I was told that they would unlock my sim card and when I got to my destination I could buy a sim card there. I could also make calls with WhatsApp or Skype through WiFi. I thought I could make due with just using my husband’s Sprint phone and my WiFi. Well hubby left his phone in the back of that first cab in Joburg, and it was never seen again and WiFi was too damn spotty. So I broke down and walked into the Vodacom (while my husband sat in the airport police station trying to see if he could get his phone back).

Buying a sim card was super easy and cheap and they set it up, put it in your phone and you get a South African number. They tape your old sim card to a card and you put it in your wallet until you return home. Check to see if Vodacom will be cheaper than using your phone company’s international plan. (I still used WhatsApp to save on my Vodacom data).

You can find Vodacom in the Airports (if you don’t arrive too late) or in the mall

5. Hotel Recommendations

I thoroughly enjoyed the two hotels we stayed in. In Johannesburg, we stayed in The Capitol on Bath. We had an apartment with a full kitchen and washer dryer. The decor was very modern and clean. I definitely recommend it. You can take an Uber to the nearby mall or further away to Mandela Square. You can shop at the Woolworth’s for food if you plan on cooking.

In Cape Town, we stayed in the Mandela Rhodes Place Hotel. The architecture was beautiful and it was in the center of Cape Town and you could walk to the outdoor market and take a cheap uber ride to the Victoria & Albert Waterfront Mall. I loved this hotel. Again it was another beautiful apartment, full kitchen, full bath (separate tub and shower) beautiful tiled floors, a rooftop pool for summer, a view of Table Mountain, and a few restaurants and cafes in the lobby that will deliver to your room if you’re too jetlagged to head downstairs.

6. Take a Winelands tour.

Did you know that South Africa has a great wine history? I had no clue until I started looking into tours. We took a lovely wine tour to Stellenbosch and learned a lot about Cape Town. The local wine is excellent and the Winelands are gorgeous. There are so many tour guide services offering this tour. Read the next tip to find out how we booked ours.

7. Download the Viator App

I love the Viator app for booking excursions and day tours (they even have longer tours). I used it to book our Wineland tour and our Lion Park tour in Joburg. Both tours had excellent tour guides and hotel pick up. The app was created by Tripadvisor and many of the tours are discounted.

8. Bring a Coat

If it’s summer in the Northern Hemisphere (U.S., Asia, and Europe) then it is winter in South Africa. It may be mild compared to many U.S. places but you still will want a light coat and a knit cap. My husband didn’t listen to my advice and ended up buying a coat in Cape Town. It can drop to 40° F at night. Even in Summer, it may be safe to bring a light jacket.

9. Don’t forget your rain gear.

They say it doesn’t rain Joburg in the winter, but it sure does in Cape Town. It rained most of the time we there which added to the cold.

10. Get your tax refund.

So when you purchase goods in South Africa ask for a VAT invoice. When you get to the airport to depart, ask where you get your airport tax refund. Since the VAT is 14% right now, you can get back a significant amount of money. Don’t miss out like me. I didn’t remember until we went through security and by then it was too late. I saved all of those receipts for nothing and lost a considerable amount of money. (You can’t get taxes back on food).

Bonus Tips

This is if you travel anywhere. Make sure you call your bank and let them know that you will be using your debit/credit card in a foreign country so that your card doesn’t get cut off while you’re in another country. Also, instead of exchanging currency, we used ATM’s to have a little cash on us. You won’t need cash much but at local markets, you will want cash. You can use debit and credit in most establishments. We also only used atm in banks.

The Watershed Market

When you visit the Victoria & Albert Waterfront Mall make sure you also visit the gorgeous Watershed Market for unique and beautiful African gifts.

Planner

Create your own itinerary with every flight time and tour/ info in a planner or bullet journal and keep handy. Don’t pack your itinerary in your checked bags.

Keep a couple pair of clothes in your carryon in case your luggage gets lost. Don’t check things you will absolutely need like your medicine.

Have you been to Africa? Where? Tell us about it!