South Africa Travel Insurance

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With fascinating landmarks such as Table Mountain, Nelson Mandela Square and Kruger National Park plus copious wildlife and amazing vineyards – it’s easy to understand why South Africa is a favourite on many people’s bucket lists.

Often described as 'the world in one country' South Africa has a unique and diverse mix of culture, landscapes and wildlife. Furthermore, with the contrast of modern cities such as Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban, there are all the offerings you would expect of a European city, within a country as amazing as Africa.

If you're planning a trip to the beautiful country of South Africa, you should always consider taking out a travel insurance policy.

Why choose Alpha if you’re travelling to South Africa?

Alpha Travel Insurance policies can offer policies to suit your needs at a budget-friendly price. Furthermore, you don’t have to worry about searching through hundreds of options – our policies all offer the same great levels of cover, all you have to do is choose the excess you would like to pay in the event of a claim.

Below are just some of the benefits that Alpha has to offer:

24/7 Emergency Medical Helpline
Cover for 100's of sports and activities free of charge (with the option to extend and include many more);
Discounts for couples and families;
14 day cooling off period;
Cover includes cancellation, emergency medical expenses, personal belongings, cash and travel documents and much more;
Optional Gadget Extension.
Access To Our Free Customer Area!

What to do in South Africa

Full of wildlife, steeped in history and stunning panoramic views, you would be forgiven for feeling overwhelmed when planning what to see and do. We have compiled a few of our favourites for you to get you started:

Table Mountain Aerial Cableway

Giving you the most stunning views of Cape Town, the cableway takes you to the summit in under 5 minutes and the rotating floor ensures a 360-degree aerial view.
Skip to the front of the line as well as having a half day chauffeur ride to discover the city afterwards for just £50 per adult.
If you just want to book directly, it costs R293 which is approximately £17.

Aquila Game Reserve Wildlife Safari

You can’t visit South Africa and not book onto a Safari, and this is one of the best. Costing £147 per adult.
The price includes all entrance fees, the game drive and lunch. The safari lasts approximately 2.5 hours and then it’s time for lunch.
Who doesn’t love animals? To see them in their natural habitat is a once in a lifetime experience and should not be missed!

Mandela House

This museum is situated in Nelson Mandela’s house and is the perfect way to respect him and his life as well as understanding more about it.
The website states:

‘The Mission of Mandela House is to provide an effective, efficient and meaningful experience to all visitors, informing them of President Nelson Mandela’s story, both in the context of his home, and in the context of his life as a whole, in a manner that promotes human rights, democracy, reconciliation, mutual respect and tolerance amongst the peoples of South Africa’.

It costs 40 RAND to enter which equates to about £3 and takes about 20-30 minutes.

*Prices and information correct as at August 2018

Advice for travelling to South Africa

Entry Requirements

In order to enter South Africa, you will need the following:

At least 6 months validity on your passport following your exit date.
At least 2 blank pages available when entering and exiting the country.

If you are travelling for less than 90 days you will not need a visa.

Medical

Although there is currently no risk of yellow fever, you are required to produce a vaccination certificate.

You are advised to have the following vaccines before travelling:

Hepatitis A
Tetanus
Typhoid

Depending on where you are travelling to within the country you may also require:

Cholera
Hepatitis B
Rabies
Tuberculosis (TB)

We recommend you see your GP at least 4-6 weeks prior to travelling to ensure you are fully treated before travelling.

For more information please see here.

Travelling with children

Due to new immigration rulings, parents travelling with children under 18 will be asked to produce the child’s full unabridged birth certificate. The short copy will not be accepted.

If you are travelling without the other parent of the child, please see here for more information.

Useful Info:

Currency	South African Rand- Click here for the current exchange rate.
Capital City	Cape Town, Pretoria, Bloemfontein
Population	Over 57,000,000
Emergency Info	For General emergencies, call 112. Police: 10111 Ambulance: 10177 Sea Rescue: 112
Tipping Protocol	Generally, restaurants will add gratuity if the party is 6 or more people as they do here in the UK. Otherwise 10-20% is preferable- this is the same for Bars also.
Drinking Age	18 years – although 16/17year olds are permitted to drink a glass of beer, wine or cider in a restaurant whilst eating. The government are looking to change this to 21 – so make sure you check!
Weather	Flooding, Wildfires and Storms can occur.
Seasons	Spring – September until November Summer – December until February Autumn – March until May Winter – June until August
Languages spoken	English, Afrikaans, Zulu, Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Sotho, SiSwati, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda and Xhosa
Phrases	Hello – Sawubona Good Morning – Sawubona How are you? – Unjani? How much please – Kungakanani sicela Good night – Ulale kahle
Plug Type	230V – 50Hz
Driving side	Left Hand Side
Local Laws/Customs	You should always be able to show identification- Photocopies of your passports should be enough – unless it is whilst driving when you will need the original. It’s illegal to buy, sell, kill or capture any protected wild animal.