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Holidayco.co.uk specialises in cheap South African holidays, package holidays and late deals to a huge number of destinations. Find out more about South Africa in our guide below.

Holidays in South Africa

South Africa lies at the very southern tip of the African continent. The country includes two islands: Marion Island and Prince Edward Island.

After many years in the wilderness due to highly racist governmental policies, South Africa has managed to create a multi-racial society and has rejoined the international community. The peaceful move from Apartheid to integration is one of the great political achievements of our time.

South Africa is divided into nine provinces: Gauteng, Northern Province, Mpumalanga, North West, KwaZulu/Natal, Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Northern Cape, and Free State. Each province has its own capital and somewhat different characteristics.

South Africa Facts At A Glance

Area: 1,219,912 square km. includes Prince Edward Islands (Marion Island and Prince Edward Island)

Climate: Subtropical along the east coast. Semi-arid elsewhere.

Terrain: Most of South Africa is a huge interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills. Also a narrow coastal plain

Population: 44 Million

Languages: Afrikaans, English

Currency: Rand

Time Zone: 2 Hours ahead of GMT

International Dialling Code: +27

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Places to visit

Cape Town is the most famous of South Africa’s cities. Set against the backdrop of the spectacular Table Mountain, Cape Town is a mix of modern high-rise buildings and preserved Colonial-era houses. The architecture is a mixture of Victorian and Edwardian, English and Dutch, with Islamic influences thrown in for good measure. The Bo-Kaap, or Malay Quarter, is very different from the rest of the city. Home to descendents of slaves from India and the East Indies, the area has its own character with many mosques and other interesting buildings.

Cape Town has good beaches which are quiet and undeveloped on the Atlantic coast and more busy as you go south towards Sea Point. There are windsurfing competitions at Bloubergstrand and good coastal resorts at Bantry Bay, Fish Hoek and Camps Bay.

Cape Town is also famous for its wine; there are many vineyards around the city. You can also find amusement parks, miniature golf and sporting facilities around the city and its suburbs. The South African Astronomical Observatory is worth a visit. It has several speciality shops nearby.

If you visit Cape Town you really must see Table Mountain. You can reach the top by climbing if you’re a mountaineer, walking up the trails or, as most of the mountain’s visitors do, taking the cable car to the summit. The cars have a rotating floor to give you a spectacular view as you ascend. At the top there is a restaurant, cocktail bar and of course spectacular views out over the local scenery.

In the Mpumalanga region you can visit the Kruger National Park, most famous of South Africa’s game reserves. The park has lions, elephants, buffalo, rhino and leopards. Other game parks in the region include the Sabi Sands Game Reserve and the Mpumalanga reserves.

The region also boasts the world’s third largest canyon at Blyde River and some fine botanical gardens in the Lowveld, along with ancient caves and the places where some of the world’s oldest creatures were discovered. Birdwatchers will love the Grass and Wetlands region.

If all this nature is a bit much, visit the Cultural Heartland and discover the culture and craftsmanship of the Ndebele people.

In North-West Province you can find the excellent resorts of the Sun City region and game reserves including the Madikwe Game Reserve and Pilanesberg National Park.

In the Free State region you will find many examples of Bushman rock art and the city of Bloemfontein, which hosts an array of cultural events, especially the Macufe Festival in September. The Basotho Cultural Village in the Qwaqwa National Park is worth a visit, and you can see the wildlife in the Sterkfontein Dam Nature Reserve.

The Northern Cape region centres on Kimberly, which is famous for diamond mining but has far more to offer than that. The Diamond Fields boasts an art gallery as well as historic buildings and museums showing the importance of diamond mining in the region. You can see the aptly-named Big Hole, the world’s largest hand-dug excavation.

The nearby Kalahari region is home to the last true Bushmen. Their rock art can be seen everywhere. Although much of the Kalahari region is desert and semi-desert, the valleys of the Orange River are lush and beautiful. The Hantam Karoo was once an inland sea and today you can see the fossilised footprints of dinosaurs in what was once the shallow seabed.

KwaZulu Natal has its capital at Durban, where you will find luxury hotels along a fine beachfront. Durban is a centre for business and commerce, and its port is one of the ten largest in the world. The city is busy and vibrant, offering watersports and diving as well as good inland facilities for a range of major sports.

In Gauteng you will find the city of Johannesburg, which is a city of contrasts. Modern skyscrapers dominate the skyline but between them you will find Indian bazaars and traditional African medicine shops. Gold Reef City is a reconstruction of Johannesburg during the gold rush and shows how the miners lived. You can take a trip down an old mine shaft and watch molten gold being poured.

Nearby Soweto is mainly famous for the home of Nelson Mandela, who did so much to help end Apartheid. The Apartheid Museum is dedicated to the long struggle for equality. Other museums in the area include the Museum of the History of Medicine and the Johannesburg Art Gallery. There are also sports facilities, zoological gardens and a wild bird sanctuary.

The Eastern Cape region, with its capital at Port Elizabeth, has areas that are almost completely wild. The aptly-named Wild Coast and the Karoo Heartland are well worth a visit if you want to see Africa as it was before humans made their mark on it. There are several game reserves including the Frontier Country and Tsitsikamma Region.

Things to do

There is a lot to do and see in South Africa, depending upon where you want to go.

Cape Town has good beaches which are quiet and undeveloped on the Atlantic coast and more busy as you go south towards Sea Point. There are windsurfing competitions at Bloubergstrand and good coastal resorts at Bantry Bay, Fish Hoek and Camps Bay.

Durban’s Golden Mile has amusement parks and gardens to keep you amused, and there are plenty of bars and restaurants to choose from. Other attractions include the Snake Park and Seaworld, where daily seal and dolphin shows are held. There is also something for ornithologists at the Umgeni River Bird Park.

If adventure sports are to your liking, try Bojanala East where you can get involved in abseiling and rock climbing, hand-gliding, parasailing, hiking and other outdoor activities. The North-West Province also has some very good golf courses if something less strenuous is called for.