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A photograph of South Africa

Country guide

South Africa

Nine provinces and 2,798 kilometres of coast, running from the South Atlantic round to the Indian Ocean, wrap 1,221,037 square kilometres and more than 63 milli...

Photograph · Dietmar Rabich · CC BY-SA 4.0

7,025 Places
2Cities

Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

Nine provinces and 2,798 kilometres of coast, running from the South Atlantic round to the Indian Ocean, wrap 1,221,037 square kilometres and more than 63 million people. It has three capitals rather than one, which is fair warning about how spread out everything else is. Cape Town sits under a mountain in the southwestern corner and is the reason most first visits happen; Johannesburg inland is the economic centre and the airport nearly everyone arrives through; Durban on the Indian Ocean coast is the warm-water city. The game reserves are a separate journey again, hours from any of the three.

Checked 2026-08-25

Cities

Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.

Practical information

Language spoken
12 official languages; English is widely used in visitor services
National practical orientation; regional and minority languages may also be used
Dialling code
+27
International calling code; local area and mobile prefixes still apply
Currency
South African rand (ZAR)
Use the official local currency; card acceptance varies by place
Emergency number
112 from mobile · 10111 police · 10177 ambulance
Use only for an emergency; tourist assistance may use a separate number
Plug type
Type M and N · 230 V
Check that chargers support the recorded voltage before using an adapter
Tap water
Not recorded
Water conditions and restrictions vary by municipality

Planning a visit

Seasonal closures come from recorded opening hours.

  1. January: seasonal closure recorded
  2. February: seasonal closure recorded
  3. March: seasonal closure recorded
  4. April: no seasonality data recorded
  5. May: no seasonality data recorded
  6. June: seasonal closure recorded
  7. July: seasonal closure recorded
  8. August: seasonal closure recorded
  9. September: seasonal closure recorded — this month
  10. October: seasonal closure recorded
  11. November: seasonal closure recorded
  12. December: seasonal closure recorded

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

Filter the list

65 places match

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Category

Historic monuments 15 Museums 0 Places of worship 2 Nature sites 24 Viewpoints 5 Food and drink 0 Markets and shopping 10 Entertainment 0 Nightlife 0 Family attractions 0 Art and culture 9 Activities 0

Typical visit duration

Up to 1 hour 65 1 to 2 hours 42

Interests

History 2 Art 0 Museums 0 Nature 3 Sea and beach 2 Viewpoints 1
  1. Bo-Kaap Bo-Kaap
    07 45 min

    Bo-Kaap

    Bo-Kaap is a historic residential neighbourhood on the slopes of Signal Hill above central Cape Town.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Cape Town
  2. Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
    08 1 hour

    Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

    Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens

    Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is a celebrated indigenous botanical garden situated on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain in Cape Town.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Cape Town
  3. St. George's Cathedral St. George's Cathedral
    09 45 min

    St. George's Cathedral

    St George's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral on Wale Street in Cape Town city centre and the seat of the Archbishop of Cape Town.

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Cape Town
  4. Company's Garden Company's Garden
    10 1 hour

    Company's Garden

    Company's Garden is a historic public park in central Cape Town, established in the 1650s by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) as a vegetable supply garden for ships rounding the Cape.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Cape Town
  5. Lion's Head Lion's Head
    11 20 min

    Lion's Head

    Lion's Head is a compact mountain peak overlooking Cape Town, South Africa. It stands adjacent to Table Mountain and forms part of the dramatic backdrop to the city.

    • High
    • Viewpoint
    • Cape Town
  6. Signal Hill Signal Hill
    12 20 min

    Signal Hill

    Signal Hill is a prominent low ridge located immediately beside Lion's Head in Cape Town, South Africa. It forms part of the dramatic mountainous backdrop that defines the city's skyline.

    • High
    • Viewpoint
    • Cape Town
  7. Constitution Hill, Johannesburg Constitution Hill, Johannesburg
    13 45 min

    Constitution Hill, Johannesburg

    Constitution Hill

    Constitution Hill is a former prison complex in Johannesburg that now serves as the seat of South Africa's Constitutional Court. The site transformed from a place of incarceration during the apartheid era into a symbol of democracy and human rights.

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Johannesburg
  8. Rhodes Memorial Rhodes Memorial
    14 45 min

    Rhodes Memorial

    Rhodes Memorial is a mountainside monument on the slopes of Devil’s Peak in Cape Town. It commemorates Cecil John Rhodes, whose colonial legacy remains deeply contested.

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Cape Town
  9. Devil's Peak Devil's Peak
    15 20 min

    Devil's Peak

    Devil's Peak is a prominent mountain summit forming the eastern flank of Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa. It rises dramatically above the City Bowl and the university precinct, creating one of the most recognisable skylines in the city.

    • High
    • Viewpoint
    • Cape Town
  10. Gold Reef City Gold Reef City
    16 45 min

    Gold Reef City

    Gold Reef City is a major theme park and reconstructed gold-rush attraction situated on a historic gold mining site in Johannesburg. It combines amusement park rides with heritage attractions that recreate the atmosphere of the 1886 Witwatersrand Gold Rush.

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Johannesburg
  11. Sandy Bay Sandy Bay
    17 1 hour

    Sandy Bay

    Sandy Bay Beach

    Sandy Bay is an isolated Atlantic beach on the Cape Peninsula, situated on the western coastline between Llandudno and Hout Bay. The beach lies below steep mountain slopes and is accessed via a walking path.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Cape Town
  12. Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve
    18 1 hour

    Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve

    Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve is a broad highveld grassland landscape southeast of Johannesburg. Its rolling hills, open views and natural vegetation create a clear change of pace from the metropolitan area.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Johannesburg
  13. Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden
    19 1 hour

    Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden

    Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens

    Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden is a major nature destination in western Gauteng, managed by the South African National Biodiversity Institute. Its landscape combines indigenous vegetation, open grassland, rocky cliffs, walking trails, wildlife habitat, and a prominent waterfall.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Johannesburg
  14. Artscape Theatre Centre Artscape Theatre Centre
    20 1 hour

    Artscape Theatre Centre

    Artscape Theatre Centre stands as Cape Town's principal city-centre theatre complex, serving as a substantial venue for opera, dance, and South African performance.

    • High
    • Art and culture venue
    • Cape Town
  15. Market Theatre Market Theatre
    21 1 hour

    Market Theatre

    The Market Square

    Market Theatre is a landmark performing-arts venue in Newtown, Johannesburg. The theatre became known during apartheid for providing a platform for protest theatre and multiracial audiences when such gatherings were restricted.

    • High
    • Art and culture venue
    • Johannesburg
  16. Arderne Gardens Arderne Gardens
    22 1 hour

    Arderne Gardens

    Arderne Gardens is a historic public garden in Claremont, Cape Town. Established in the Victorian era, the garden preserves a heritage landscape within a lived-in southern suburb.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Cape Town
  17. Melville Koppies Melville Koppies
    23 1 hour

    Melville Koppies

    Melville Koppies Nature Reserve is an ancient quartzite ridge preserved inside Johannesburg. It gives travellers a close view of Highveld grassland, rocky outcrops and indigenous vegetation within the city.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Johannesburg
  18. The Wilds Municipal Nature Reserve The Wilds Municipal Nature Reserve
    24 1 hour

    The Wilds Municipal Nature Reserve

    The Wilds Nature Reserve

    The Wilds is a restored inner-city ridge park in Johannesburg. Its elevated ground lifts visitors above surrounding neighbourhoods and creates a strong sense of open space within the city.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Johannesburg
  19. Baxter Theatre Centre Baxter Theatre Centre
    25 1 hour

    Baxter Theatre Centre

    Baxter Theatre Center

    The Baxter Theatre Centre is the University of Cape Town's premier performing arts complex. Established as a cultural landmark, it serves as a major venue for theatre, dance, and music productions in the city.

    • High
    • Art and culture venue
    • Cape Town
  20. Goodman Gallery Goodman Gallery
    26 1 hour

    Goodman Gallery

    Goodman Gallery Johannesburg is an influential contemporary-art gallery with a major role in South African and African art discourse.

    • High
    • Art and culture venue
    • Johannesburg
  21. Blaauwberg Conservation Area Blaauwberg Conservation Area
    27 1 hour

    Blaauwberg Conservation Area

    Blaauwberg Nature Reserve

    Blaauwberg Nature Reserve is a protected coastal landscape in the northern Cape Town metropolitan area. It brings together Atlantic shoreline dunes and lowland Cape fynbos, creating a distinctly open setting close to the city.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Cape Town
  22. Johannesburg Botanical Garden Johannesburg Botanical Garden
    28 1 hour

    Johannesburg Botanical Garden

    Johannesburg Botanical Gardens

    Johannesburg Botanical Garden is a large metropolitan green space beside Emmarentia Dam. The garden combines landscaped planting areas, broad lawns, and water-side scenery, creating a slower outdoor contrast to Johannesburg’s built-up districts.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Johannesburg
  23. Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve
    29 1 hour

    Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve

    Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve is a large protected Highveld landscape in southern Johannesburg. Rolling grassland, indigenous vegetation and archaeological evidence give the reserve a character that feels far removed from the surrounding metropolitan development.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Johannesburg
  24. Carlton Centre Carlton Centre
    30 45 min

    Carlton Centre

    Carlton Centre is a landmark skyscraper complex in central Johannesburg, associated with the city’s mining-era commercial growth. The Top of Africa viewing deck provides the visitor focus, taking travelers above the inner city for a broad perspective across Johannesburg.

    • High
    • Market
    • Johannesburg
  25. Nizamiye Masjid Nizamiye Masjid
    31 30 min

    Nizamiye Masjid

    Nizamiye Mosque

    Nizamiye Mosque is a large contemporary mosque complex in Midrand, within the Johannesburg metropolitan area. Its architecture is modelled on Ottoman traditions, giving the building a distinctive profile among South Africa's religious landmarks.

    • High
    • Place of worship
    • Johannesburg
Show 25 more places

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·

Common questions

How long should a first trip to South Africa be?

Ten to sixteen days is suitable for one South African region or a two-hub trip. Cape Town, Johannesburg, safari areas and the Garden Route are far enough apart that flights or long road days must be part of the plan.

What entry documents are needed for South Africa?

South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs publishes visa-exempt country information. Confirm the passport-specific rule, allowed stay and any transit requirement there before travel.

What is the best way to travel around South Africa?

Johannesburg and Cape Town are the largest air hubs, with domestic flights connecting major regions. Parks and rural routes often require driving or arranged transfers, and urban public transport differs substantially by city.

When is a practical time to visit South Africa?

March to May and September to November are broad shoulder periods, but Cape weather and inland safari seasons do not follow one calendar. Wildlife goals, road conditions and the chosen coast should determine dates.

What money and payment basics apply in South Africa?

South African rand (ZAR) is the recorded currency. National figures for visitor card acceptance and transaction fees are Not recorded; confirm payment and deposit terms with lodges, rental firms and remote operators.

What practical safety details should I save for South Africa?

From a mobile phone, 112 is the general emergency route; police use 10111 and ambulance services 10177. South Africa uses Type M and N plugs at 230 V, and tap-water guidance is Not recorded nationally here.