Wildlife

South Africa's abundant wildlife and scenic beauty are major draw-cards for tourists and can be observed in a network of game parks and nature reserves all over the country and along its 3000 km coastline.

Ecological regions

Six ecological regions mirror South Africa's wildlife splendour and geographical range:

• The Savanna Biome, consisting of grassland and trees, incorporates the Northern Cape and Kalahari, the Central Bushveld and the Valley Bushveld to the South. The Kruger National Park, the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, and the Umfolozi and Hluhluwe reserves fall within its boundaries.
• The Nama-Karoo Biome combines the Namaland area of Namibia and the Karoo area of South Africa. The Karoo and Augrabies national parks are part of this semi-desert-home to the bat eared fox, lack-backed jackal, ostrich and suricate.
• The Grassland Biome has summer rainfall with heavy thunderstorms, while frost occurs in winter. Perennial rivers are the Orange, Vaal and Pongola. Trees are scarce. The wildebeest, blesbok and eland are endemic to the region. The Natal Drakensberg wilderness areas are part of the biome.
• The Northern Cape winter rainfall area or Succulent Karoo Biome has dry summers with soaring temperatures. Once a year, Namaqualand wild flowers cover the semi-desert with a multi-coloured spring carpet. National parks in this area are the Richtersveld and Tankwa-Karoo.
• The Fynbos Biome is one of six floral kingdoms of the world. More than 8 500 fynbos species, such as proteas, ericas and heathers, occur within an area of 70000km2 in the Western Cape - a winter-rainfall region with a Mediterranean climate.
• The Forest Biome includes the Western Cape Knysna forest and the Eastern Cape Tsitsikamma forest where yellowwood and ironwood giants, fungi and lichens thrive in the humid climate. This is the habitat of the Knysna lourie, Cape parrot, semango monkey, bushpig and blue duiker.

Tourism

South Africa became a member of the World Tourism Organisation (WTO) in 1994. The country's R3000 million a year tourism industry create jobs, stimulates the economy, earns foreign exchange, develops infrastructure, and promotes goodwill and the upliftment of communities.

Ecotourism is the fastest-growing segment of local tourism. It unlocks the natural and cultural assets of the environment to the visitor, and generates foreign exchange income for the promotion and conservation of ecological resources. Ecotourism includes bird-watching, nature photography, hiking and mountaineering, visits to cultural heritage villages and sites of Bushmen paintings.

South African Tourism Board

The South African Tourism Board's (Satour) primary goal is to market South Africa's key tourism features, and to coordinate tourism development.

Satour head office
Tel. : +12 347 0600
Fax : + 12 45 4889
Postal address: Private Bag X164, Pretoria 0001

International Satour offices
Australia and New Zealand (Sydney) (02) 261 3424
Austria (Vienna) (222) 47045110
Canada (Toronto) (416) 2830563
France (Paris) (1) 42274020
Germany (Frankfurt) (69) 20656
Israel (Tel Aviv) (3) 5272950/2351/2352/1453/2054
Italy (Milan) (2) 8693847/8693856
Japan (Tokyo) (3) 3 4787601
Netherlands, Belgium and Scandinavia (Amsterdam) (20) 6646201
Switzerland (Zurich) (1) 7151815/16/17
Taiwan, Hong Kong (Taipei) (2) 7174238
United Kingdom and Eire (London) (8) 9448080
US (Eastern) (New York) (212) 8388841
US (Western) (California) (310) 641 8444
Zimbabwe (Harare) (4) 707766/7

National parks and nature reserves

South Africa's wildlife can be seen in its natural habitat in various national parks and nature reserves, some of which are privately owned. The National Parks Board manages 16 national parks and one national lake area with a total land area of some 3,2 million ha.

The game population of the world-renowned Kruger National Park includes the 'big five', namely buffalo, elephant, leopard, lion and rhinoceros. The park offers a range of accommodation from rudimentary to luxurious. There are several trails where visitors can cover large areas of unspoiled nature areas on foot under the guidance of a trail ranger.

Inquiries for reservations in any of the national parks should be addressed to

The Chief Executive
National Parks Board
PO Box 787
Pretoria 0001.

Bookings can be made by telephoning

Pretoria (+12) 3431991 or Cape Town (+21) 222810

Each of the nine provinces manages the nature reserves, mountain catchment and wilderness areas within their borders. At present, there are more than 300 provincial nature reserves. Accommodation is available at most reserves, but more information can be obtained from the reserve itself or the appropriate provincial administration.

The oldest established game reserves in Africa - Umfolozi, St. Lucia and Hluhluwe - are found in KwaZulu-Natal. They celebrated their centenaries in April 1995.

Hiking

The National Hiking Way system comprises 17 hiking trails with overnight facilities. Hiking tours are also offered by national, provincial and private reserves and wilderness areas, town councils and farmers.

Details on hiking clubs and trails can be obtained from the South African Hiking Federation. Several trills and walks have been established for blind hikers and persons in wheelchairs. In some cases Braille maps and taped commentary are provided for the hiker.

Hunting

Southern Africa is one of the world's most popular big-game hunting regions - offering trophies such as white rhino, wildebeest, nyala, eland and buffalo. Specially protected game such as the kipspringer, giraffe and black rhino may not be hunted.

Botanical and zoological gardens

There are eight national botanical gardens controlled by the National Botanical Institute (NBI).

The National Zoological Gardens of South Africa in Pretoria (the Pretoria Zoo) are considered of the ten best zoos in the world.

Caves

On the interested tourist's itinerary are the spectacular Cango Caves at Oudtshoorn, the internationally famous archaeological site at the Sterkfontein Caves near Krugersdorp, the Sudwala and Echo caves in Mpumalanga, and the Wonderwerk Cave in the Northern Cape which houses Bushmen paintings dating back 10000 years.

Hints for the tourist

• Every visitor to South Africa must have a valid passport and a visa if required. Visas are issued free of charge. Inquiries can be directed to South African diplomatic representatives abroad or the Department of Home Affairs in Pretoria.
• Tourists must satisfy immigration officers that they have a means of support for the duration of their stay in the country and return/onward air tickets.
• Visitors must have valid international health certificates and those from yellow-fever areas have to be inoculated against the disease.
• Foreign tourists to South Africa can have their value-added tax (VAT) refunded on departure.
• For further information, consult the Visitor's A-Z of South Africa , a compact traveler's guide, published on behalf of the Department of foreign Affairs.

Accommodation

Tourist accommodation in South Africa ranges from formal hotels to cottages, farm guest-houses, game lodges and youth hostels.

The 1994/5 National Accommodation Guide lists lodgings that have been graded and approved by Satour. Other useful guides are AA Hotels, Lodges and Guest Houses, Portfolio of Town and Country Retreats, Portfolio of Bed and Breakfast and the 1995 Recommended Venues Portfolio.

HotelNet, a database for the hotel industry, offers on-line reservations, access to databases of companies, information on marketing and trade shows, electronic access to leading South African banks and global telecommunications facilities.

Transport

Airlines, railroads, luxury tour buses and cars for hire, enable tourists to travel comfortably from their ports of entry to any destination. South African Airways (SAA) operates regular scheduled flights to and from South Africa, while domestic airlines and mainline trains take visitors to all parts of the country.

The renowned Blue Train runs between Pretoria and Cape Town, Johannesburg to Pretoria and the Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, and Pretoria and Nelspruit in Mpumalanga. Reservations can be made at Spoornet or through any travel agent. Rovos Rail offers luxury steam safaris between Pretoria and the Kruger National Park, and Pretoria and Cape Town.

The Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town, is an all-time favourite with tourists and locals (photograph : Guy Stubbs, SACS).

Events and places

• Cape Town's New Year celebrations with Malay music and song
• Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town
• Table Mountain and cableway, Cape Town
• Apple Express steam train excursion in the Eastern Cape
• Historical Matjiestein hamlet in the Western Cape
• Ficksburg Cherry Festival in the Free State
• Rand Easter Show in Johannesburg
• Gold Reef City theme park depicting the Johannesburg gold rush
• Museum Africa in Newtown, Johannesburg
• Pilgrim's Rest, a restored gold diggers' village in Mpumalanga
• Water organ at Centurion Centre near Pretoria
• Shakaland, a live museum in KwaZulu-Natal
• Schoemansdal, a restored Voortrekker settlement outside Louis Trichardt in the Northern Province.

SOUTH AFRICA a world in one country - Travel Guide

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