South Africa’s emergency medical services are excellent and they’ll treat and stabilize you with no questions asked. The nationwide emergency number for the police is 10111 and for an ambulance, it’s 10177. Both are free from any landline. You can dial these numbers from a mobile as well, but there’s a dedicated mobile emergency number that’s better.
112 is free from any mobile phone and you can place the call without a contract or calling credit. 112 will put you through to an emergency call centre and can also be used for police, fire and sea rescue. Various provinces and regions also have dedicated local services which are listed on signs and notice boards at the entrances to hiking trails and beaches. In the Cape, the mountain search and rescue teams can be reached on 021 937 0300.