Visitors from Australia, North America, and most of South America and Europe, can get a ‘Port of Entry Visa’ for visits up to 90 days. These are issued on arrival, providing your passport is valid for at least 1 month from your date of departure. 1 month is the official guideline, but best to have at least 6 months to avoid questions and delays. It’s difficult to get a visa extension beyond 90 days. If you’d like to spend more than 90 days in South Africa, the simplest option is to leave and come back, but you will need to travel to a country beyond South Africa’s immediate neighbours. Border hopping to Botswana and back will not suffice.

If you’re travelling with children under 18 you must, in addition to their valid passport, also carry an unabridged birth certificate for each child. The birth certificate must clearly state the names of both parents, and whoever is named must either be there in person, or must provide an affidavit giving their consent for the child to travel.

Providing you are not a resident in South Africa and have a valid entry visa for your holiday, you can drive on any foreign driver’s’ license as long it’s currently valid, has your photo on it and is written in English. If it’s not in English, you will need to get an International Driving Permit from your home country before departing.