TRAVEL ADVICE

Air Access

Visas

All participants should be particularly aware of visa requirements to visit South Africa. Please plan your travel well in advance and allow plenty of time to apply for a visa.

Many countries are exempt from the visa requirement, but the status can change at any time. Please visit the South African Department of Home Affairs for more information on exempted countries >>

The congress secretariat cannot issue actual visas to attend the congress but can issue a Visa Support Letter to assist with your visa application. Visa Support Letters are issued through the online registration system. If you require a Visa Support Letter, please complete the relevant sections when you register.

Please note that Visa Support Letters will only be issued upon confirmation of registration and after full payment for registration fees has been received. Visa Support Letters are issued via email in PDF format and will be sent within approximately two weeks after your information and confirmation of payment is received by the congress secretariat.

Please visit the South African Department of Home Affairs visa page for more information >>

Paperwork needed to enter South Africa

  • An acceptable passport or travel document valid for your intended stay
  • At least two blank pages in your passport for endorsements
  • A valid visa, if required. Here is the list of countries exempt from the visa requirement >>
  • Sufficient funds to pay for your day-to-day expenses during your stay
  • A return or onward ticket
  • Yellow fever certificate if your journey starts or entails passing through the fever belt of Africa or South America

Letter from DHA

Travel health

Closer to the time of the congress we will provide the up-to-date COVID-related requirements for entering South Africa, and what will be required at the congress venue.

Please visit the South African Department of Health coronavirus website for the latest COVID regulations >>

Or visit the government Coronavirus page >>

National Institute for Communicable Diseases >>

A yellow fever vaccination certificate (International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP)) is required for those entering South Africa within six days of leaving (or travelling through) a yellow fever zone. You cannot get vaccinated upon arrival and your vaccination certificate must be dated at least 10 days prior to your arrival in South Africa. South Africa considers ICVP to be valid for life. Babies under 1 year are exempt.

While the closest malaria and bilharzia regions are approximately 1600 km from Cape Town, if you plan to visit other parts of South Africa please be aware that malaria is endemic in some parts of Mpumalanga, Northern Province, and northern KwaZulu-Natal and it is essential to take precautions if you intend to visit these areas. The bilharzia parasite is present in streams, rivers, lakes, and dams in some of the northern and eastern parts of the country, and visitors should avoid contact with the water in these regions.

Please consult your local doctor or travel clinic for further advice.

Read more about non-coronavirus related travel health in South Africa >>

General Information

South Africa is home to a multi-cultural melting pot of 55 million people of diverse origins, languages, cultures, and religions. Although English is widely spoken and is used for informational signage, South Africa celebrates diversity in language with a total of 11 official languages.

Currency

The rand is the South Africa currency. It takes its name from the Witwatersrand – the ridge on which Johannesburg is built and where most of South Africa’s gold deposits were found.

It is divided into 100 cents and there are five denominations of banknotes in circulation: R10, R20, R50, R100, and R200.

Visit www.xe.com for up to date exchange rates >>

Electricity

In South Africa, the standard voltage is 230 volts and the frequency is 50 Hz. The power plugs and sockets are of type M and C.

Getting Around in Cape Town

Ride hailing, rental car, min bus taxi, or bus – there are many ways to get around Cape Town >>

Tipping / Gratuity

In restaurants, typically 10% but 15% is always welcome. Check to make sure that the establishment has not included a gratuity.

Safety and Security

“Cape Town is a major, modern cosmopolitan South African city. As such, we would advise travellers to exercise the same level of vigilance they would exercise when visiting any major city in the world.

This includes ensuring you follow basic safety tips such as keeping emergency numbers on hand, avoiding carrying large sums of cash, and keeping your valuables safe at all times. For the overwhelming majority of the 1,7 million foreign visitors to the Western Cape in 2018, a visit to Cape Town and the Western Cape was a positive, memorable experience.

The destination is frequently cited as among the world’s best holiday destinations and has a high return visitor rate, proving that those who visit our destination once, fall in love with it, and want to discover it again.” – Cape Town Tourism