Here are some important things to know about traveling to South Africa.

How to book reservations

Call (toll free: 800-523-0007) or email (info@golfpacinternational.com) us. Office hours are Monday-Friday, 8 am through 5 pm. We'll customize your tour exactly how you'd like it. To begin the reservation process, we require a 30% deposit with full payment due 60 days prior to arrival.

When to book

We suggest planning your journey as far in advance as possible. Many of the most popular clubs and hotels in South Africa can quickly become very limited. For best results, we recommend starting the reservation process at least 6 months to your proposed dates of travel. Ask a Golfpac representative for more details.

What to bring with you

Clothing:
Travel light, the less the better. We suggest enough clothes to make it halfway through your stay. Then have your laundry done. Most hotels offer laundry service; however, check with each property on the price and procedure. The climate during their Spring and Summer is very moderate so pack for warm weather. Most importantly, make sure to limit each person to one suitcase, one carry one and one set of golf clubs.

Golf Bag:
We highly recommend traveling with a light carry golf bag in a canvas style carrying case. Large golf bags and hard carrying cases can cause problems when traveling and take up too much room in rental cars.

Handicap Certificate:
Many courses in South Africa have a handicap restriction. Courses hold the right to refuse play if you cannot produce a valid handicap card below the acceptable limit. Make sure to carry your latest handicap card with you.

Other Things To Know

Time:
South Africa is on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) +2. South Africa is six hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time. Please note there is no daylight savings time changes in South Africa (they are 7 hours ahead when we move our clocks back).

When it is 12 noon in South Africa it is:
-6 am in New York, Montreal, Atlanta, and Miami
-5 am in Chicago, Dallas, and Winnipeg
-3 am in Los Angeles, Seattle, and Vancouver

Currency:
South Africa's unit of currency is the rand, which is divided into 100 cents. Coins come in denominations of 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, R1, R2 and R5, and notes in denominations of R10, R20, R50, R100 and R200. You will find that with a favorable exchange rate against the US dollar, South Africa can be a rather inexpensive destination compared to other popular locations around the world.

Caddies / Carts:
The cart or caddie fees are included as part of your tour package.

Languages:
There are 11 officially recognized languages, most of them indigenous to South Africa. However, everywhere you go, you can expect to find people who speak or understand English. English is the language of the cities, of commerce and banking, of government, of road signs and official documents. Road signs and official forms are in English. The President makes his speeches in English. At any hotel, the receptionists, waiters and porters will speak English. Another major language is Afrikaans, a derivative of Dutch.

Weather:
Summery, without being sweltering. In Johannesburg, the country's commercial capital, the weather is mild all year round, but can get cool at night. Durban, the biggest port, is hot and sometimes humid, a beach paradise. And in Cape Town, where travelers flock to admire one of the world's most spectacular settings, the weather is usually warm, though temperamental. If you're visiting from the Northern Hemisphere, just remember: when it's winter over there, it's summer over here. Bring sunglasses and sun screen; leave the mackintosh at home.

Banking:
South Africa has a world-class, sophisticated financial sector, abreast of all the latest technological trends. From the moment you step off the plane you'll start seeing banks, bureaux de change and automatic tellers (ATMs) all over. All major credit cards can be used in South Africa, with American Express and Diners Club enjoying less universal acceptance than MasterCard and Visa. Foreign banks are well represented, and you can bank by ATM or internet.

Major Cities:
South Africa has two capitals. Cape Town, the oldest city, is the legislative capital, where Parliament sits. Pretoria, 950 miles to the north, is the executive capital, where the government administration is housed. Next door to Pretoria, and close enough that the outer suburbs merge, is the commercial center of Johannesburg, once the world's greatest gold mining center, now increasingly dominated by modern financial and service sectors. The second-biggest city is Durban, a fast-growing port on the eastern coast, and the supply route for most goods to the interior.