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… Woodstock in Cape Town

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District Six


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Cape Town: Dream beaches beside Table Mountain
Perched by Africa’s southernmost tip, in the shadow of table-top mountains, flanked by fertile valleys and washed by Atlantic rollers, Capetonians famously boast that they’ve “got it all”. Add to this the lush vineyards supplying some of the best restaurants on the continent and the dramatic Twelve Apostles lining the coast, and it would be hard to disagree.
View sunrise over Cape Town from the summit of Table Mountain; sip a Cape Chardonnay at lunch in a waterfront bistro; round off the day at a sultry jazz club; and you can have a share of it all too.
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Top 10 sights in Cape Town

Table Mountain
7764 Cape Town
South Africa
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Opening times:
Trails open daily 0800-2130
Cape Town’s crowning glory, protected as a National Park and World Heritage site; the summit is accessible via cable car in six minutes, or by hiking up in around three hours via one of hundreds of trails.
Company’s Garden
8000 Cape Town
South Africa
Tel:+27-21/40 02 521
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Opening times:
Daily 0700-1900 (summer)
0700-1800 (winter)
These relaxing city centre gardens feature some 8,000 plant species, as well as an aviary and tearoom; flanked by the historic Houses of Parliament and St George’s Cathedral.
South African Museum
8000 Cape Town
South Africa
Tel: +27-21/48 13 800
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Opening times:
Daily 900-1700
Housing one and a half million items of natural, historic and scientific interest, this huge museum’s best-known feature is the Whale Well, an interactive area formed of whale bones.
Bo-Kaap Museum
This history museum in the colourful Bo-Kaap district neighbourhood contains fascinating insights into the district’s past as home to Muslims and freed slaves.
Two Oceans Aquarium
8002 Cape Town
South Africa
Tel: +27-21/41 83 823
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Opening times:
Daily 0930-1800
This environmentally focused aquarium on the V&A Waterfront contains some 3,000 marine animals; its many interactive features include diving in the Ocean Exhibit and in the underwater forest of the Ocean Basket Kelp Forest Exhibit.
Robben Island
7400 Cape Town
South Africa
Tel: +27-21/41 34 200
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Opening times:
Daily ferry departures
from 0900-1500
This grimly fascinating site offers tours and exhibitions of the prison where Nelson Mandela and hundreds of other men were imprisoned during the Apartheid era. Ferries depart from the Nelson Mandela Gateway at the V&A Waterfront.
Kirstenbosch Botanic Garden
Cape Town
South Africa
Tel: +27-21/79 98 783
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Opening times:
Daily 0800-1900 (summer)
0800-1800 (winter)
These beautiful gardens on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain are a World Heritage site, with thousands of native plants as well as many birds and other animals.
Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA)
Victoria & Alfred Waterfront
8002 Cape Town
South Africa
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Opening times:
Wed – Mon 1000 – 1800
last Friday of each month 1000 – 2100
This first museum of contemporary African art on the African continent opened in 2017. Housed in a spectacular building on the waterfront, a former grain store consisting of 42 concrete tubes, it shows works from the private collection of Jochen Zeitz, ex-Puma boss and the museum’s founder.
South African National Gallery
8000 Cape Town
South Africa
Tel: +27-21/48 13 970
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Opening times:
Daily 1000-1700
Housing the most important art collection in South Africa, this museum displays European masters as well as African artworks.
Victoria & Alfred Waterfront
8002 Cape Town
Southafrica
Tel: +27-21/40 87 791
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Opening times:
Information Kiosk inside Victoria Wharf:
Daily 0900-2100
The city’s most popular tourism hub was created out of the formerly rundown Victorian warehouses; comprising dozens of restaurants, shops, tours and other attractions.
Flight and accommodation
Country Information
Country overview
A land of golden beaches, jagged mountains, rich safari plains and barren deserts; South Africa encompasses all these things. The teeming wildlife is as diverse and spectacular as the scenery, with everything from elusive leopards and plodding elephants to playful penguins. South Africa’s cities are also enormously varied, with hustling Johannesburg at its heart,
and cosmopolitan Cape Town an enclave of European chic at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. In between you can lose yourself for days on safari in the bush or explore quaint isolated towns breaking up the arid Karoo wilderness.
Geography
The Republic of South Africa fills the southern tip of the continent and is lapped by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Indian Ocean to the east, and a swirling mixture of the two at the very tip.
It totally encloses the independent kingdom of Lesotho, and is bordered by Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Swaziland to the north.
A vast, interior plateau has sharp escarpments that rise above the lowland plains. Mountainous regions include the Drakensberg and Magaliesberg.
The west coast is arid, while the south and southeast coasts are semi-arid, with vegetation fringed by sandy beaches and rocky coves.
In contrast, the subtropical northeast has lush wetlands and coastal forests. The wildlife viewing areas are scattered throughout the country, with the famous Kruger National Park so vast that it encloses a wide variety of eco-systems.
Of its nine provinces, Gauteng, which houses Johannesburg and Pretoria in the northeast, is the smallest and most densely populated. The Northern Cape is the largest province covering between a third and quarter of the country, but containing only a tiny percentage of the population in this territory of desert and semi-desert wilderness.
General knowledge
Key facts
Population: 56.72 million (estimation 2017)
Capital: Cape Town (legislative); Pretoria (executive); Bloemfontein (judicial).
Language
Official languages are Afrikaans, English, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Ndebele, Sepedi, Setswana, Siswati, Sesotho, Tshivenda and Xitsonga.
Currency
Rand (ZAR; symbol R) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of R200, 100, 50, 20 and 10. Coins are in denominations of R5, 2 and 1, and 50, 20, 10 and 5 cents.
Electricity
220/230 volts AC, 50Hz. Plugs have three fat round pins.
Public Holidays
Below are listed public holidays for the January 2019 – December 2020 period.
Note
Holidays falling on Sunday are observed the following Monday.
2019
New Year’s Day: 1 January 2019
Human Rights Day: 21 March 2019
Good Friday: 19 April 2019
Family Day: 22 April 2019
Freedom Day: 27 April 2019
Workers’ Day: 1 May 2019
Youth Day: 16 and 17 June 2019
National Women’s Day: 9 August 2019
Heritage Day: 24 September 2019
Day of Reconciliation: 16 December 2019
Christmas Day: 25 December 2019
Day of Goodwill: 26 December 2019
2020
New Year’s Day: 1 January 2020
Human Rights Day: 21 March 2020
Good Friday: 10 April 2020
Family Day: 13 April 2020
Freedom Day: 27 April 2020
Workers’ Day: 1 May 2020
Youth Day: 16 June 2020
National Women’s Day: 9 and 10 August 2020
Heritage Day: 24 September 2020
Day of Reconciliation: 16 December 2020
Christmas Day: 25 December 2020
Day of Goodwill: 26 December 2020
All information subject to change.
Flight and accommodation
Woodstock in Capetown
The hip neighborhood Woodstock, east of downtown Cape Town, has undergone an amazing transformation from colonial port in the 19th century to crime-ridden part of town in the days of apartheid – to its present incarnation as an exciting creative cell. The brightly painted Victorian terraced houses are flanked by converted warehouses now housing galleries and stores.
Today, the most interesting restaurants in town are found where dealers, streetwalkers and dubious second-hand car dealers once plied their trade. Visitors will encounter street art on many corners – and watching over all of this is jagged Devil’s Peak.
Neighbourgoods Market in the Old Biscuit Mill
375 Albert Road
Cape Town
South Africa
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Opening times:
Sat 0900-1500
Cape Town’s most popular market is held every weekend on the site of an old cookie factory. More than 100 vendors sell their wares here: textiles with colorful African prints, vegan breakfast mueslis and vertical garden arrangements. Organic vegetables, artisanal chocolate, crisp, fresh Chardonnay – all just waiting to be sampled! Tip: Take a taxi to the end of Albert Road and make your way to the Old Biscuit Mill on foot. That way, you avoid the heavy traffic around the market.
The Test Kitchen
The Old Biscuit Mill
375 Albert Road
Cape Town
South Africa
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Opening times:
Tue-Sat two dinnerseatings: 1830-2030
The Test Kitchen in the second courtyard of the Old Biscuit Mill has been dubbed the continent’s best. Head chef Luke Dale-Robert creates menus inspired by Africa and Asia, like kingklip with cashew-carrot mash and pickled fish in a pleasantly sour aspic. The restaurant seats around 40, and reservations are a must for the evening – at lunchtime, the chances of getting a table are better.
Street art on William Street
Woodstock
Cape Town
South Africa
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A dozen street artists have made their mark behind a converted textile factory, the Woodstock Exchange. Is that really Will Smith in the blue hospital gown on the back wall of the building? A magnificent, brightly colored rhinoceros moves along the wall of the two-story, 19th-century buildings, and a giant index finger points artistically down the road, while fantasy figures on the corners add a touch of futurism to the scene – and all of this before a monumental mountain backdrop.
Honest Chocolate
Woodstock Exchange
Cape Town
South Africa
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Opening times:
Mon-Fri 0900-1700
Sat 1000-1400
For some years now, two young men from Cape Town have been devoting themselves to the elixir of life – to chocolate. They use only organically grown cocoa and blend it with either Kalahari salt, orange oil or minted agave juice, depending on the variety, and sell it at a small shop in Woodstock Exchange. The packaging itself is artwork in miniature, and the designs – a tarsier amid branches, pirates in the desert – will look great on your kitchen shelf when the chocolate’s long gone. The store is in Woodstock Exchange, the café is downtown on Wale Street.
Kingdom
Woodstock Exchange
Cape Town
South Africa
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Opening times:
Mon-Fri 0900-1700
Sat 1000-1500
Yet another Woodstock Exchange highlight: This store is the self-proclaimed “home of the traveller, the poet, the cultural anthropologist, the dreamer, the lover.” Behind the name lies an extravagant selection of accessories, hats, bits and pieces for the home, watches and colorful bast shoes – in fact, everything necessary to embellish your home kingdom. Many of the products come from local manufactories.
Stevenson Gallery
Buchanan Building
Cape Town
South Africa
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Opening times:
Mon-Fri 0900-1700
Sat 1000-1300
Michael Stevenson opened his gallery in 2003, when the area was still pretty rough. These days, he exhibits at major art fairs, such as Art Basel Miami Beach and Frieze New York. In three large rooms inside a converted industrial building, Stevenson shows contemporary art – from large-format paintings to cubist installations.
The Kitchen
From outside, this delicatessen resembles a converted shed, but inside, owner Karen Dudley has lovingly arranged china, hung botanical etchings and piled up all manner of delicacies: honey-mustard sausages, falafel, almond croissants and her own salad creations. The tiny shop rose to surprising fame when Michelle Obama lunched here in 2011. Neighbors, and since 2011 also globetrotters, come here to sample her Love Sandwiches.
Flight and accommodation
The District Six Museum
District Six had been home to about 60,000 people of different backgrounds, religion and color since the 1860s, but in 1966, the apartheid regime declared it a “white area” and the inhabitants were forcibly resettled in townships. In the early 1980s, the regime had almost all of their houses torn down. Occupying one of the few buildings still standing, a former Methodist church, the District Six Museum traces the history of the neighborhood. Its guides all used to live in the area, and they take visitors on a tour of the exhibition that’s like a tour of the old District Six itself. Original photos can be viewed in faithfully reconstructed rooms, and old notices and posters on advertising pillars show what once interested the people here.
Flight and accommodation
City of design Cape Town

The accolade “World Design Capital” has been bestowed every two years since 2008 by the World Design Organization™ (wdo.org). Turin, Seoul, Helsinki and Taipeh have so far received the title, as well as Cape Town. The South African metropolis was named World Design Capital in 2014 on the strength of its program “Live Design. Transform Life.”, with which it demonstrated the role design can play in changing society.
Specifically, it showed how the rifts created by apartheid could be overcome. An overview of the city’s more than 460 Transformative Design Projects can be found on the World Design Capital website (wdccapetown2014.com). Here is a selection of the program’s highlights.
The following tips and addresses can be downloaded as an iCalendar file (.ics) and imported into any of the usual calendar programs – experience Cape Town for yourself!
POD Hotel Camps Bay
Camps Bay
8005 Cape Town
South Africa
Tel. +27-21/43 88 550
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Glass facades and an infinity pool: Guests at the design hotel created by Greg Wright Architects in the Camps Bay district of Cape Town enjoy a breathtaking view of the Atlantic Ocean. Slate, granite, African timber and ample glass dominate the look. Elegance and simplicity are the defining attributes of the architecture here, which unites typical South African materials with modern contours.
Haldane Martin
7925 Cape Town
South Africa
Tel. +27-21/44 71 308
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Huge wave-shaped sofa, round ostrich-feather ceiling lamp, table made up of brightly colored plastic octahedrons that’s reminiscent of giant molecules: Haldane Martin’s furnishings look as though they could fly away or melt at any moment. “The point of design is to inspire and to be distinctive. It’s important that the look of an object should betray its origin,” says Martin.
Cavendish Square
7708 Cape Town
South Africa
Tel. +27-21/65 75 620
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A mall with over 200 outlets. At the Space Store, shoppers can also find the colorful creations of fashion designer Cari Stephenson, another South African designer proud of her heritage. Her figure-hugging dresses are resplendent in the traditional patterns of her hometown, Durban, the land of the Zulus. “I adore their colors,” says Stephenson, “and I want to prove that fashion which identifies with the culture of South Africa can be worn all over the world.”
Pedersen + Lennard
7915 Cape Town
South Africa
Tel. +27-21/44 72 020
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The designer duo specializes in elegant home accessories, and their company, with its small showroom and café is one of the many famous brands resident at Woodstock Exchange. “Good design speaks a simple language,” says Luke Pedersen. European influences are unmistakable. Both designers love the unfussy functionalism of the Bauhaus school, but they also like to take inspiration from the everyday culture of their native country.
Maboneng Township Arts Experience
South Africa
Tel. +27-21/82 41 773
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Rapper Siphiwe Ngwenya began organizing art exhibitions at private homes in townships nearly 20 years ago. One of the most famous cultural projects in South Africa emerged from that initiative. The project is highly successful today and brings artists, residents and visitors together in different locations across the country. Every month for an entire week, an ordinary residential street is transformed into an exhibition space and a platform for the visual arts, dance, film and music.
These tips and addresses can be downloaded as an iCalendar file (.ics) and imported into any of the usual calendar programs – experience Cape Town for yourself!
Flight and accommodation
Restaurants in Cape Town
With succulent steaks and blowout braaivleis barbecues, you’re in a meat-lover’s paradise. Fresh fish and seafood are also
delicious, and besides local cuisine, you can eat your way around the world; from Argentina to Japan. The wine, of course, is excellent.
Pigalle
8001 Cape Town
South Africa
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Price: Luxurious
Fine Mediterranean and local cuisine, plus live music and dancing, make this a special place for a special occasion.
The Test Kitchen
375 Albert Road, Woodstock
7915 Cape Town
South Africa
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Price: Luxurious
Dazzling contemporary cuisine is served up in this converted old factory, led by wonder chef Luke Dale-Roberts.
Gold
8005 Cape Town
South Africa
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Price: Moderate
Offering the full ‘African experience’, from drumming lessons to dishes from all over the continent, Gold is a fun night out.
Miller’s Thumb
8001 Cape Town
South Africa
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Price: Moderate
Superb fish and seafood are the specialities in this bustling restaurant; worth booking ahead.
Clarkes
8001 Cape Town
South Africa
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Price: Budget
This self-styled bar and dining room does all-day breakfasts and freshly pressed juices. Its beef and veggie burgers are equally popular, and many people come for the avocado toasts.
Flight and accommodation
Hotels in Cape Town
Cape Town has hundreds of budget hostels, bed and breakfasts, luxury boutique hotels, as well as elegant country house hotels.
The V&A Waterfront has some of the smartest upscale hotels, but for somewhere more adventurous, try trendy Kloof Street, or a converted lodge in the winelands.
Sugar Hotel & Spa
8005 Cape Town
South Africa
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Category: Luxurious
Pamper yourself at this exquisite boutique hotel with seven luxurious rooms; also has a pool, restaurant, spa and gift shop.
The Grand Daddy
8001 Cape Town
South Africa
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Category: Luxurious
The special feature of this quirky boutique hotel is the Airstream trailers on the rooftop; its Daddy Cool bar is also highly rated.
Casa Elena
8005 Cape Town
South Africa
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Category: Moderate
This cosy little hotel is situated in the Sea Point suburb of Cape Town, on the Atlantic Seaboard, but still within close reach of the city centre.
Sweet Ocean View Guesthouse
8005 Cape Town
South Africa
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Category: Moderate
This delightful guesthouse has nicely decorated bedrooms and a spacious lounge and kitchen; also with a small outdoor pool.
Signal Lodge
8001 Cape Town
South Africa
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Category: Budget
This modern guesthouse has spotless bedrooms, a small pool and great views from its hillside sundeck.
Flight and accommodation
Nightlife in Cape Town
Cape Town offers a vibrant cultural programme to satisfy all tastes: from Cape Jazz in basement bars, to indie and electro sounds in hip nightclubs, to live concerts in open-air theatres.
Alexander Bar
8001 Cape Town
South Africa
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This relative newcomer to Cape Town’s arts scene offers an eclectic mix; from live music to performance art.
The Crypt
8001 Cape Town
South Africa
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Feel the spiritual vibes of this pioneering new jazz club beneath St George’s Cathedral, featuring top local musicians. Closed on sunday and monday.
Asoka
8001 Cape Town
South Africa
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This super-trendy bar has an olive tree growing through the roof; a romantic setting for late-night cocktails and dancing to the DJ’s sounds and live jazz.
Artscape Theatre Centre
8001 Cape Town
South Africa
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The largest arts complex in Cape Town, hosting classical concerts and opera, as well as popular shows, live music and big-band jazz.
De Waal Park
8001 Cape Town
South Africa
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Bring a picnic to this spacious city centre park and listen to free concerts at the bandstand, held every Sunday from November to March.
Flight and accommodation
Calendar of events
Cape Town Minstrels Carnival
2 January 2019
Website
Venue: Between Bo-Kaap and Adderley Street
The colorful Cape Town Minstrel Carnival parades hark back to the first parade in 1838 when former slaves painted their faces white and made fun of their rulers with music and pantomime. Today, thousands of revelers celebrate in the streets, led by the drum majors of the Kaapse Klopse carnival troupes that also play an important social role in the city.
Cape Town Carnival
16 March 2019
Website
Venue: Fan Walk, Somerset Road, Green Point
Although still in relative infancy on the city’s events calendar, the Cape Town Carnival gets more and more popular each year. It’s a fantastic affair with around 2,500 dancers in costume, colourful floats, DJs and live music throughout the day. The Stadium Forecourt hosts band performances and stalls in the afternoon before the main Carnival parade kicks off at 1900, culminating in a festive after party.
Two Oceans Marathon
19 – 20 April 2019
Website
Venue: Various venues
Race regulars call it the ‘most beautiful marathon in the world’ and it’s a great one to watch. Beginning at Newlands at the foot of Table Mountain, the scenic route passes Chapman’s Peak, Hout Bay and Constantia Nek, with ascents rewarded by peninsula views. As well as Saturday’s full 56km (34.8 mile) Ultra Marathon, and 21.1km (13.1 mile) Half Marathon, there are Fun Runs and a Trail Run on Friday.
Africaburn Festival
29 April – 5 May 2019
Website
Venue: Karoo, Stonehenge Private Reserve in Tankwa Karoo National Park
Art, music and performance set against a dramatic backdrop: Africaburn is to South Africa what the Burning Man festival is to the USA: Every year, this wild artists’ festival takes place on a farm in the dusty Karoo some 300 kilometers from Cape Town. It’s been a tradition since 2007.
New Year's Eve Bash
31 December 2019
Venue: V&A Waterfront
It’s hard to beat the location of Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront especially around the festive period. Live music, street performers and a host of other entertainers add an extra-special buzz to the waterfront for the ever-popular New Year’s Eve Bash, one of the biggest New Year parties in the city which always attracts thousands of visitors. At midnight, an impressive fireworks display lights up the spectacular harbour.
All information subject to change. Please check the dates on the relevant event organizer’s website.
Flight and accommodation
Phone calls & Internet
Telephone/Mobile Telephone
Dialing Code: +27
Telephone
To call home, the cheapest way is to use Skype or an international calling card like the WorldCall card from the national operator, Telkom (telkom.co.za). That lets you call any destination from a Telkom line, including those in hotels, at standard Telkom rates. Area codes are used even for local calls.
Mobile Telephone
When making calls with their own mobile phones, travelers sometimes face high roaming charges. South African SIM cards can be purchased at convenience stores in cities and at airports if you show some ID. Mobile network operators include Cell C (cellc.co.za), MTN (wegotu.mtn.co.za) und Vodacom (vodacom.co.za).
Internet
In the cities, free Wi-Fi Internet access is available nearly everywhere. In particular, it is provided in cafes, hotels and at locations frequented by tourists. As a precaution, one should not enter passwords, credit card details or banking credentials when using public, unencrypted networks. It is advisable to use a VPN app or security software to check Wi-Fi hotspots.
Flight and accommodation
Shopping in Cape Town
Key Areas
The V&A Waterfront is one the nicest traffic-free areas in Cape Town for browsing its shops and street stalls; though somewhat overpriced; you can find some good quality handicrafts and artwork here. Other shopping hotspots include Kloof Street, Heritage Square and the Old Biscuit Mill centre in Woodstock.
Markets
For local arts and crafts, jewellery and tailor-made clothes, head for Greenmarket Square, the nearby Pan-African Market and the Waterfront Craft Market. The City Bowl Market on Hope Street is great for food, as is Bay Harbour Market, while the Flower Market on Adderley Street is also well worth a look.
Shopping Centres
Canal Walk (canalwalk.co.za) in Century City, outside Cape Town, has about 400 stores in the biggest mall in the country, if not all of Africa; or for independent stores in a smaller mall, try Cape Quarter in De Waterkant.
Flight and accommodation
Best time to visit
Today: Saturday, 07.12.2019 07:00 UTC

sunny
temperature
22°C
wind direction
southwind speed
7.5 mphhumidity
62%7 days forecast
Sunday
08.12.2019
23°C / 19°C
Monday
09.12.2019
25°C / 19°C
Tuesday
10.12.2019
23°C / 17°C
Wednesday
11.12.2019
24°C / 19°C
Thursday
12.12.2019
23°C / 19°C
Friday
13.12.2019
23°C / 19°C
Saturday
14.12.2019
21°C / 18°C
Climate & best time to visit South Africa
Being in the southern hemisphere, South Africa’s seasons are the opposite of European seasons. The climate is seasonal, but the country enjoys at least seven months of sunshine, with temperatures dropping in the winter months of May to August. April and May are the most temperate months. Temperatures above 32°C (90°F) are fairly common in summer, and frequently exceed 38°C (100°F) in the lower Orange River Valley and the Mpumalanga Lowveld. The barren Northern Cape has some of the most extreme temperatures, sometimes cracking 40°C (104°F) in summer and plummeting to below freezing in winter.
It’s pleasantly warm and sunny in spring and autumn, and delightfully hot in summer (November-March) with frequent heavy tropical rains and sudden spring and summer hailstorms to cool things down. The thunder and lightning storms over Africa’s big skies can be quite spectacular, but are best enjoyed through a window, not out in the open. These tropical storms can be vicious too, often causing flooding and turning urban streets into temporary streams, making driving hazardous. Wait an hour and it will all be over.
Even in winters South Africa’s chill is nothing compared with European standards, with mild frost occasional, and snow a rarity. The rainiest months in Cape Town are May to August, although the weather in Cape Town is generally difficult to predict and can deliver all four seasons in one day.
Christmas can be just too hot for game viewing in the safari parks, and it’s also peak season for South African holidaymakers. Cape Town is a magnet for Jo’burgers at Christmas, so best avoided – visit in spring and autumn, when the weather is good and the crowds are smaller. Of the main cities, Durban is the hottest and can get remarkably hot and sticky in the summer. But it’s perfect in winter, where you can still wear shorts in temperatures that the locals consider a bit nippy.
Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
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Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
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Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
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Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
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Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
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absolute max | absolute min | Ø absolute max | Ø absolute min | relative humidity | Ø precipitation | days with deposit > 1mm | sunshine duration | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jan | 39 °C | 6 °C | 26 °C | 15 °C | 71 % | 14 mm | 3 | 10.9 h |
Feb | 38 °C | 5 °C | 26 °C | 15 °C | 72 % | 16 mm | 2.5 | 10.5 h |
Mar | 40 °C | 4 °C | 25 °C | 14 °C | 74 % | 21 mm | 3.1 | 9.4 h |
Apr | 38 °C | 2 °C | 23 °C | 11 °C | 78 % | 41 mm | 5.6 | 7.8 h |
May | 35 °C | 0 °C | 20 °C | 9 °C | 81 % | 68 mm | 8.1 | 6.6 h |
Jun | 29 °C | -1 °C | 18 °C | 7 °C | 81 % | 93 mm | 9.5 | 5.8 h |
Jul | 29 °C | -2 °C | 17 °C | 7 °C | 81 % | 83 mm | 8.8 | 6.2 h |
Aug | 32 °C | 0 °C | 17 °C | 7 °C | 80 % | 77 mm | 9.3 | 6.8 h |
Sep | 36 °C | 0 °C | 19 °C | 8 °C | 77 % | 41 mm | 7 | 7.5 h |
Oct | 37 °C | 1 °C | 21 °C | 10 °C | 74 % | 33 mm | 4.8 | 9.0 h |
Nov | 39 °C | 3 °C | 23 °C | 13 °C | 71 % | 16 mm | 2.8 | 10.3 h |
Dec | 37 °C | 5 °C | 24 °C | 14 °C | 71 % | 17 mm | 3.3 | 10.8 h |
year | 40 °C | -2 °C | 21 °C | 11 °C | 76 % | 520 mm | 67.8 | 8.5 h |
Flight and accommodation
Visa & Immigration
IATA Travel Centre
The IATA Travel Centre delivers accurate passport, visa and health requirement information at a glance. It is a trusted, centralized source for the latest international travel requirements. The IATA Travel Centre is the most accurate source available because it is based on a comprehensive database used by virtually every airline, and information is gathered from official sources worldwide, such as immigration and police authorities.
Flight and accommodation
Traveller etiquette
South Africa’s biggest cities are very westernised and hold few cultural surprises for Europeans. Handshaking is the usual form of greeting, sometimes in a more elaborate African handshake that foreigners will pick up readily. Casual wear is widely acceptable, especially in less formal Cape Town. Smoking is prohibited in public buildings and on public transport.
Flight and accommodation
Health
Main emergency number: 10 111
Food & Drink
Mains water is safe to drink. Milk is pasteurised and dairy products are safe for consumption, as are local meat, poultry, seafood, fruit and vegetables. Diarrhoea remains the most common cause of ill health in travellers, with South Africa graded as an intermediate risk country. The standard of food safety and preparation is generally good and poses little threat to your health, but sensitive travellers should follow the advice to ‘cook it, peel it or leave it.’
Other Risks
Avoid swimming and paddling in stagnant or slow-moving water as there is a low risk of contracting bilharzia, and a risk of catching E.coli. Cholera is spread by contaminated food or water and occurs in some rural areas of Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, where it can be picked up from swimming in contaminated streams. Swimming pools that are well chlorinated and maintained are safe. Vaccinations against tuberculosis and hepatitis B are sometimes recommended.
Department of Health statistics show the prevalence of HIV/AIDS remains high despite increasing efforts to combat it, with 178 out of 1,000 adults infected, compared to a global average of just 8 in 1,000. Malaria is found in Limpopo, Mpumalanga and the north-east of KwaZulu-Natal, and the Department of Health recommends taking preventative drugs during the peak period between September and May.
Sunburn is a much more common risk, with the African sun being far fiercer than most people realise. Tourists are also vulnerable to theft or mugging and the usual precautions apply – keep jewellery, cameras, handbags and other valuables out of sight, do not carry large sums of money, and avoid walking at night or along isolated beaches and streets. Motorists should park in well-lit areas, be alert when waiting for traffic lights to change, and if a hijacking does occur, keep your hands where the attackers can see them and do not try to resist.
Contractual physician of Lufthansa
Dr. Pieper, Jens22 Kloofnek Road
Tamboerskloof 8001
Capetown
Republic of South Africa
Tel. +27-21-4244257
Please note that Lufthansa accepts no responsibility for the treatment nor will it bear the cost of any treatment.