ElectricityElectrical current is 230 volts, 50Hz. Round,
three-pin plugs are standard. LanguageSouth Africa has 11 official languages, including
Afrikaans, English, Xhosa, Zulu and Sotho. English is widely
spoken. TippingWaitering is a livelihood and a tip of 10% is expected for good
service, if a service charge is not included in the bill. Tipping
for services rendered is widely anticipated by porters, taxi
drivers and petrol attendants. Golf caddies should be tipped
accordingly. 'Car guards' operate in the city centres and tourist
spots and will offer to look after your parked car; they are
usually immigrants from neighbouring countries looking for work and
will expect anything from R2 upwards on your return. Safety InformationSafety is an issue and visitors to South Africa should be aware
of the country's high incidence of crime. Although this tends to be
concentrated in pockets throughout the country, for example in the
township areas, opportunistic crime is fairly widespread.
Travellers should always be aware of these risks and exercise the
necessary precautions. Carjackings and smash-and-grab robberies are
common in major cities, and doors should be locked when driving and
bags and valuables should be kept out of sight, or locked in the
boot. One should not walk alone at night in any area. Berea and
Hillbrow in Johannesburg are high-risk areas and visitors should be
cautious in these areas. There have been recent incidents of
robbery involving hikers walking on Table Mountain and Lion's Head
in Cape Town, so visitors should avoid hiking alone. Be vigilant
when using ATMs and do not display signs of wealth (e.g. mobile
phones, money, expensive jewellery) on the streets. Credit card
fraud is on the increase and travellers should be vigilant and
never allow their card out of their sight. It is worthwhile noting
that the South African authorities do give high priority to the
protection of tourists. Power outages are common throughout the
country; frequent
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