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South Africa

The practical basics before you go: plugs, emergency numbers, money, tipping and the time.

EmergencyPolice 10111Ambulance 10177Fire 10177

Plug typesC · D · M · N230 V · 50 Hz CurrencyZARSouth African Rand

Drives on theleft

TippingAbout 10 %

Local time–+27 · Calling code

The country in brief

About 64.7 million people live in South Africa, on 1,221,037 km². The capitals are Pretoria, Cape Town, and Bloemfontein.

Capital: Pretoria, Cape Town, and Bloemfontein
Population: 64,747,319
Area: 1,221,037 km²
Official languages: English, Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans +7

Land borders

Botswana Eswatini Lesotho Mozambique Namibia Zimbabwe

Facts change, so check the important things before you travel.
Population: World Bank, 2025 (CC BY 4.0). Capital, area and languages: Wikidata. Facts fetched October 30, 2026.

Before you go

Which plugs are used in South Africa?
Sockets take plug type C/D/M/N, at 230 V and 50 Hz.
What is the emergency number in South Africa?
Call 10111 for the police, 10177 for an ambulance and 10177 for the fire brigade.
Do you tip in South Africa?
About 10 %.
Which side of the road do they drive on in South Africa?
Traffic drives on the left, so look right first when you cross the street.
What currency is used in South Africa?
Prices are in South African Rand (ZAR).
What language do they speak in South Africa?
Official languages: English, Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans, Venda, Northern Sotho, Swazi, Tswana, Tsonga, Sesotho, and Southern Ndebele.
How do I call a number in South Africa from abroad?
To call a number there from abroad, start with +27.