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SOUTH AFRICA QUICK GUIDE |
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Key Facts
Facts about Gauteng
Climate
Weather
Nature
Time Differences
Key Facts |
| Area: |
1 221 037 sq metres (the size of Germany, France and Italy together) |
| Coastline: |
3 000 Kms long |
| Biggest cities: |
Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban |
| Population: |
43,5 million |
| Most common languages: |
English, Xhosa and Zulu |
| Most common religion: |
Christianity |
| Provinces: |
Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Free State, North-West, Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Kwa-Zulu Natal |
| President: |
Thabo M Mbeki |
| Form of state: |
Federal – central government and nine provincial governments |
| Legal system: |
Based on Roman Dutch Law and 1996 constitution |
| Export: |
Gold/minerals/diamonds/metals and metal products/foods |
| Import: |
Machinery/transport equipment/manufactured goods/chemicals/oil |
| Main trading partners: |
Germany/USA/UK/Japan |
| Economy: |
SA has more cars, cell phones, auto banks and industrial facilities than all of the rest of Africa |
| Main economic sectors: |
Mining, manufacturing, financial services and tourism |
| Highest point: |
Mont Aux Sources in the Drakensberg |
| Climate: |
Summer rainfall area, except in Western Cape |
| Spring/Summer: |
September to April |
| Autumn/Winter: |
May to August |
| Best time to visit: |
Sept/Oct and Apr/May |
| Currency: |
100 cents = R1.00 |
| Time: |
GMT + 2 |
| International dialing code: |
+27 |
| Computicket: |
National electronic booking service for cinemas, theatres, buses, sporting events, website: www.computicket.com |
| Conversions: |
Distances are given in kilometers (1 mile = 1.62 kilometres) and temperatures are given in degrees Celsius (20 degrees C = 68 degrees F) |
| Current: |
220/240 volts at 50 cycles per second |
| Etiquette: |
Some restaurants and clubs are formal / Topless swimming not allowed |
| Fishing: |
Most popular – 250 species of fish in Southern Africa |
| Golf: |
300 registered courses |
| Drinking: |
Tap water is safe to drink |
| Alcohol: |
For over 18’s and may not be consumed in public areas. The legal blood limit is 0.05mg per 100ml. |
 Facts about Gauteng
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- It is the financial and industrial heartland
- It is the most densely populated province
- It generates 37% of GDP
- It has 70% of the labour force
- It performs 60% of the country’s research and developments
- Johannesburg is the provincial capital and Pretoria, the admin capital
- Soweto is the largest black city in South Africa
- Most Afrikaans, Zulu and English speakers
- It has a population of 8 million
- It has an area of 17 010 square kilometres
Climate |
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Spring |
Summer |
Autumn |
Winter |
| C |
F |
C |
F |
C |
F |
C |
F |
| Cape Town |
20 |
68 |
25 |
77 |
22 |
72 |
17 |
63 |
| Durban |
23 |
73 |
27 |
80 |
25 |
77 |
22 |
72 |
| Johannesburg |
23 |
73 |
25 |
77 |
21 |
70 |
17 |
63 |
| Port Elizabeth |
20 |
68 |
24 |
75 |
22 |
72 |
19 |
66 |
| Bloemfontein |
25 |
77 |
29 |
84 |
22 |
72 |
17 |
63 |
Weather |
tel.: 012 219 621
Nature
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The Big5
Lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, buffalo.
Marine Big5
Whale, shark, dolphin, marlin, tuna.
SA is home to:
- World’s largest land mammal (African elephant)
- Smallest (shrew – size of human a finger tip)
- Tallest (giraffe)
- Fastest (cheetah)
- Heaviest reptile (leatherback turtle)
- Largest antelope (eland)
- Largest bird (ostrich)
- Heaviest flying bird (koni bustard)
- 900 bird species – 10% of the world’s variety and 1% of its land area
- 232 200 different plants
Time Differences |
| San Francisco |
02:00 |
Johannesburg |
12:00 |
| New York |
05:00 |
Moscow |
13:00 |
| Buenos Aires |
07:00 |
New Delhi |
15:30 |
| London |
10:00 |
Bangkok |
18:00 |
| Berlin |
11:00 |
Tokyo |
19:00 |
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Sydney |
20:00 |
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