South Africa is located on the southern tip of the African continent, bordered by northern neighbours Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. It encompasses the independent mountain kingdoms of Lesotho and Swaziland and is flanked by the Atlantic Ocean on the west and the warm Indian Ocean on the east - giving the country its spectacular range of biodiversity.

South Africa enjoys a temperate and pleasant climate, with warm sunny days most of the year. The seasons of the southern hemisphere are opposite to those in the northern hemisphere so our Summer runs from November to February, when most of the country is characterised by warm to hot weather.

South Africa is a year-round destination so when you visit depends on what you intend and prefer to do. The best time for game viewing is in early spring (August to October). The southern right whales can be seen off our coasts from June to the end of October, and the humpback whales from August to December. Holiday-makers stream out of the cities from mid December to late January and resorts and national parks are heavily booked during these times (so we advise you book your South Africa holiday accommodation for these periods early, to avoid disappointment).

South Africans have been referred to as the 'rainbow nation', a title which illuminates the country's cultural diversity. The population of South Africa is one of the most complex and diverse in the world. Of the 45 million South Africans, nearly 31 million are Black, 5 million White, 3 million Coloured (a term used peoples of mixed African, Asian and White descent) and 1 million Indian. The population density is 32.9 people per km².

There are 11 officially recognised languages, most of which are indigenous to South Africa. English is spoken everywhere you go. English is the language of the cities, of commerce and banking, of government and official documents. All our road signs and official forms are in English and at any hotel, Bed and Breakfast or Guest House the service staff will speak English. Other languages you can expect to hear are Xhosa, Zulu and Afrikaans. In this section, you will also be able to find commonly used phrases in these languages (to get you started) and, so you don't get too confused, a list of 'South Africanisms'.