South Africa: destinations and travel tips

In 2025, South Africa ranked 37th of 211 destination countries abroad with 475,831 passengers from Germany (own analysis of Destatis table 46421-09). Cape Town was the most frequent destination, followed by Johannesburg; most flights started in Frankfurt and Munich. The country has nine provinces, three capitals and 12 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including Robben Island and the Maloti-Drakensberg Park. Payment is in rand, and the clocks show UTC plus 2 hours all year round. What applies to entry, safety and health can be found at the German Foreign Office.