Republic of South Africa (RSA) is the southernmost country in Africa. South Africa has three capital cities: executive *Pretoria, judicial *Bloemfontein and legislative Cape Town (map). The largest city is *Johannesburg (map).
South Africa contains some of the oldest archaeological and human-fossil sites in the world. Archaeologists have recovered extensive fossil remains from a series of caves in *Gauteng Province.
The area, a UNESCO World Heritage site, has been branded “the *Cradle of Humankind” (map).
+ More info > Wikipedia • Wikivoyage • UNESCO
Some of the most popular destinations include several national parks, such as the expansive Kruger National Park (map) in the north of the country, the coastlines and beaches of the KwaZulu-Natal and *Western Cape provinces, and the major cities like Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban (map).
Taking an evening stroll or walking to venues after dark can be very risky.
South Africa is ranked sixth out of the world’s seventeen megadiverse countries. South African National Parks >> sanparks.org
In many areas you may encounter wildlife while driving on public roads, monkeys and baboons are especially common. Do not get out of the vehicle to take photos or otherwise try to interact with the animals. These are wild animals and their actions can be unpredictable.
*Garden Route provides a coastline of some 300 km between Mossel Bay (map) and Plettenberg Bay (map), and is one of South Africa’s most popular holiday destinations.
*Polokwane (map) – Capital of Limpopo (formally known as Pietersburg) and a good jump off point for visits to the northern parts of the *Kruger National Park.
TRANSPORT
The primary intercontinental hub is the O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg; the secondary one is Cape Town International.
There are scheduled bus services between Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban and other cities (with stops in between), as well as connections to neighboring countries. >> Greyhound • Intercape • Baz Bus.
The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) is the national rail operator. There are budget passenger services between major South African cities The Shosholoza Meyl. Luxury services between Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban Premier Classe. + The Blue Train (luxury train operates between Pretoria and Cape Town). Rovos Rail – Offers luxury rail travel throughout Southern Africa.