South Africa Travel Insurance is essential for anyone traveling to South Africa, whether for vacation or work.
South Africa is located on the southernmost tip of the African continent and is visited by many tourists year-round. An interesting fact is that an independent country called Lesotho is located entirely inland within South Africa and shares no borders with any other country - a rare feature in the world.
As South Africa is located in the Southern Hemisphere, its weather is opposite from the Northern Hemisphere, where most of tourists will be visiting from. When visiting South Africa, keep that in mind when packing clothes and other accessories.
South Africa has both private and public health care systems, but the public health care system is understaffed and underfunded and will not provide the level of health care you might expect. Therefore, you will have to use the private health care system.
South Africa has a very high crime rate, which poses a security threat to travelers. Apart from major crimes like rape and murder, many crimes such as theft, mugging and armed assaults are quite frequent and happen regularly at popular tourist places. Robberies and carjackings occur as well. Crime significantly increases in the nighttime. Hotel theft, terrorism and civil unrest are concerning.
If you are planning to travel to Kruger National Park or other wild areas, make sure to bring insect repellent and malaria pills and to cover your wrists and ankles.
South Africa has many natural hazards. More people die at Table Mountain in Cape Town than at Mount Everest. Hiking accidents or fatalities are a reality. As the water along the coastal areas is usually rough, there is a possibility of drowning and hypothermia death. Therefore, you should consider swimming and surfing only in clearly marked areas.
If you are visiting remote areas, you may need to be evacuated to a larger city where adequate care can be given. Therefore, sufficient travel insurance is highly recommended.
Road safety, especially for women, can be a concern in specific areas. Therefore, it is best to cover up properly and travel in groups to the extent possible.
When going for a holiday in South Africa, you should take hepatitis A/B and typhoid vaccines and other routine vaccines such as MMR, DTP and varicella. Consult your doctor to see if any additional vaccines are necessary for you. However, there is no known risk of yellow fever in South Africa.
