Travel advice for South Africa
From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for traveling to South Africa
Book your individual trip, stress-free with local travel experts
written by Joanne Owen
updated 3.07.2020
We recently invited community projects and travel businesses to tell us their stories. We especially wanted to hear from initiatives that do things differently to make a difference - projects like the inspirational Creseldah Education Foundation (CEF), based in the Mpumalanga province of eastern South Africa.
Best known to travellers for its National Parks, this is full-on Big Five territory, home to the Blyde River Canyon and the gold rush town of Barberton. And it's also home to the CEF, a non-profit organization that works to empower young women and support vulnerable children. The Foundation achieves this through a range of practical projects, alongside development programs that last a lifetime.
Read on to discover CEF's story.
7 days / from4800 USD
Cape town and Garden Route - a luxury guided tour
Cape Town and the Garden Route have it all - a fascinating culture, safaris, chocolate and wine tasting, and much more. Discover the coastal city of Cape Town and the Peninsula before heading out to the Garden Route with Knysna and Mossel Bay, where you'll experience some game drives.
customize ⤍15 days / from4000 USD
The Cape Peninsula and Safaris in Kruger and Pilanesberg
Wildlife in South Africa is still truly wild, a fact that you'll be able to discover in this fascinating two weeks trip. Enjoy whale watching in Cape Town and first safaris in Aquila before heading up north: the famous Kruger and Pilanesberg national parks with all its wildlife await.
customize ⤍7 days / from3000 USD
Explore the North of South Africa: Sun City and Madikwe game reserve
For those short on time, staying close to Johannesburg may make sense. On this trip, you'll arrive and depart in South Africa's capital Johannesburg and then transfer to the theme park Lost City before continuing to Madikwe for a few days of game drives to spot plenty of wildlife.
customize ⤍17 days / from4500 USD
Secret gem in South Africa - Northern Cape Self Drive
Embark on an epic self-drive adventure from Cape Town to the Northern Cape. Witness the breathtaking floral displays of Namaqualand, marvel at the diverse wildlife in Karoo National Park, and be captivated by the awe-inspiring cascades of Augrabies Falls.
customize ⤍7 days / from950 USD
A family self drive in South Africa & Swaziland
Take the family on an African adventure in your own rental car, it's the ideal companion to discover Kruger National Park at your own pace. Further on to Swaziland and then Hluhluwe, this trip focuses on wildlife and exploration, all at your leisure.
customize ⤍3 days / from1000 USD
A Kruger adventure
Kruger National Park is one of the best known national parks in South Africa and always worth a visit. Starting and ending in Johannesburg is the most convenient one, the perfect stop to then take a domestic flight towards George or Cape Town for the rest of your trip.
customize ⤍17 days / from3650 USD
Safaris, culture & wine - South Africa's must do's
Explore cosmopolitan Johannesburg, go on safaris in Kruger NP, sip wine on the Cape Peninsula and explore the Eastern Cape - this fast-paced itinerary allows you to truly immerse yourself in the culture and lifestyle of South Africa, discovering the most fascinating parts of the country.
customize ⤍8 days / from2970 USD
Cape Amazing: Cape Town Explored
Visit Cape Town, South Africa's most breathtaking city, as you follow the circular route around the stunning peninsula. Make the most of deserted sandy beaches, quaint towns and rich winelands before you fly to Kapama Private Game Reserve for an encounter with the Big Five.
customize ⤍17 days / from5000 USD
Best of South Africa
Discover the best South Africa has to offer - start with the marvelous city of Cape Town with its peninsula, further on to the wine lands with gorgeous views of the Garden Route and on to culture, heritage & wildlife in Plettenberg Bay. End your trip with an authentic Kruger experience.
customize ⤍23 days / from4100 USD
Ultimate South Africa Road Trip
The adventure of a lifetime in your own rental car. Johannesburg and Cape Town, the Garden Route and the Eastern Cape, Kruger National Park and the Panorama Route - this itinerary packs the highlights of South Africa in one, easy to follow route. Hop in and get on the road!
customize ⤍7 days / from1610 USD
Complete Cape Town: Wildlife, Wine and Whales
Discover the natural beauty all around Cape Town. Located on the southwestern tip of South Africa, the area is home to rugged coastlines, undulating vineyards, and expanses of grassland, home some of the largest, wildest and most majestic creatures on earth.
customize ⤍10 days / from4300 USD
Cycling South Africa's Garden Route
An active, cycling adventure that is perfect for nature lovers. This exhilarating and unique tour takes you through leafy forests and up magnificent mountainsides to absorb break-taking views of the South African countryside.
customize ⤍17 days / from4250 USD
City Life & Safari - South African Gems
The perfect South Africa trip in just 17 days. Start in Cape Town with Mountain Table, Robben Island, the Peninsula and more. Head further to the wine lands for a relaxed stay before proceeding to Kruger National Park - 3 days of safari await before finishing your trip in Johannesburg.
customize ⤍18 days / from10488 USD
Five Star South Africa
Start your trip in Johannesburg with a few days exploring the city. Afterwards, take the exclusive Rovos Rail to Cape Town with several stops on the way. From Cape Town you will explore the peninsula as well as the wine lands. The Garden Route rounds up this luxurious trip.
customize ⤍CEF was founded by Bushbuckridge entrepreneur Creseldah Ndlovu in 2010. From the age of sixteen, Creseldah cared for her siblings while her mother worked in game reserves. Following this, she found financial freedom through running her own salon. As a result, Creseldah wanted to help South African women from similar backgrounds find their own roads to success. Taking up community work in 2005 set her on a path to do just that. “We believe that every child has a right to learn, despite their family backgrounds,” she says, voicing CEF's main vision.
Today the CEF has a positive effect on around 5000 young people, with a mission “to eradicate poverty through education”. The Foundation's reach now extends beyond its Bushbuckridge base to South Africa’s Limpopo province, and Maputo in Mozambique. The CEF is also proud of its 12-year-old female ambassador in the UK. This young student was inspired to fund-raise for the Foundation “after hearing the news that some girls have no access to sanitary pads”.
In recognition of the Foundation's life-changing impact, Creseldah has received many awards and accolades, including being selected as a L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth finalist.
CEF founder Creseldah Ndlovu
Creseldah is most proud of “our current Social Enterprise. CefPads was founded to educate, empower, and promote hygiene to young girls and women. We manufacture our own brand, washable and reusable pads using sustainable fabrics.” Alongside providing essential sanitary products, this also creates jobs for young women in South Africa, “empowering them with skills to develop for the future.”
The Foundation also runs a Girls Academy for 10-25-year-olds (including teenage mothers), with support extending when pupils leave. University students are provided with practical starter packs. Young people can also attend skills development programs. These include driving lessons and ancillary nurse training.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Creseldah has turned her hand to making and delivering facemasks in her area of South Africa. Alongside this immediate need, she points to the on-going challenges of “operating in deep rural areas where we have limited resources. We need laptops for our team of volunteers when we visit schools to assist learners with online applications.”
The Foundation’s robotics and coding training scheme has its eyes set firmly on the future. Aiming to inspire an interest in technology in young people, this pioneering project currently works with fifteen girls.
Creseldah also points to the CEFs ambitions to “expand, to reach out and help many souls in need. We also aim to bring zero teen pregnancy. This is one of our large projects we are running, which will bring great positive impact to the region.”
Inspired? Head here to discover how you can get involved with the life-changing Creseldah Education Foundation.
To find out more about the region, check out The Rough Guide to South Africaandour South African trip itineraries, which can be tailor-made to create your very own adventure of a lifetime.
Head here to tell us your news.
Header image of Limpopo © South African Tourism.
written by Joanne Owen
updated 3.07.2020
Joanne is a Pembrokeshire-born writer with a passion for the nature, cultures and histories of the Caribbean region, especially Dominica. Also passionate about inspiring a love of adventure in young people, she’s the author of several books for children and young adults, hosts international writing workshops, and has written articles on the Caribbean and inspirational community initiatives for Rough Guides. Follow her @JoanneOwen on Twitter and @joanneowenwrites on Instagram.
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