South Africa
From CruisersWiki
An online cruising guide for yachts sailing around South Africa.
| South Africa
| |
 Map | |
 Flag | |
| Capital | Pretoria |
|---|---|
| Language | English, Afrikaans, others |
| Currency | Rand (ZAR) |
| Time zone | SAST (UTC+2) |
| Calling code | +27 |
| South Africa has 11 official languages. | |
The "Cape of Good Hope" sailing route is a wonderful alternative to the Red Sea route for circumnavigating yachts, with all the wonderful Indian Ocean island stopovers en route. The sailing passage between Durban and Cape Town has a reputation of being difficult and dangerous but cruisers who are armed with the right information and backed by excellent South African, sometimes hard to find weather forecasting resources the passage can be extremely rewarding. South African yachts sail along this coast all the time, however, timing of the longer passages is important.
Charts
See each sector.
Weather
Submit the climate & general weather details here. For very large countries remove this section and cover weather in Region ( Region Template) pages.
Marine Weather resources
- Cruising Connections - Some marine weather resources for the region.
- The South African Weather Service makes it hard to find free info on their webpage: http://www.weathersa.co.za.
- Here are a few direct links, working as of 2011/10:
- SA surface analysis: http://metzone.weathersa.co.za/images/articles/ma_sy.gif
- SA satellite picture http://aviation.weathersa.co.za/satellite_viewer.php
- SA coastal forecast http://weather.noaa.gov/pub/data/raw/fq/fqza30.fapr..txt
- SA offshore forecast http://weather.noaa.gov/pub/data/raw/fq/fqza31.fapr..txt
- Mauritius Weather Service has a few goodies for this region too:
- http://metservice.intnet.mu
- Synoptic chart: http://metservice.intnet.mu/synopticimages/chart.jpg
- Satellite picture: http://metservice.intnet.mu/synopticimages/satellite.jpg
- Weather fax
- Schedule: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/rfax.pdf, section Africa
- The SAWS is often 10-20 minutes late sending faxes
- Sometimes faxes are sent with wrong LPM (lines per minute) and the result is unreadable. A typical fax lasts 20-25 minutes, a fax sent with wrong LPM is done in 5 minutes.
- The "Surface Prognosis" and the "Air Prognosis" (500mbar charts) are 6 charts on one page, only readable in the best HF conditions.
Passages
- South Africa to Australia
- Australia to South Africa
- Durban to East London
- East London to Port Elizabeth
- Hout Bay to Cape Town
- Port Elizabeth to Knysna
- Richards Bay to Cape Town
- Richards Bay to Durban
- Simonstown to Hout Bay
- South East Asia to South Africa
Communication
Also see Cruiser's Nets
- South Africa Maritime Mobile Net. S Africa. Covers Indian Ocean & S Atlantic. 14.316Mhz & moves to 7.120Mhz @ 0630hrs and also @ 1130hrs (both frequencies)
- Radio "Peri-Peri". Currently (2011/10) run by Norman (Regal), Paul (Northern Star), Roy (Good News Too). Covers Indian Ocean & S Atlantic. 8.101Mhz @ 0500hrs zulu (weather) & then 12.353hz after the weather. Again (both freqs) @ 1500hrs zulu.
Almost the complete coastline of South Africa is covered by VHF Radio. Prior to the weather bulletin, an announcment is made on Channel 16, and the listener is told to go "to the suggested channel". The three radio stations are combined for this.
The times are:
Weather predictions 1015 and 1815h GMT. Coastal weather reports at 1333h GMT. (local + 2 hours). These transmitters are roughly 60 miles apart. Tune in to the station closest to your location. Sometimes the broadcast can be a little late.
| Station | VHF | Station | VHF |
| Kosi Bay Sodwana Cape st Lucia Richards Bay Bluff (Durban) Port Shepstone Port Edward Port St Johns Mazeppa Bay East London Governorskop Port Elizabeth Kareedouw | 01 03 25 28 26 26 27 24 28 26 83 25 or 27 24 | Knysna Albertina Struisbaai Pearly Beach Hermanus Cape Town Milnerton Saldanaha Elandsbaai Doringbaai Hondeklipbaai Port Nolloth Alexander Bay | 23 86 84 85 04 26 25 27 23 03 25 01 04 |
Also see World Cruiser's Nets.
See each sector.
Entrance
Arrival
Details?
Departure
Details?
Customs and Immigration
Customs
Goods to declare:- Tobacco & cigarettes, Spirits, Wine, Saccharin, Narcotics, Beer, undesirable books/objects, Firearms, Articles for sale, or gifts.
| Goods imported | Duty leviable |
|---|---|
| Personal effects | Duty free |
| Other new or used goods not exceeding ZAR1 250-00 | Duty free |
| Additional goods new or used not exceeding ZAR10 000-00 | Duty at 20% |
| Wine not exceeding 2 liters per person | Duty free |
| Spirituous and alcoholic beverages not exceeding 1 liter per person | Duty free |
| Cigarettes not exceeding 400 and not exceeding 50 cigars per person | Duty free |
| 260g cigarette tobacco or pipe tobacco per person | Duty free |
| Perfumery not exceeding 50ml and toilet water not exceeding 250ml per person | Duty free |
Note: Yachts should have a sealable locker/container if wishing to hold stores in excess of the allowance or for restricted goods (including firearms). This concession is only allowed once per person during a period of 30 days and is subject to an absence from the Republic of not less than 48 hours. Residents returning to South Africa after a period of less than 6 months do not receive duty-free allowances on new or used golf clubs, television sets, watches, firearms and fur skin apparel.
Immigration
Those persons requiring South African visas can obtain them from any South African Consulate including the Consulate in Reunion. These can be obtained separate from your passport if so required. Ownership papers and a letter from the master accepting responsibility for the crew are necessary when getting visas.
The Immigration authorities must clear everyone aboard any yacht arriving from a foreign port and foreign vessels inbound from another South African port. Update 2011/10: No, as a foreign yacht one does not need to clear in and out with immigration between South African ports. Some immigration and port official still don't seem to know the latest rules, if needed, the yachtclubs can help clarifying.
The skipper/owner must write a letter requesting permission if signing off crew. This is presented to the Immigration Department, together with a completed ARRIVAL form, passport, air ticket or bank guarantee, and visa or request for temporary permit for each crewmember. The application is then submitted for approval. It is the master's responsibility to ensure that written authorization is obtained before a crewmember leaves his vessel.
Note: Anyone wishing to visit a neighbouring country must obtain a re-entry visa before leaving.
Fees and Charges
Restrictions
Health and Security
Health
- HIV and AIDS is a major problem in South Africa.
- Malaria - Malaria is not encountered along the coast south of Richards Bay. Make local enquiries when planning to travel inland in the NE areas of South Africa and north of Richards Bay along the coast.
Security
- South Africa has a high crime rate so be cautious when ashore. No acts of piracy have occured along the South African coast.
Berthing
Also see the Indian Ocean section
|
* Use "Zoom" buttons top/left of map. |
Tourism
Among the main attractions are the diverse and picturesque culture, the game reserves (Safari Parks) and the highly regarded local wines.
- Official Tourism Website
- Getaway to Africa - An excellent travel publication.
Transportation
List transportation to other countries, or islands.
Friends
- Tony Herrick (himself a circumnavigator) of Cruising Connections in Durban is always happy to assist yachtsmen visiting South Africa. Email
Forums
List links to discussion threads on partnering forums. (see link for requirements)
Links
- South Africa at the Wikipedia
- South Africa at the Wikivoyage
- Cruising the Indian Ocean Forums - Regional Discussion Forum.
- South Africa welcomes cruisers - Article by Tony Herrick.
References & Publications
Books, Guides, etc. Use the Reference template or not at your discretion. For example:
-
{{Reference|Rod Heikel|Greek Waters Pilot Imray||Laurie and Wilson, Cambridgeshire|9780852889718}}, expands to - Rod Heikell, Greek Waters Pilot Imray, Laurie and Wilson, Cambridgeshire, ISBN 9780852889718
- Author, Title, Publisher, ISBN ISBN number
- Author, Title, Publisher, ISBN ISBN number
You may want to remove the above entries and use instead a link to an Island Group that lists the relevant references. If so enter, after removing {{MagentaText|xx}}, the following:
See [[Island Group#References_&_Publications|Coutry or Region]].
If you do not use the above link, please remove it.
Also See
Comments
We welcome users' contributions to the Wiki. Please click on Comments to view other users' comments, add your own personal experiences or recommend any changes to this page following your visit.
| This is a usable page of the cruising guide. However, please contribute if you can to help it grow further. Click on Comments to add your personal notes on this page or to discuss its contents. Alternatively, if you feel confident to edit the page, click on the edit tab at the top and enter your changes directly. |
 Contributors to this page |
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Names: Lighthouse, LeaseOnLife |
