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Useful facts for tourists

What facilities are open on public holidays?

In the major cities most stores, cinemas and restaurants are open on most public holidays. The exceptions are Christmas Day, 25 December, and New Year's Day, 1 January.

The calendar of South African public holidays for 2012 is:

• 1 January – New Year's Day
• 2 January* – Public holiday
• 21 March – Human Rights Day
• 6 April – Good Friday (the Friday before Easter Sunday)
• 9 April – Family Day (the Monday after Easter Sunday)
• 27 April – Freedom Day
• 1 May – Workers’ Day
• 16 June – Youth Day
• 9 August – National Women's Day
• 24 September – Heritage Day
• 16 December – Day of Reconciliation
• 17 December* – Public holiday
• 25 December – Christmas Day
• 26 December – Day of Goodwill

* If a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the Monday following becomes a public holiday.

Where can I smoke?

The law prohibits smoking in public spaces, including airports and railway stations. Most restaurants and pubs have designated smoking and non-smoking areas. No one under the age of 18 may buy cigarettes, or enter a designated smoking area. Both the venue operator and the smoker can face stiff penalties if they ignore the law.

South African time

South Africa does not change its clocks during the year, and there are no regional variations within the country. South African Standard Time is two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean (or Universal Standard) Time, one hour ahead of Central European Winter Time, and seven hours ahead of the USA's Eastern Standard Winter Time.

Tipping

Tipping is common practice in South Africa for a range of services. In restaurants the accepted standard is around 10% to 15% of the bill, although sometimes a gratuity will be included (often in the case of a large party). Barmen are tipped a similar percentage.

Petrol stations are staffed by attendants who can be tipped around R5 for filling up with petrol, checking oil, water and tyre pressure, and cleaning windscreens. Hotel porters are tipped around R20. It is also appropriate to tip taxi drivers, tour guides and even hairdressers.

If you park a car in a populated area such as near a shopping centre, informal car guards will usually ask whether they can watch over your car and, in return, should be paid a small fee – anything from R2 upwards.

The seasons

• Summer: mid-October to mid-February
• Autumn: February to April
• Winter: May to July
• Spring: August to October

See South Africa’s weather and climate for a more detailed look at the seasons and average temperatures.

SA.info reporter

Updated: 17 April 2012