An unanticipated but exciting opportunity to tour southern Africa in April 2026 - advice and input requested

[Seat0B]

At Sossusvlei make sure you get to the top of Big Daddy, so you can tell me what it was like

You’ll hear about it if I do, that’s for sure!

 

[Seat0B]

Thanks @JohnM. I understand from the more experienced that once I go to Africa I will want to go back, so your info will be useful for that! Plus there are a couple of overlaps in itineraries.

 

[Jacques Vert]

I don't know how I missed this thread during the planning stage but looks like you have it organised and will have a great trip.

+1 & I visited Southern Africa in 2016 (Kruger) and again in Feb/Mar 2017 and yes I did a TR: Kruger and Southern Africa
While some of the locals and many in Australia express reservations about "doing your own thing" in Africa, we organised everything ourselves and drove from JNB to Kruger, from CPT to Franschhoek and the Garden Route, and from WDH around much of Namiba. While you should always be careful we had absolutely no problems, so don't be too concerned.

I see you have a week in CPT before the wedding and if not too busy a trip to Robben Island and/or a day trip to the Cape (we drove) are both well worth the effort.

If you intend to climb Big Daddy then start training now. (I climbed Hill 45 instead; more than enough exercise for me.)

You mentioned waiting until Nov to book flights and hoping for a DSC offer; there is a DSC now if you or +1 have an ABN and join QBR. Note that reward flights to/from JNB with QF are some of the most difficult to get. Most options will be with Emirates or Cathay.

Good luck with it all and enjoy the wedding.

 

[Seat0B]

I have another question now that it is only 3 weeks until we leave on the African adventure.

Can anyone advise the easiest/most cost effective procedure for getting some ZAR cash?

We know we can pretty much tap and go most things in South Africa, but it seems we are likely to need some small amount of cash there for tipping people to watch our car etc, and particularly also more cash in Namibia where we will be out in the desert/countryside a bit more with local stops for lunch on quite a few days. We will have a guide with us for the Namibia part of the trip. We have been reliably advised not to bother getting NAD, just to use ZAR while in Namibia and accept the small change back in NAD. We will also need cash for tipping the guides.

And is it still the case that USD is the best currency for Zimbabwe, despite the recent advent of their new currency, the Zimbabwe Gold?

Travellex rates are exceptionally uncompetitive for ZAR at the moment. So we figure getting some ZAR cash out of an ATM on our fee free travel debit card (Macquarie Bank) will be the go.
Is it best to just do this at the JNB/CPT airports on arrival? Os is there some other advice for getting cash?

Paging those with recent experience in this area:
@bPeteb, @RooFlyer, @kpc and anyone else with advice to share.

 

[bPeteb]

I went to a local currency shop here in Brisbane to get starter cash. We needed to pay our tour driver the tour supplement when we met in Vic Falls. We could have taken the cash out at an ATM at JNB but didn't want to risk not getting it.

We had a wad of small USD but tipping was actually preferred in local currency (or ZAR for Namibia). When we saw an ATM we got more cash if required. Used our Suncorp card.

We weren't in Vic Falls long enough to worry about needing cash - just one night. All transactions apart from the tip for housekeeper was on Latitude card.

 

[drron]

Recently when in South Africa tips were always wanted in USD if using cash.. One restaurant actually billed in USD.
Official currency exchanges in South Africa give poor rates. nedbabk today 10.7. wise here 11.2. but Travelex AU 9.4.
So shop around.

 

[kpc]

I went in August 2024. I got ZAR from ATM at Jnb airport. I used ZAR in Namibia and change will be returned in local currency..

I used USD (brought from home) and credit card in Zim. You will need USD cash to pay for Visa to enter Zimbabwe...get a double entry visa if entering more than once

 

[JohnM]

You will need USD cash to pay for Visa to enter Zimbabwe...get a double entry visa if entering more than once

Double entry vias is very important if you want to cross the bridge into Zambia at Victoria Falls to see the Falls from that side and go to Devil's and Angel's Pools.

 

[RooFlyer]

I got my ZAR at JNB on arrival. I think there were a couple of ATMs in the hall after customs. From memory you had to walk a bit further around to the left past the exit doors to the land side area . I didn’t want to go near ATMs on the street.

We found tap and go machines absolutely everywhere in Namibia even on the smallest roadside shop out in the desert but of course some ZAR will see you good.

 

[Seat0B]

You will need USD cash to pay for Visa to enter Zimbabwe...get a double entry visa if entering more than once

Thanks for this - we did the e-visa thing on line on the advice of our travel planner, and already have our visas for both Zimbabwe and Namibia in our hot little hands. We had to pay in USD for Zim, and NAD for Namibia.

 

[Seat0B]

Thank you to you all for the valuable info - I really appreciate it and I will sleep better tonight know things are under control!