Total Land Area : 1 219 090 km-sq. larger than Germany, France and Italy combined.

Currency : Rands. R1 (South African Rand) = 100 cents.

Population: 44.8 Million.
African = 35.4m (79%)
White = 4.3m (9.6%)
Coloureds = 4.0m (8.9%)
Asians = 1.1m (2.5%)
Source : Census 2001

Time: GMT + 2 Hours

Official Name: Republic of South Africa

The people

This rainbow nation of South Africa is made up of many different cultures and ethnic groups. With English being the most widely spoken, South Africa has in total 11 official Languages.

Official Languages: Zulu , Xhosa, Afrikaans, Pedi, Tswana, English, Sotho, Tsongo, Swati, Venda & Ndebele.

Interpreters. Should you or need assistance with languages on arrival Waterberg Transfers can organise interpreters on request. As well as assisted guiding through interpreters.

The weather

Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Kwazulu - Natal.
Summer - Long sunny days with hot temperatures and late afternoon summer rains. Average Summer Temp - 15 - 25 Celsius.
Winter - Dry cooler days with little chance of rain. Average Winter Temp - 5 - 16 Celsius.

The Cape Provinces.
Summer - Mediterranean conditions with little rain fall. Average Summer Temp - 15 - 27 Celsius
Winter - Cooler with rainfall Average Winter Temp - 7 - 18 Celsius

Spring: September - November
Summer: December - February
Autumn: March - May
Winter: June - August

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Tips

Electricity: 220/240 volts. Adaptor plugs should be brought for razors, cell phone's and hair dryers.

Entry: Visitors need a passport valid for six months beyond the date of departure.

Emergency Numbers: 10111 = the flying squad and 10177 = ambulance.

Weather: The south African sun is strong, with a high ultraviolet rating. Factor 15+ recommended.

Tipping: In restaurants, 10% of the bill usually applies. Taxi's and drivers is also 10% of the bill.

Cellular phones: widely used with good coverage through most well populated areas.

VAT: = 14 %

Water: Tap water is safe to drink throughout South Africa.

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Other Services

Interpreters: Although the first langauge spoken by most people in South Africa is english, interpreters can be arrange for most other langauges. The interpreters are qualified tour guides and have a very good knowledge of the area or tours be traveled to.

Luggage Storage: During many of your travels around the country you may be asked to reduce your luggage weight especially for for charter flights. We will arrange for a repesentative of Waterberg Transfers to be meet you from your hotel or flight and store any additional luggage. On arrival back at OR Tambo airport or a hotel we will arrange for your luggage to be returned. All luggage is insured whilst in Storage and in transit.

Additional Trailers: Apart from the sedan vehicles all of Wateberg Transfers Vehicles are equiped with tow bars and have the option of an added trailer. please advise should you need such a service.

Baby Chairs: We have a selection baby chairs and booster seats to suit most needs.

Airport meet & greet: A meet and greet service will ensure a friendly face with the knowledge to answer all of your questions on the connecting flights, money exchange, hotels & shuttles or anything you may be unsure of on arrival at the airport or hotel.

Self drive advice & car hire: We have number of options to offer you in the way of self drive, depending on the where your travells take you and for how long.

Luggage & curios shipping: If you find that once in a life time piece of African art but are worried about your luggage weight, hand it over to Waterberg Couriers and it will arrive back home shortly after your luggage has arrrived via Melbourne!

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About Affiliations

SATSA - Southern African Tourism Services Association. ( SATSA member number : 1538)
Credibility, Stability, Integrity
The Southern Africa Tourism Services Association (SATSA) is the member driven association representing the private sector of the incoming tourism industry in Southern Africa. SATSA is a non-profit association, dedicated to providing and maintaining the highest possible standards in the tourism industry within South Africa.

Not only is SATSA of benefit to businesses within the industry, in successfully aligning with an association of such a high calibre, it is also extremely useful to tourists wishing to experience tourism at its best. By doing business with a SATSA accredited member, people area able to achieve piece of mind and a guarantee that they are receiving the best possible services within the tourism industry.

SATSA represents the key players and principles within the industry including:
• Transport providers
• Tour operators or Destination Management Companies
• Accommodation suppliers
• Brokers
• Adventure Tourism providers
• Business Tourism providers
• Tourism services providers

SATSA’s aim is to set the highest possible standards for tourism in South Africa supplying a measure of accreditation that each member needs to comply with in order to bear the SATSA logo. The logo is a symbol of credibility, stability and integrity that ultimately provides both tourists and the trade with peace of mind when it comes to dealing with tourist related businesses.

An organisation of this kind is vital in maintaining and promoting the thriving and vibrant tourism industry in such a beautiful country, where opportunities for growth are as endless as the magnificent South African horizon.

SATSA has a daily impact on all aspects of tourism in South Africa, from the tourist industry to the tourist. Not only does it set the standards for a world class tourism industry in this country, it serves as powerful information and networking tool for all those involved in making tourism in Southern Africa as credible as possible in the international market.

The SATSA Bonded logo serves to testify to the fact that the bearer, being a SATSA member in good standing, has a financial guarantee in place to cover monetary deposits lodged with the member in advance of services to be rendered.

Should the member become financially insolvent prior to rendering the contracted service, the bond, which has an indemnity limit of R1.5 million, guarantees that deposits will be refunded, or the service replaced, to a maximum level of R300 000 per event or R75 000 per claim against the insolvent member.

This is an insurance bond underwritten by Lombard Insurance and certain underwriting syndicates at Lloyd's of London and is administered by SATSA, a section 21 company incorporated not for gain.

Any claim instituted against the SATSA Bond should be directed, along with substantiated documentation, to:
The Southern Africa Tourism Services Association (SATSA)
PO Box 900
Ferndale
2160
Republic of South Africa
Tel: +27 (11) 886 9996
Fax: +27 (11) 886 7557
E-mail: ceo@satsa.co.za

For more information, click here.

http://www.satsa.co.za/

SAACI - Southern African Association for the conference Industry. ( SAACI Member number :S1224)
The Southern African Association for the Conference Industry (SAACI) is dedicated to maintaining and improving the standards of efficiency and professionalism for the conference industry in Southern Africa. The South African conference industry is recognised around the world as a dynamic growth area.

SAACI is aware of the increasing importance of South Africa as an international conference destination and is endeavouring to ensure that the industry meets the required standards.

SAACI comprising over 600 members from a variety of sectors within the Conference Industry, including conference venues, professional conference organisers and a large variety of services such as Audio Visual, Entertainment, Decor, Catering and many more.

The need for an organisation of this kind was originally identified by SATOUR (now known as South African Tourism).

As a result, people involved in the South African conference industry came together to create a national organisation which could assist people in organising or providing facilities or services for conferences or meetings. The Association was formally established in 1987.

http://www.saaci.co.za/

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Waterberg Biosphere Reserve

Biosphere reserves are protected terrestrial and coastal environments of introduction conservation importance. They are unique categories of protected areas combining both conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Biosphere reserve can be seen as building blocks for Bio-Regional planning and economic development. Biosphere reserves are community driven programmes assisted by government agencies.

A Waterberg Biosphere reserve is situated in Waterberg district of Limpopo Province. Waterberg’s escarpment consists of massive sandstone buttresses, though which sundry passes allow access to the inner, or Palala Plateau.

The massive mountain sweeps in a great curve from just above the town of Thabazimbi, to the North East of Potgietersrus, Northwards to Marken and then West again of Ellisras before returning Southwards to Thabazimbi from East to West it stretches over a distance of some 150 kilometres and cover an area around 14 500 square kilometres, or roughly the size of the Okavango delta in Northern Botswana.

The four main drainage rivers are Laphalala, Mokolo, Matlaba’ and Mogalakwena. There rivers, together with numerous lesser rivers and streams, constitutes a major water catchment area for the lower Limpopo basin. The importance of maintaining this ecosystem in a healthy condition cannot the underscored, and major efforts are underway to eliminate Alien vegetation that has crept into the mountain since the turn of the century.

The Waterberg is an extremely under populated area in terms of human numbers but has a long history of human occupation and has been inhabited by a succession of people over hundred of thousands of years. The area has largely been devoted to cattle and crop farming. However, during the last fifteen year, land-use practices have changed and today there is a bourgeoning conservation community that is involved in sustainable utilisation of Wildlife, both consumptive non-consumptives. This range from tourism and eco-tourism to hunting.

In many respects, its unique attributes are the lack of forestry, mining, industry and attendant pollution. The areas economics base as also indicated in the economic development plan for the Limpopo Province lies largely within the tourism sector. The advent of conservation-related activities has created a considerable increase in investment and job opportunities.

The Waterberg Nature conservancy which as officially established in April 1990 consists of privately owned game reserves, all adjacent to one another. Private reserves such as Lapalala Wilderness, touchstone game ranch, Kwalata and Keta formed the initial conservancy area. Currently the conservancy has expanded to about 150 000 hectares designated as a buffer zones in the proposed Biosphere reserve.

A very important aspect in the establishment of the Waterberg Biosphere reserve was the formation of partnership among all stakeholders that share the area. The participation of the communities in Bakenberg and Koedoesrand / Rebone enhanced this objectives. They are adjacent to their own tribal reserve, Masebe and the state owned Moepel farms. The development of the Moepel farms. The development of the Moepel farms will enhance the economic value of the area which in turn will not just benefit the rural communities adjacent to these farms, but the whole Bakenberg region The Waterberg has been described as South Africa’s best kept tourism secret having remained a largely unknown area for decades. Few other areas within South Africa can compare to the attributes and potential for conservation. Most other areas have constraints of one form or another, such as pollution, forestry, over population and most importantly, size. The Waterberg, however, enjoys close proximity to the Metropolitan area of Gauteng, a lack of Malaria, and excellent infrastructures that will cater for the needs of the discerning tourist.

The challenge to develop this potential has recently been taken up by various role players within the proposed Biosphere reserve area. They range from local and provincial political arena, private land owners, the tourism sector, government departments, as well as traditional leaders and representatives from 26 rural villages. What is of great importance is that there are sufficient numbers of people in the area who recognize the long-term role that a Biosphere can play.

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