Surfing Info

Surfing in South Africa can basically be split into two regions – the Cape of Good Hope and the west coast, and the Garden Route, which goes up the southeast coast.

Anything to the west is generally big, cold and heavy. Anything to the east is generally warmer, smaller and friendlier.

Swell

Swell in South Africa - as in most places - is better in the winter (May – September), although you should still get decent waves during the summer, due to the sheer amount of exposed coastline and it’s 270 degree swell window. South Africa can pick up swell from all over the South Pacific and southern Indian Ocean with no interruptions, so you can expect it to be fairly consistent.

It often gets big, especially on the west coast and the Cape of Good Hope.

Seasons

Winter runs from May – September, and summer from October – April.

Water Temperatures

Water temperatures in South Africa range from around 9 degrees C to around 21 degrees C and It’s generally warmer on the east than on the west coast and the Cape. Water is actually warmer in the southern hemisphere winter than it is in the summer, but there can be a significant wind-chill factor in the winter months, making the air temperature feel chilly.

General Info

Language

South Africa is a multilingual country and the following 11 languages are officially recognized:

Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Xhosa, Zulu, Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, Swati, Tshivenda and Xitsonga.

Although the first language of nearly 24% of South Africa's population is Zulu, English is widely spoken throughout the country and unless you’re well off the beaten track, you probably won’t even need to speak Afrikaans.

Currency

The local currency in South Africa is the Rand (ZAR).

Be careful when dealing with cash and drawing out money at ATMs, as South Africa has a high crime rate.

Getting There

Visa

Visitors from many countries don’t need a visa for South Africa and are issued a visitor’s permit instead, which allows a stay of up to 90 days. Please check with the South African embassy in your country or here, before you travel to make sure of visa requirements, as visitors from many countries do need one.

Airports

Johannesberg International Airport has now changed it’s name to O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB) and is the main one for international flights. Flights are also available to Cape Town International Airport (CPT) and Durban International Airport (DUR).

Food

It’s easy to find places to eat whilst travelling and surfing in South Africa. Options will include traditional cuisine as well as international options.

Make sure you try the traditional options, such as a braii - a barbecue, usually with plenty of wild game meat – and pup, which is made from ground maize and has the texture of semolina (much nicer than it sounds!).

As travelling surfers will know, you tend to get plenty of seafood when you travel along coastlines! This is no different in South Africa, where seafood restaurants are common place and will serve up a variety of fish and seafood dishes in their own style.

Seafood will often be the only real option for vegetarians, as meat is very popular in South Africa, and forms the basis of many meals.