Lets dive right in:

1. Load shedding

What is load shedding you may ask? It is a controlled power outage for several hours depending on which city/town you are in to prevent a widespread severe blackout. There are 8 stages of load shedding and each stage is determined based on the city. The higher the stage the longer load shed will be and more frequent it will be.

In Cape Town, I experienced stage 2 blackouts. The controlled power outages happened twice a day for about 2 hours, once in the morning and the second in the evening. No one warned me about load shedding and I found out the hard way… in the middle of a shower that had no windows. With shampoo in my eyes I frantically had to feel the walls of the unfamiliar bathroom for my towel.

*Pro tip have a headlamp or phone with you in the bathroom so you can have a light if this ever happens to you unexpectedly*

The amount of times I’ve had to shower in the dark with my headlamp in South Africa is quite comedic since it occurred during prime showering time haha.

One out of many nights of showering in the dark with my headlamp (featured on the right hand side)

Another thing to note is since electricity is out expect restaurants to not have some of their appliances to work. Generators are in place but it is for essential things to keep businesses running. For example, if you wanted a fried meal like “fish & chips” that may not be an option because the fryer is not working. Or if you wanted any espresso type drink like a flat white or latte it may not be available because the espresso machine is out of service. Instead opt for an iced coffee or drip coffee! The waiter will let you know if an menu item is not available but it’s best to keep an open mind and stomach if you are eating out during load shed.

Better Pro Tip: Download the EskomSePush app, it’s free to download. Just type in the city you are in and this app provides details of when the load shed will begin and even gives you a countdown of when it’ll occur.

2. MyCiti Bus Pass

A bus map and schedule is conveniently available at every stop . I recommend taking a photo of it so you can refer to it anytime.

Uber is an extremely easy way to get around but if you want to save some money, opt for the public transport. It’s extremely easy to use and navigate and services to a wide range of places. Some of the places I’ve gone through public transport include Caamps Bay, Neighbourgoods Market and even Bloubergstrand! In my personal experience I found it to be completely safe and it is used by South African locals. Go to any main bus station, buy a pass it will cost ZAR 10 ( ~.60 cents USD) and fill it up. I recommend adding ZAR 100 (about $6 USD) and it is more than enough for a couple days of transport. Fill up stations are located at every main bus stop and you can tap the machine to see how much money you have left in your card.

*Must know you will need to tap your bus pass when hopping on the bus and once again when you are hopping off. If you happen to get off the bus inside a station you will need to tap your pass when exiting*

3. Credit cards

When I arrived I withdrew about ZAR 850 (~ $50 USD) and struggled to spend the cash. Don’t make the same mistake as me. Before you withdraw money from the ATM or convert your cash to the local currency it’s best to know that credit cards are the most common forms of payment and in some places are the only type of payments accepted. If you decide to withdraw money I recommend withdrawing about ZAR 200 (~ $12 USD) for local street markets/vendors or any other random expenses.

Camps Bay Beach ft. Lions Head Mountain

4. Water

The water in main cities of South Africa is safe to drink. I recommend bringing a reusable water bottle and refilling it in the sinks. Not only will this save you money but it’ll help reduce single use plastic consumption!

5. Afrikaans Phrases

Afrikaans is one of the main languages spoken in South Africa. Knowing a few key phrases is a fun way to emerge into the city! Below are some of my favorite common phrases.

“Lekker” - nice / awesome

“Dankie” - thank you

“Baie dankie” - thank you so much (pronounciation: “buy a donkey” I love this one)

“Braai” - BBQ