From: 76702.1202@CompuServe.COM (Charlie Smith)
Newsgroups: rec.travel
Subject: *NEW* TRAVEL INFORMATION -- SouthAfrica
Date: 7 Jan 1993 21:20:41 -0600
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu

STATE DEPARTMENT TRAVEL INFORMATION - South Africa
============================================================
South Africa - Consular Information Sheet
 December 24, 1992

Embassy Location:  The U.S. Embassy is located at Thibault House, 
225 Pretorius Street in Pretoria.  The telephone number is (27-12) 
28-4266.  There are consulates general in Johannesburg located at 
11th Floor, Kine Center, Commissioner and Kruis Streets, telephone 
(27-11) 331-1681; in Cape Town at Broadway Industries Center, 
Heerengracht, Foreshore, telephone (27-21) 214-280; and in Durban at 
Durban Bay House, 9th Floor, 333 Smith Street, telephone (27-31) 
304-4737.  Note:  The Johannesburg consular district encompasses all 
of the Orange Free State and Transvaal, including Pretoria.

Country Description:  Although South Africa is in many respects a 
developed country, much of its population lives under third world 
conditions.  There are adequate facilities in all urban centers, 
game parks and areas most commonly visited by tourists.

Entry Requirements:  A passport and visa are required.  The visa 
must be obtained in advance.  Evidence of a yellow fever vaccination 
is necessary if arriving from an infected area.  For more 
information, the traveler can contact the consular office of the 
Embassy of South Africa, 3201 New Mexico Avenue N.W., Washington, 
D.C. 20016, telephone (202) 966-1650, or a South African consulate 
in Beverly Hills, Chicago, or New York.

Areas of Instability:  The political situation in South Africa 
remains unsettled as the country seeks to make the transition from 
apartheid to nonracial democracy.  Violence has become a widespread 
feature of the political landscape.  Violence is most prevalent in 
the provinces of Natal and Transvaal, although incidents have also 
occurred in the Orange Free State and Cape Province.  Foreigners 
have not been the targets of political violence, and areas most 
frequented by tourists such as game parks and beaches, are not 
generally affected.  Nevertheless, some risk remains of foreigners 
being inadvertently caught up in the violence.

Medical Facilities:  Medical facilities are good in urban areas and 
in the vicinity of game parks and beaches but may be limited 
elsewhere.  Doctors and hospitals often expect immediate cash 
payment for health services, but usually accept credit cards in 
addition to cash.  U.S. medical insurance is not always valid 
outside the United States.  Supplemental medical insurance with 
specific overseas coverage has proved to be useful.  Information on 
health matters can be obtained from the Centers for Disease 
Control's international travelers hotline, telephone (404) 332-4559.

Information on Crime: There have been significant increases in 
street crime affecting foreigners, including muggings and 
pickpocketings, particularly in urban areas such as central 
Johannesburg.  Thefts from hotel rooms and vehicles are increasingly 
common.  The South African police have warned motorists to avoid the 
Transkei after a shooting wounded five passengers in a vehicle on 
the road between the border towns of Queenstown and Dordrecht.  Due 
to uncertainty in general, travelers should check with the Regional 
Security Office before embarking on trips in the Eastern Cape and 
the Homelands.  Useful information on safeguarding valuables and 
protecting personal security while traveling abroad is provided in 
the Department of State pamphlet, "A Safe Trip Abroad," available 
from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing 
Office, Washington, D.C. 20402.

Travel to "Independent Homelands":  Neither the U.S. nor any other 
country except South Africa recognizes the so-called independent 
homelands of Bophuthatswana, Venda, Ciskei and Transkei.  The United 
States faces special difficulties in providing consular assistance 
in these areas.  Homeland officials often fail to notify U.S. 
Embassy or Consulate officials when American citizens have been 
detained, and routinely deny or restrict access by U.S. consular 
officials to U.S. citizens under arrest or otherwise in distress.  
Arriving or departing from a homeland area at night is particularly 
risky.

Other Information:  An increasing number of American sportsmen, 
musicians, and other performers have found themselves without cash 
or resources due to contractual difficulties with agents or 
promoters.  Performers and sports personalities therefore try to 
ensure that all legal aspects of their employment are settled before 
they arrive in South Africa.  Consular officers can offer only 
limited assistance in contractual disputes.

Drug Penalties:  Penalties for possession, use or trafficking in 
illegal drugs are strictly enforced.  Convicted offenders can expect 
jail sentences and fines.

Tips for Travelers:  The Department of State publication "Tips for 
Travelers to Sub-Saharan Africa" is available from the 
Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, 
Washington, D.C. 20402.  It contains general information on travel 
in the region.

Registration:  U.S. citizens who register at the U.S. Embassy or a 
consulate can obtain updated information on travel and security in 
South Africa.

 No. 92-166


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