Many people view South Africa as a once-in-a-lifetime luxury destination, but it’s much more affordable than you think. I found the country to have options for every budget and I kept copious notes about my spending habits to share them with you. I estimate that I spent no more than $3,000 USD for the entire trip with flights and everything, so it is possible!
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How Much to Save in Advance
I wasn’t sure how much to save in advance, so I estimated around $50 USD per day. I didn’t need anything close to that, though, around 100 and 1000 rand per day ($7-70). I brought over about $600 USD in cash to change over and only took out money three more times in the largest increment allowed. As of publishing, 1 USD is around 14 rand.
I only booked a few things in advance. The first thing was my flight, followed by my tour of Kruger National Park, my first few days’ hostel in Johannesburg, and my BazBus. A visa wasn’t required so I didn’t have to pay for that in advance.
There are many ATMs around the country, especially in cities, but be mindful of where you get it from. Keep an eye on your surroundings when carrying cash. I recommend the ones at the malls because there were ones from multiple banks and they were safe.
Accommodation
There’s a wide range in prices for accommodation in South Africa so all budgets can find a place to stay. You can find luxurious resorts and hotels along the Garden Route and in Stellenbosch like Lanzerac Wine Estate. But on the other end of the spectrum are budget-friendly hostels and guesthouses and rentals like Airbnb. However, thanks to the exchange rate, even the expensive places are affordable by American standards at around $300 at the upper limit.
I stayed not in the most basic hostels, but one a step above, which cost no more than 250 rand ($17) per night. Curiocity and Once are the two luxury hostel chains in the country. All came with their own bedding and most had decent WiFi where possible.
Some had free breakfast of coffee and fruit and a few even had kitchens. Advance bookings weren’t usually necessary and most of the time I called or emailed a day ahead. The only exceptions were my Johannesburg hostel that I booked before I left, Buccaneers because of its remoteness, and Atlantic Point because of an event in Cape Town. I found all of them online or through recommendations from other travelers.
Eating and Drinking
The best thing about traveling in South Africa is the affordable prices for food and drink. Breakfast was included at many of my hostels, except for in Chintsa where I bought groceries. They were overpriced in the small town but still saved a lot. I spent an average of 100-200 rand per meal with alcohol ($7-14) but sometimes less. Beer, wine, and cocktails generally cost around 40-60 rand ($4). Local wine was the most affordable of all drinks.
Tours and Activities
The first and most extensive activity I booked was my tour of Kruger National Park with Acacia Africa. I booked it for $686 plus tips but also had a voucher. It included meals and accommodation for one week. When I was in Johannesburg, I joined a Soweto tour for $38, which included lunch.
My insane bungy swing in Durban was a splurge at $50, but worth the thrill. In Stellenbosch, I spent $24 on a hop-on-hop-off winery tour, but tastings were an added fee. I received a discount on my Kiff Kombi tour, which was $65. I also took a free walking tour of Cape Town.
Museums and attractions were fairly affordable. The Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg was $6 and entry into the botanical garden in Stellenbosch was less than $1. Admission to Table Mountain on the cable car was $20 and the ferry and tour to Robben Island was $25.
Transportation
Like in Peru, I got a deal on my flight to South Africa from Scott’s Cheap Flights. It was about $500 round trip from Atlanta to Johannesburg. It was the cheapest level of ticket, so I couldn’t upgrade, but probably saved me at least $400. I also took a flight from Cape Town to Johannesburg on Kulula for around $100.
Within South Africa, I got around a number of ways. In cities, I took a lot of Ubers, which cost at most 290 ZAR ($20) for the furthest distance. It was a great option because I could pay with my credit card and it was safe. I also took the Gautrain from Johannesburg to Pretoria for 94 ZAR ($6).
Along the Garden Route, I bought a hop-on-hop-off pass from BazBus for around $300. This isn’t the cheapest option and was double the price of my similar bus pass in Peru, but traveled a longer distance. In Cape Town, I took the train to the Cape Peninsula, which cost between 9-10.5 ZAR (less than $1).
Internet, Shopping, and Etc.
One thing I knew I wanted to do in order to make my trip easier was to pick up a SIM card. Thankfully there was a Vodacom kiosk at the Johannesburg airport where I was able to get one and top up with data. I paid 283 rand ($20) that first time and topped up for around 160 ($11) each time. The only place it didn’t work was in Swaziland. Most places had free WiFi but a few times I paid around 50 ($3) for the Internet for better service.
I also paid for laundry a few times since laundromats aren’t common. It cost no more than 30 ($2) each time since I didn’t have much clothing. I bought souvenirs throughout my trip but had the best luck at local markets and artisan shops. Prices varied wildly since I bought everything from jewelry to baskets to alcohol.
Healthcare
I had good luck with my health while in South Africa considering I was there for almost a month. The only incidents were brief stomach discomfort when I drank some iffy water in Chintsa, and food poisoning in Stellenbosch and again on the flight home from Johannesburg.
They were rough at the time, but I’m glad there weren’t more situations. Thankfully there was an abundance of pharmacies in most parts of the country. I’m so glad I purchased travel insurance from World Nomads, who I’ve been using for years. I didn’t need to file a claim but it could have been a lot worse.
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