South Africa

Cycling is popular with South Africans. Especially in the Western Cape you will meet racing cyclists on weekends, and you will also hear stories about countless mountain bike races. You can indeed reach spectacular destinations and the road there is not too busy. With good maps you can avoid the major roads and you will also find many gravel roads, mostly in very good condition. In addition, there are also many bike shops with decent equipment.

There is sufficient accommodation within a day distance (in the Western Cape and the garden route), so it is not necessary to bring a tent. Of course, this will make your trip more expensive, because B&Bs or hotels are not cheap. Restaurants also quickly cost half or 2/3 of European prices, although there are alternatives here such as take-aways and hot food in the supermarket.

The population, both white and colored, is very hospitable. People react very openly and surprised to cyclists and think it's great what you do.

South Africa has eleven official languages: Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Pedi, Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xosha, and Zulu. Other African languages are also spoken. Whites and coloreds speak English and sometimes also Afrikaans, which is very similar to Dutch. Tip for learning Afrikaans: buy a South African newspaper a few times.

Quite a lot of nationalities don't need to apply for a visa beforehand and can visit South Africa 30 or 90 days visa free. You'll get an entry and exit stamp when passing the border.

Visa policy of South Africa

South Africa

Visa-free access to South Africa for 90 days

Visa-free access to South Africa for 30 days

Visa required for ordinary passports; Visa-free access for diplomatic, official and service passports

Visa required for entry to South Africa for all passports

Source: Wikipedia.

Cycling through townships is always a risk. The fact that people here are often poor is reinforced by the past of apartheid. You can avoid townships by taking a taxi or bus and starting your tour in a smaller town.

There is also a warning against taking trains. If you take a train for a longer distance, you should preferably take first class. Keep your valuable luggage with you on sleeper trains and also watch out for shoes or sandals when you take them off.

The food is generally fine, as with us. There is plenty for sale everywhere, especially in and around the larger cities.

Marc: "Braai (barbecue) is traditional among the Afrikaners. A famous African meal is 'potjiekos', a stew."

Markets

You won't find many food stalls in the Western Cape

Supermarkets

Many towns have a supermarket (Checkers, Spar, Seven-Eleven, ...). In larger supermarkets you will find an extensive section with hot food (meat, fish, chicken, pasta, potato preparations, ...). This is next to the take-aways one of the cheapest options.

Stalls on the street

You can often find take-aways in the towns; the offer often consists of samoosas, fish & chips, pizza, ...

Restaurants

In the Western Cape you will find very good restaurants, depending on the region, with a wide range of fish, meat (steak), game, ... In a good restaurant you quickly pay 100 to 200 R pp for a good meal with wine.

Drinkable water

Tap water is drinkable. It can sometimes be sulphurous.

Common diseases

Malaria occurs from October to May. Especially in Kwazulu-Natal and in the Kruger Park. In the Western Cape you don't have to worry about malaria in winter (Jul-Aug).

Mandatory vaccinations

If you come from a yellow fever area, yellow fever vaccination is mandatory.

Recomended vaccinations

A DTP vaccination is recommended

Best time to cycle

The seasons are opposite to the north in the southern hemisphere.

• Spring, early summer: great cycling weather.
• In October/November it is not very warm, about 22 degrees, a lot of wind and sometimes rain. It also depends on where you cycle in South Africa.
• Jan-March temperatures up to 40 degrees, little rain. In mid-March it gets chilly at night on the south coast. Also depends on where you cycle, on the coast it is fine, far inland it is indeed 40 degrees.
• Despite what the books say, winter (July-August) is a very good season for cycling for the Western Cape. It is nice and warm during the day, often +20°, ideal cycling weather in places where the mercury rises high in the summer. I was also told that the garden route gets more rain in the summer.

Spare parts

In the Western Cape, racing bicycles and MTBs are very popular. There are therefore many good and modern bicycle shops with an extensive stock of parts. Both 26" tires and 28" tires are available (albeit in a more limited choice).

Existing routes

• The coastal tourist route in the Cape Town area is the Chapman's Peak Drive from Noordhoek to Hout Bay. The follow-up route along the coast to Cape Town is just as beautiful for its stunning views of Table Mountain and rock formations (Twelve Apostles). Information on this route can be found at www.chapmanspeakdrive.co.za; In winter, that route is often closed because of boulders on the road.
• You can cycle from Cape Town on the Beachroad (west side of the peninsula) to the Cape of Good Hope. You can rent a lodge in the Table mountain Park. Then via the east side back to Muisenberg. Via Stellenbosch - Franschhoek-Robertson to Montagu, here you can pick up the N62
• Route 62, so named after the well-known American Route 66, is also promoted as a tourist route; you will find small and friendly towns with good accommodation. It is a quiet route from Montagu to Oudtshoorn, although it runs along the Klein- and Groot-Swartberge it is fairly flat. With this route you can connect Cape Town with the Garden route.

Special sightseeing

If you are in Cape Town and enjoy hiking, you should definitely climb Table Mountain. You can get a free ticket at the tourist office: "Safe hiking on Table Mountain". There are several tracks leading up, the Skeleton Gorge (starts from Kirstenbosch Gardens) one of the most beautiful for me. Table Mountain is also intersected at the top by all kinds of hiking trails, so you can go down from another side. You can also combine a walk with the cable car (about 80R one way).

Tips

• The tourist services in the Western Cape are generally very helpful; they often have good information about accommodation and also reserve your sleeping place for free. With a map and itinerary, they can even help you plan the route if they have accommodation for the entire area.
• If you're going to Lesotho, it's a good idea to stock up on ZA Rand before crossing the border. The Rand has the same value as the Maluti and is also accepted everywhere in Lesotho, while the reverse is not the case. The same principle counts for Namibia.