It is possible to pay with a debit or credit card at most fuel stations, restaurants and supermarkets.
To withdraw cash you can go to an ATM. You can use your own card for this but please be aware of the bank charges both your own bank and the South African bank might charge you.
Visa and MasterCard are accepted are widely accepted.
As is the case is most countries, you have to be aware of skimming. We advise you to never withdraw cash at an ATM alone and to only do this during the day. It’s also wise to only go to ATM’s inside banks as these always have security guards present.
In South Africa, salaries are generally low, making it customary to tip service staff. Tipping is of course not mandatory, but if you are satisfied with the service in a restaurant then 10% of the amount is usual / minimal, unless the service was very poor. If you are very satisfied, you can of course always give more.
There are often parking attendants and guards on duty in parking lots where there is free parking. They often ask you to look after your car. You are not not obliged to give anything since it’s free parking. Often the parking attendants are very helpful with loading your groceries etc. Giving around R5 is normal in these cases.
In South Africa you still have the luxury of a pump operator at fuel stations. They will refuel for you, check oil level, water and tire pressure and clean the windows. For this special service you give (again not necessary) approximately R5-R10.
If you have had a wonderful game drive and with an excellent ranger, it is also common to tip for this. The amount given can vary depending on how many people were on the excursion and how the ranger performed, both in spotting wildlife and explaining / entertaining. Between the R100 and R150 per game drive (for both the tracker and ranger) is considered normal / generous, depending on circumstances and the luxurylevel of your accommodation / excursion.
Other service providers that you might give a tip are: taxi drivers, guides, hotel porters, domestic staff and tour guides.
Especially at tourist hotspots or for example airports it is possible that people try to get an extra high tip by using the ignorance of the traveler or for example by saying that they have no change if you have a note from R50, R100 or R200 . You do not have to agree to this. We do however advise you to get some smaller notes and coins Rands in advance, to have some cash (for tips) on hand on arrival.
Because the South African currency, the Rand, has a favourable exchange rate against the Euro, Pound and Dollar, your money goes a long way in South Africa.
Below we made an overview of what you can expect to pay at establishments in South Africa (the costs below are based on prices in June 2019):
Food and drink:
An average lunch (global indication) is approximately € 7 to € 12
Dinner is around € 12 to € 17 per person.
A bottle of wine in your average restaurant: between € 8 and € 15
A glass of beer in a bar (0.5 liters) costs around € 2 – 3
A cappuccino at a coffee shop costs between € 1.50 and € 3
Other drinks such as soft drinks (cool drinks in SA) are on average between € 0.75 and € 2
Remaining:
A liter of gasoline or diesel: around € 1
The prices in the supermarket are also lower although they do not differ much from the prices in Europe.