The main gateway to South Africa for most tourists visiting the country is via Johannesburg, although more and more flights are going direct to Cape Town. For surfers and windsurfers, Cape Town is an ideal holiday destination with good surf and consistently strong summer winds, beautiful scenery, excellent Accommodation, Restaurants and Car Hire at bargain prices due to the favourable exchange rates.

For more info about adventure sports or other activities when there is no wind and the surf is flat, visit the Tourist Links page or find surf equipment through the Surf Shops page. There are a couple of local board makers who are making excellent boards ideally suited to the local conditions. Also, check out our Repairs link for sail and board repairs. For an up to date weather report, live synoptic charts or wave and wind models the Wavescape weather page has it all. 

Language:
There are 11 official languages in South Africa with English being the most widely understood.
Currency:
The Rand. (See the Currency converter)
Entry Requirements:
Visas obtainable when entering the country. Usually 3 months, but can be extended.
Vaccination Requirements:
None, but malaria pills are recommended if you go into any of the game reserves (far North).
Driving:
A valid foreign drivers license is accepted. If you rent a car, you must also buy their insurance. Drive on the left side.
Guide Books:
South Africa, Lesotho & Swaziland published by Lonely Planet Publications.
Tourist Board:
800-822-5368 

Supermarkets and Food
Pick n Pay - Tableview and Shoprite in the Bayside centre are two large supermarkets with a comprehensive range of fresh and canned foods and general household products. They both have a limited range of local wines but do not sell beer and other alcoholic beverages. These are available from bottle stores such as Marcows and the Aroma Inn. There are also Supermarkets called Spa, Kwikspa and 7 Eleven dotted all over the Blouberg/Tableview area. They are basically smaller versions of Pick n Pay or Shoprite.

Shopping
There are currently two large malls in Tableview namely Bayside Centre and Table View Mall. Both feature a variety of shops, boutiques, restaurants and banks. Bayside Centre also has a cinema complex with 8 theatres.
The area has expanded around Big Bay and there is now a new shopping Mall call Seaside Village which has some good resturants and a variety of shops.