Tuningi Travel Guide

If you’re considering visiting South Africa in the future, we’ve put together some helpful info to help you navigate the most common stumbling blocks our visitors face.

Read our blog below for info regarding visas, COVID-19, tipping and getting to Tuningi in Madikwe Game Reserve.

South Africa Visa Regulations

For most visitors to South Africa, entry into the country is straightforward and without complications.

All foreign visitors must be in possession of a valid passport in order to enter the country and in some cases, a visa is required. They must be valid for 30 days after the intended return date from South Africa and they must contain at least 2 unused, blank pages.

Travellers from the USA and most Western European countries do not need to formally apply for a visa.

Upon arrival, these visitors will automatically be given a free entry permit sticker that outlines how long they may remain in the country.

The permit is usually for a maximum of 90 days, though the immigration officer may tailor the time period according to the airline tickets held.

COVID-19 Regulations in South Africa

Depending on what alert level South Africa has been placed under, certain regulations will apply to travellers from foreign countries.

Under current level 3 lockdown restrictions as of February 2021 international air travel is restricted to the following airports
(i) OR Tambo International,
(ii) King Shaka International; and
(iii) Cape Town International.

All international travellers arriving must provide a valid certificate of a negative COVID-19 test which was obtained not more than 72 hours before the date of travel.

For more information, visit www.gov.za/covid-19/ for the latest information.

Travelling with children in South Africa

Since 2014, travelling with children in South Africa has become a little more complicated. Parents travelling with a child will need to produce an unabridged birth certificate that shows the names of both parents.

Where the birth certificate is in a language other than English, it must be accompanied by a sworn translation issued by a recognised authority in the country concerned.

When children are travelling with one parent, supporting documentation should include an affidavit in which the absent parent gives consent for the child to travel, a court order granting full parental responsibilities or legal guardianship of the child, or the death certificate of the absent parent. The affidavit should be no more than three months old, from the date of travel.

All documents must be original OR certified true copies of the original, by a competent authority. Documents not in English must be accompanied by a sworn translation.

For more information also visit the Department of Home Affairs South Africa website.

Currency and money in South Africa

The currency in South Africa is the ‘Rand’, denoted by the symbol R or ZAR.

Most foreign currency can be exchanged at Bureaus de Changes or local banks which you can find upon arrival at the airport.

Most major international credit cards such as American Express, Diners Club, Mastercard, Visa, and their affiliates are accepted.

Tipping on holiday in South Africa

Most restaurants don’t add a service charge to bills and it is customary to give 10-15% tip. Parking and petrol station attendants can be given any small change you have available. This is always appreciated, even though it may seem a small amount.

Tipping at Tuningi is never anything that is expected, but always greatly appreciated. If you’d like a guideline, please get in touch with our team.

Getting to Tuningi Safari Lodge

Tuningi Safari Lodge is situated in the Madikwe Game Reserve in North-West Province South Africa.

Located 20 kilometres across the border from Gaborone, the reserve lies within a transition region between lowveld bushveld and the Kalahari thornveld.

Madikwe Game Reserve can be reached by car from Johannesburg in four and a half hours. Guests can also opt to fly in with Federal AIrlines – a 45 minute flight from OR Tambo.

If you’d like to enquire about visiting Madikwe Game Reserve, please don’t hesitate to contact our friendly and efficient reservations team via email at book@tuningi.com or filling in our online enquiry form.

We look forward to welcoming you to Tuningi in the near future.