Hi Tim, when I did this hol we paid locally in SA in Rand but in Zambia we paid in US dollars. Has this changed since? I also gathered from some folks who did this holiday after me that some of the excursions can now be pre-booked, is this still the case or has it reverted to paying for them all in resort (which was a major hassle carrying so much cash)?
Cheers,
Bob
Hi Bob - this is the information we now provide to travellers regarding currency in South Africa and Zambia:
"The national currency of South Africa is the Rand (R). We recommend you take local currency as US Dollars are not accepted in South Africa. We recommend that you do not take travellers cheques. MasterCard and Visa are preferred. American Express and Diners Club are also widely accepted. ATMs are available in all towns, cities and shopping malls and most petrol stations, and accept international cards. Almost all hotels, shops and restaurants, and even national parks and game reserves, accept credit cards. They are rarely accepted at petrol stations, however.
The currency in Zambia is the Kwacha. Payments within Zambia can be made in kwachas only, by law, even if the price is quoted in USD; foreign currency will not be accepted once you have cleared immigration at the airport. You can take US Dollars into Zambia but you must change this into Kwacha at the bank (the resort in Zambia does have a bank). Most hotels, restaurants and larger shops accept credit cards. Visa is more readily accepted than MasterCard or American Express in Zambia.
ATMs are available within some of the major towns in Zambia. Standard Chartered and Barclays Bank have ATMs which accept Visa but not MasterCard.
Money can be changed at banks, bureaux de change and some hotels. Proof of identity may be requested; therefore, it is advisable to carry a passport. Visitors are restricted to bringing in and taking out a maximum of R5,000 in cash into South Africa and ZMK100 for Zambia. Import and export of foreign currency must not exceed US$10,000 or equivalent."
Regarding optional excursions, certain ones are now pre-bookable. These are:
Cape Peninsula (SA)
Afternoon game driver in Kruger (SA)
Livingstone Orientation & Museum (Zambia)
Chobe (Zambia/Botswana)
Thanks,
Tim
