There isn't a thread for Africa and a couple of members asked me to post some info regarding South Africa, so here you are.

If you want some background on myself, please read my report on Pattaya, Thailand - 8/2004.

First of all, the exchange rate has changed drastically in the 2 years since my last visit. In 2002 it was 11:1 Rand vs Dollar. Now it is more like 6.5:1. For reference all prices will be quoted in Rands.

Direct flights from the US leave from JFK and ATL only. I believe that South African Airways is the only carrier with direct flights from the US. (It's been 2 years, so I could be wrong) The flight from JFK to Capetown stops in Johannesburg first. On the way back, depending on the weather, you will likely make a stop in the Cape Verde Islands to refuel. I found SAA to be an excellent airline in both service and reliability. You can get other flights from other carriers, mostly connecting in London or Amsterdam.

When to go: Obviously the seasons are opposite the US. The weather in Capetown is very similar to San Francisco and the weather in Jo'burg is very similar to Dallas. The high season is Dec. through Feb. Prices for flights and accomodations are considerably higher during this time. December is generally considered a holiday month. Schools/Universities are out and most South Africans take their vacation during this time. Having lived in Capetown, I liked March and October the best. I don't have any useful information on accomodations as I lived there and on my subsequent visits, I stayed with friends.

City comparison: While Jo'burg is considerably larger, Capetown is THE city in South Africa.

Jo'burg positives: larger escort scene,close to Krueger Game Reserve, close to Sun City and a
generally cheaper flight from the US
Jo'burg negatives: considerably more crime, much more pollution, and not very scenic

Capetown positives: more ethnic variety in women, most beautiful city on Earth, wine country and the beaches.
Capetown negatives: longer flight by at least 2
hours and a huge muslim population (I'll explain later)

The ethnic breakdown: White 15% - equally split between Afrikaans and English. Afrikaaners dominate the north while it is predominately English in the south. Black (true Africans) 60%. Although there are dozens of tribes the big 2 are Zulu and Xhosa (Mandelas tribe). Coloreds 25%. This is a general term for mixed race. There is a huge proportion of coloreds in Capetown, where they also known as Cape Malays. They are mostly a mix of Malayasian and Black or Indian and Black, though this by no means covers all outside influences. I find many of the colored women to be exotic and have frequented establishments that featured these girls. They also generally provide better service than the white women. As I stated before there is also a very large Muslim influence in Capetown. While I haven't had any issues with them, in recent years they have become increasingly violent, particularly in taking the law into their own hands. They have been known to form vigilante squads and summarily execute suspected drug dealers. It seems to me, that even though strides have been made in the past 10 years, there are still very visible cultural barriers. The whites still seem to have all the money and the blacks have literally nothing, without future prospects for improvement. The townships and squatter settlements seem to get larger each time I visit.

The infamous HIV situation: Yes, South Africa does have one of the highest rates of HIV per capita in the world. What people don't know is that it is overwhelmingly relegated to the villages and townships. 2 places where the foreign tourist rarely ventures. There seems to be a cultural stigma for black males to use a condom. First, the blacks are less likely to be able to afford protection and secondly, the tribe culture is to have as many children as possible in order to increase the odds that they will be taken care of in their old age. All providers I came in contact with used protection, with the exception of the streetwalkers.(So I've heard)


The hobby scene: Generally it is the same for both cities. The best resource is the daily newspapers. To get an idea try this website: www.iol.co.za. This lists every major newspaper in South Africa. Go to the classifieds, select a region, then click on the Social/Adult link. You should be able to figure it out from here. This will give you an idea of what is offered. Note: the actual newspapers will have many more ads than what is listed on this website. Most ads are for freelancers that generally work out of their own places. Most of these women are white, with a few coloreds and Indians mixed in. There are some places similar to Boites in Brazil or Casas in Buenos Aires that have several girls from which to choose, mostly a mix between coloreds and whites. Again refer to the classifieds in the local papers for locations. Either way, they all speak English and are easy to communicate with. Another option is this escort website: www.sextrader.co.za. This lists escorts, with pictures for all major cities in South Africa. Like all escort sites with pictures - caveat emptor. What you see is not necessarily what you get, though I have generally had better success with the website vs the classifieds. A third option is the streetwalkers. I personally would advise you to stay away at all costs. For those of you who find that the elements of total skankiness, extreme danger and the very real possibility of contracting HIV helps get you off, then you can find what your looking for in the Greenpoint and Sea Point areas of Capetown. They girls are usually the blacks and coloreds. I have never seen a white streetwalker. As for the pricing, most classified girls and escorts will charge around 250R per hour and is many times negotiable. Again, this was an astounding bargain back when the Rand was 11:1. The streetwalkers, from what I have heard, can be had for as little as 50R. The final option is the local girl. The best place for a pick-up is the bars at the Victoria & Albert Waterfront complex in Capetown. While I found it relatively easy to score a good looking babe (the girls love an American accent), I found the skill level to be generally low. You have to remember that this was a very conservative country for a long time. (think apartheid)

General thoughts: Crime is definitely an issue as the gap between the haves and the have-nots seems to increase each year. Most violent crime is the black on black variety. Most crimes against whites are generally theft related. It is sad to see everyone living behind walls and bars on their homes. Almost all cars now come equipped with a disabling mechanism in case of theft. All in all though, South Africa is one of the most beautiful countries I have ever been to,. As I said before, I lived in Capetown and absolutely fell in love with the place. There is so much to do. The wineries are world class and unlike California, they don't charge anything for a tour. I dove with the Great Whites and it only cost 1000R. This includes picking you up in Capetown, driving 2 hours to Gansbaii, breakfast, going out for 4 hours to dive with sharks (in a cage of course), lunch, and driving you back to Capetown. It was also whale migration season and we saw hundreds on the way. You can take a drive to see the Cape of Good Hope - southern most point in continental Africa. The price is right as it is free. There are many outdoor activities and I would strongly recommend the cable car ride to the top of Table Mountain. One of the best views in all of Africa. Capetwon also has great food, shopping (largest mall in the southern memisphere) and fantastic nightlife. Unlike most other popular monger destinations the 1st world is visably segregated from the 3rd world here.
For those of you who want to see wildlife, Krueger National Park near Jo'burg is considered one of the finest reserves in all the world.

All in all, I highly recommend South Africa. The monger scene is easily accessable, reasonably priced and there is a high ratio of stunning women. In my opinion more so than Thailand. There are definitely plenty of non-hobby activities to keep you busy and it is easy to communicate as everyone speaks English.

Hopefully this is an informative overview. Like I said in my Pattaya report, my next trip will be Rio. I have to go to Thailand every year just because there is no place else like it, but I hope to go back to South Africa sometime soon. How the Rand fares vs the dollar will probably make that decision for me.

Cheers

Thanks for great report Toeknee. Hope to make it there some day.