Although South Africa is in many respects a developed country, much of its population lives in poverty. All major urban areas have modern, world class hotels and tourist facilities. Game parks and areas most often visited by tourists have a wide range of facilities. Food and water are generally safe, a wide variety of consumer goods and pharmaceuticals are readily available. The capital is Pretoria, while the seat of Parliament is in Cape Town and the Constitutional Court is located in Johannesburg.

South Africa has a subtropical climate, which is made more moderate by ocean currents. Almost all of the country is influenced by south-easterly trade winds responsible for about 80% of the annual precipitation of the eastern lowveld and the eastern highveld. The influence of a warm ocean current on the east coast is noticeable e.g. in Durban, where in January temperatures average 24°C. In Johannesburg, further inland, temperatures average at around 19°C. Summer temperatures are also lower than in Durban owing to the fact that Johannesburg, although closer to the equator than Durban, is located at a much higher altitude 1,753 m. Cape Town, on the south coast, has average temperatures of 21°C, influenced by a cool ocean current. Snowfall does exist in the mountainous areas; frost is not unknown at the higher altitudes.