Invitation to AIG7
About Stellenbosch
Logistical Information
Getting to Cape Town
Visas
Climate
Money Matters
Health and Safety
Transport
Useful Websites
Scientific Program
Social Program
Important Dates
Abstract Submission
Fieldtrips and Excursions
Finances
Registration
Accommodation
Organising Committees
Important Contacts
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Important Note: Anyone planning on combining the conference with a trip to Kruger National Park, should be aware that you must often book a long time in advance to get accommodation in one of the camps. Bookings are done online though the Kruger National Park website: http://www.sanparks.org/parks/kruger/
 
This information is coming shortly!!
 
 
 

There are two main ways of getting to Cape Town. Either fly directly into Cape Town international airport or fly into Johannesburg international airport and then take a domestic flight down to Cape Town.

The main carriers flying directly into Cape Town international airport are South African Airways (SAA), British Airways (BA), Lufthansa and KLM, and Air Namibia as well as Virgin Atlantic. If you are flying from the west coast of the US or Canada it is worth checking out routings through Asia with Malaysian or Singapore Airlines.

Domestic airlines are SAA, Comair (domestic subsidiary of BA), Kulula (budget online airline), and Nationwide.

People intending to participate on the post-conference field trip should arrange for their Windhoek flight to be included as part of their international flight. International flights depart Windhoek at night and so fieldtrip participants should be able to fly out of Windhoek on the last day of the field trip if they so wish

 
We are still checking on the status of Visas required for conference participants of different countries. We will put relevant information here as we receive it but take no responsibility for the accuracy of the information or in actually obtaining visas for any conference participants.
 
Cape Town has a mediterranean climate, cold wet Winters and dry hot Summers, although Autumn and Spring also tend towards the dry side of things. In October the "Cape Doctor", a south-east wind arrives and stays through much of the summer, abating only by March. In September the weather is likely to be reasonably balmy during the day but still fairly cool at night. Rain is unpredictable and still a possibility (although unlikely) and hopefully the Cape Doctor will not yet have arrived.
 

The South African currency is the Rand (R), and comes in notes of 10, 20, 50 and 100 and 200 denominations, although the R200 is rarely used and you may find them difficult to use for small items. Coins come in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50 cents and 1, 2 and 5 Rands. Credit cards (VISA and MASTERCARD) are accepted just about everywhere except at service stations, although most service stations have ATM's available. American Express and Diners Club cards are less frequently accepted. Most restaurants and shops will not except foreign currency or travellers cheques. However, there are numerous banks and exchange bureaus. VAT of 14% is included in the price of goods and services.

Tipping is normal in South Africa where the wages for service staff such as waiters etc are extremely low. In a restaurant if you receive good service 10% would be normal. At petrol stations, you cannot put petrol in your own car, a petrol attendant will do it for you. Irrespective of the cost of the petrol, between 50c and R5 is the range for tipping this person (R5 would be if they check your oil and water, clean your windscreens front and back and go the little bit extra for you). Also relatively normal in South Africa are "car guards", people who offer to look after your car while you are away in shops or restaurants. In Cape Town city itself, this is regulated with formal car guards, but in Stellenbosch it is much more informal. In the evening, if you have a meal and leave your car on the street, a couple of Rand is sufficient tip.

The prices listed below are current as of the 1st of August 2006 and give you an idea of the cost of living in South Africa.
  • R6.52 - 1litre petrol
  • R4.30 - daily newspaper
  • R10.20 - 2litres of milk
  • R5.20 - 500ml bottle of coke
  • R32 - movie ticket
  • R16 - cost of hiring a DVD
  • R50 - average cost of a main course meal at a restaurant
  • R60 - cost of a good bottle of wine from a bottle store
  • R120 - average paperback novel
 
Lots has been written and said about safety in South Africa. There is no doubt that Johannesburg can be dangerous for the newly arrived visitor. Cape Town though is a very different situation and Stellenbosch is actually no different to any other mid-size town in Europe or America. There are some basic safety rules as follows:
  • ATM scams are one of the most common ways that tourists get caught out. Never accept any form of help from someone when you are using an ATM. Use ATM's that are in well lit or populous areas.
  • South Africa has lots of beggars and street children who will come up to you and ask for money. As alcoholism, glue-sniffing and truantism are major problems with the children, please do not give children money no matter how convincing they are. If you want to help, it is far better to give money to one of the organisations or charities dealing with street children.
  • If you are very unlucky and do get held up by someone with a knife or gun, don't look them in the eye and give them whatever they want. Having said this and despite what people hear about South Africa, this is actually a very uncommon occurrence for a tourist. It is far more likely to happen in one of the suburbs, particularly poorer suburbs where tourists would not normally go.
  • The rest of the safety tips about South Africa apply to almost any city. Don't carry large amounts of cash around with you, avoid flashing around expensive camera equipment or jewellery, and keep photocopies of all your important documents.
  • From a health point-of-view, anyone travelling to South Africa should have up-to-date vaccinations for hepatitus A and B, as well as a triple antigen booster (polio, diptheria and tetanus). Some places will recommend that you have a rabies vaccination. This is not necessary in Cape Town. Cape Town is also not a malarial area and so anti-malarials are not required.

Cape Town and Stellenbosch do not have great public transport systems it must be said. This is on the cards to change with active planning taking place to develop and implement an effective and safe public transport system in time for the Soccer World Cup in 2010. However, nothing much will change in time for AIG7. There is a regular train service to Cape Town, but there have been issues about the safety of this service especially for single women at night.

Having said this, Stellenbosch is a small town and it is possible to walk safely everywhere in the town during the day or night. Transport will be arranged for all trips outside of Stellenbosch and it is possible to hire cars on a daily basis from AVIS, BUDGET, or other smaller car hire companies.
 
A list of useful websites will be compiled here for conference participants. If you come across any please let me know and I'll add them to the list.