What currency should I bring? – Wild Wings Safaris (2024)

FAQs

What currency should I bring? – Wild Wings Safaris? ›

South African Rands can also be used easily in Namibia and eSwatini (Swaziland). If you're travelling anywhere else in Southern Africa or East Africa, the most useful currency to have with you is US dollars (USD).

If you plan to travel to South Africa, $100 will take you pretty far. Dinner for two at an upscale restaurant, and you'll spend just another 500 rand (about $30). Even if you have a couple of drinks (co*cktails cost just slightly more than $3 each), you'll still have cash to spare.

What are the best currencies? Hard currencies are widely accepted in most locations, with USD, EUR and GBP being most widely recognised. ZAR (South African Rand) is also widely accepted. We tend to recommend travelling with cash in these currencies.

Money & Spending

The national currency of Botswana is the Pula – a regionally strong currency – but the US dollar is widely accepted at lodges and hotels throughout the country. Major hotels have foreign exchange desks and most shops, lodges and travel agencies will accept traveller's cheques.

When travelling in Southern Africa, the most useful currency to have with you is South African rand or US dollars. You do not need to carry a lot of cash with you – most places accept credit cards. You can exchange money easily at any bank or airport in South Africa.

The Tunisian Dinar ranks first; it is the strongest currency in Africa and is one of the best-performing currencies globally. The Dinar is the most stable African currency against foreign inflation rates and has low volatility compared to other currencies.

Whenever you tip during your trip to South Africa it is important to use the local currency, that is - South African rands. Otherwise you'll leave your service providers with cash they can't use without paying high fees on currency exchange.

You may want to exchange money to ZAR before you leave, but it's also usually convenient to make ATM withdrawals locally once you arrive in South Africa. You'll usually find you can use a card to make payments in South Africa, but carrying some cash in ZAR is also reassuring.

Banks: Major South African banks, including FNB, Nedbank, Standard Bank, ABSA and Capitec offer in-branch forex services. Bureau de Change: Most shopping malls have shops where you can exchange your Rands for foreign currency.

Can I tip in USD in Botswana? ›

You will only need cash for souvenirs at local markets and for tips to the staff and guides at the accommodations. These tips can often be given in USD, GBP and EUR.

We recommend keeping a small amount of local currency on hand for tipping; you can exchange your currency at home before you leave or simply withdraw cash from a local ATM upon arrival. The exchange rate between the US dollar and the rand is favorable, and you'll find that most areas are quite affordable.

At the time of writing, the Rand: USD exchange rate stands at 18:1. In practical terms, this signifies that 1 USD can be exchanged for 18 South African Rands. In other words, if you arrive in South Africa with a $100 bill and exchange it at the airport, you will receive R1800.

1 USD = 18.0046 ZAR Jun 20, 2024 07:13 UTC.

The prices for the cheapest newly built housing in two African countries, Sudan and Tanzania, exceeded 70,000 U.S. dollars in 2023. In the Seychelles, the price of the most affordable housing was about 52,507 U.S. dollars. Nigeria, Kenya, Malawi, and Mozambique all had house prices under 10,000 U.S. dollars.

50,000 and 100 Dollars are about Ksh. 10,000. 10,000 Kenyan money is enough to buy food and clothes and even book a 3-start hotel in Nairobi on a bed & breakfast basis. For a person on a safari to Masai Mara National Park or any other destination in Kenya, you should consider buying souvenirs with your USD 100.