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Harbor- and Airport Procedure, Transportation, Communication, Costs of Living, Supply and Care, Medical Care, Discriminated Groups, Educational System, Adult- and Further Education
All persons entering South Africa must be in possession of a valid passport . Persons under the age of 16 years who do not hold a passport may only be allowed to enter if accompanied by his or her parent who holds a passport in which the child’s name was entered.
Foreigners may only enter the Republic on the issue of a temporary residence permit (which is normally issued at the port of entry). A temporary residence permit issued outside the Republic of South Africa is only deemed to be of force and effect only after admission into the country.
South Africa has tightened its visa requirements. Only visitors for tourism and short business meetings do not require visas. All others, including academics, need visas. It is thus strongly suggested that one enquires about the visa requirements long before departure. Where visas are required applications should be made at least thee months in advance.
The holder of a permanent residence permit has all the rights, privileges, duties and obligations of a citizen save for those that a specific law or the constitution explicitly ascribes to citizenship.
Permanent residence may be issued by the Department of Home Affairs to:
South Africans who have lived abroad for long periods and are not in possession of South African travel documents should get in touch with the South African representative in their country of residence at least eight months before the planned departure date.
On arrival in South Africa, non-South African passport holders may have to proof an immigration officer that they have sufficient funds to support themselves and evidence of a return ticket.
At the point of entry into South Africa one is subject to customs clearance by customs officials. Those with nothing to declare are given quick clearance, subject to random checks.
South Africans who have lived abroad for periods exceeding two years are allowed to bring in all their household effects without having to pay any duty or value added tax (VAT). According to the recent regulations, returning residents only can no longer bring in a car without paying full duty and VAT. Thus while in past years it was advisable to buy a car and bring it into the country, this does not seem to be the case.
Returning South Africans bringing in their household effects are required to sign an affidavit. Their shipping agents in Germany should send in a detailed list of the house hold effects to the clearing agent in South Africa.
It is also important that the returnee should already be in South Africa when their goods come in so as to sign the required affidavit.
Emigrants to South Africa are allowed a rebate of the duty and value added tax.
Should one have any questions Elliot international may be contacted at:
Tel.: 021-552-3183 (ask for Yolanda)
E-mail: yolanday@elliot.co.za
Sources: Immigration Bill; Interview – Elliot International, Cape Town
South Africa has an excellent network of roads and travel between the cities by air, road and rail.
One of the popular and reasonably inexpensive and relatively safe (accidents are rare) ways of travelling between cities and towns in the country, is on luxury buses and coaches. The coaches are air-conditioned, comfortable, well equipped and run regular scheduled inter-city trips.
Grey Hound Citiliner, Intercape and Translux are all reliable coach services in the major routes. Greyhound Citiliner links Johannesburg, Pretoria, Nelspruit, Cape Town, Bloemfontein, Kimberly, Durban, East London and Port Elizabeth.
To contact these coach services one can consult the telephone directory or the nearest tourist office.
Below are also contact telephone numbers in selected major cities.
| Johannesburg | Tel.: 011-249 8900 |
| Cape Town | Tel.: 021-505 6363 |
| Durban | Tel.: 031-309 7830 |
| Cape Town | Tel.: 021-380 440 |
| Durban | Tel.: 031-307 2115 |
Online bookings may be done for Intercape at:
http://www.intercape.co.za
| Cape Town | Tel.: 021-945 2497 / 1488 |
It should be noted that there are slight price differences between the three companies.
International car hire firms such as Budget, Avis and Imperial are established in major towns and cities throughout the country as well as at the main airports.
A wide range of sedans (mainly German and Japanese) are available. Rentals vary from R 100 per day for a 1.300 cc to about R 500 a day for a large luxury vehicle. Charges per kilometer travelled are added. A minimum age, either 23 or 25 years, is required. A cash deposit may be required as well.
Details of rental facilities may be obtained from the nearest Tourist office or the Automobile Association.
Automobile Association
Tel.: 011-403 5700
The Tourist Rendevous Travel Center
Sammy Marks complex
Corner Prinsloo and Vermeulen Streets
Pretoria 0002
Tel.: 012-308 8909
The South African authorities will accept any foreign driving licence if it carries a photo, signature of the holder and is printed in English (or accompanied by a letter of authentication written in English by an Embassy or any relevant authority). Alternatively one could take out an international driving licence before departure.
References Tim O’ Hagan, "Travel in South Africa", 1999
There are two types of Taxi in South Africa: The microbus type has evolved to serve the needs of the black South Africas travelling between the townships and the work place. More than 65 % of the urban passenger trips are done by these mini-bus taxis. These taxis usually have designated routes. One should thus always find out whether they pass where one is going before embarking. These taxis carry approximately 15 passengers.
The other type of Taxi is familiar the world over, a salon with a meter and for hire illuminated plate. This is the most expensive way of getting around. These taxis do not travel the streets plying for trade but stand at a fixed taxi rank, waiting for clients. Hotel porter may be requested to call taxis. The yellow pages also lists the established firms. One should make sure that the meter is set at zero before the journey starts.
A comprehensive, electrified rail network extends over most of the country. Passenger travel is largely restricted to main destinations, on so called "name trains". All such trains operate a first, second and third class service. First class is very comfortable, second class less and third is quite spartan. The inter-city trains normally have dining cars, adequate cuisine and sleeping berths. First and second class coupes have two or three bunks respectively. First and second class compartments have four or six bunks respectively.
For Spoornet train reservations, which need to be made 24 hours in advance, one should either call in at the networks offices in all major cities, located at the railway stations or telephone one of the following major Spoornet centers (bookings can be made by telephone with the use of a credit card).
Shosholoza Meyl, which runs these intercity mainline services has a central reservation telephone line. Shosholoza Meyl central reservations: Tel.: 086000 88 88
Below are some indications of prices in the different classes between selected cities. These prices were valid in July 2002 and are subject to change as may be deemed necessary by the operator.
| Cape Town – Johannesburg (one way) | First Class | R 43,000 |
| Cape Town – Johannesburg (one way) | Second Class | R 29,000 |
| Cape Town – Johannesburg (one way) | Third Class | R 18,000 |
Name trains are considered by many as a reliable and safe means of transport which are cheaper though much slower than flying or car rental.
It is however to note that 107 people have been killed and 274 injured in 18 train-on-train-collisions and 275 de-railments in 1999.
Most of South Africa’s air traffic is handled by South African Airways. There are some other smaller airlines such as South African Express Airways, Comair, Nationwide, Sunair etc.
Contact and reservations can be made with the above airlines by use of the telephone directory or the use of travel agents.
Recently, new airline services have been established to offer cheap travel between major cities. Kulula.com offers cheap tickets in which in-flight meals are not included in the price of the ticket but can be bought, seats are not reserved, Bookings can not be changed.
Kulula
Tel.: 0861-585852
http://www.kulula.com
Bookings may be made over the telephone or by internet, with the use of a credit card.
For someone who has lived in Europe for a long period and is used to the efficient transport system, especially inner-city travel, using public transport will be very difficult to accept. One usually takes a very long time waiting for transport, it does not always come on the appointed time. If one can afford it, especially if one has a family with children, it is most advisable to save money before coming to South Africa to buy a car.
Car dealers can be found at every street corner. The price of cars ranges and all depends how much one wants to spend.
Advise
Once one has identified the car one would like to purchase, the car dealer arranges the financing. As a rule each car dealer has two to four financing institutions that it deals with. These financing institutions usually have their agents at the dealers premises.
The customer is requested to simply complete an application form, give in a copy of the bank statements of the three previous months. For persons such as returnees who have no long credit record, a deposit of between 10 % to 15 % might be requested.
Most car dealers also have insurance brokers they work with. These will even come to one’s house. To ensure to have the best deal it is wise to ask the car dealer to connect you to several insurance brokers. If one is planning on taking on household insurance, car, medical insurance, etc it is advisable to use one insurance broker since they then have cheaper packages that covers all these.
Applications for a car loan are usually approved within three hours of the application.
To make it is in car hunting one may also ask a financing company to pre-approve a car loan. In this way one already knows what price range of a car one is looking for. Most banks have partner companies involved in car financing. One can ask their bank for this information and who to contact.
Below are the names and addresses of a few car financing companies one could get in touch with:
Stannic (a member of the Standard Bank group).
One can get information about the person to contact from any Standard Bank branch
Standard Bank Hotline:
0800-121- 000 toll free (within South Africa)
in Cape Town also: 021-5553797
WesBank (a member of the First National Bank)
Tel.: 011-371 7111
Bankfin car (a part of the ABSA bank)
Tel.: free call 0800-00 2376
| Auto & General | Tel.: 0860-25 25 85 (for new policies) |
| Outsurance | Tel.: 0860-06 00 00 |
| Budget Insurance | Tel.: 0860-21 21 41 |
| Old Mutual | Tel.: 0860-60 60 http://www.greenline.co.za |
| Fedsure General | Tel.: 021-419 4382 |
South Africa boasts one of the most developed communication systems in Africa.
Letters and parcels are transported by road, rail and air, sometimes even by bicycle.
By June 2000 the post office was handling 8 Million items a day. It delivered mail to more than 8 Million addresses of which 4.5 Million were street addresses, 3.5 Million post boxes and the rest, private bags.
The post says that 94 % of national mail is delivered on or before time (within three days within a province and five days further afield). According to them, only a "very small" proportion of the mail failed to reach its destination.
An average of 200 Million letters a year and 54,800 letters a day were either delivered late or failed to reach it’s destination. Delays in mail delivery occurred mainly as a result of incorrect and / or incomplete addresses or post codes, the post office said. Between January and July 1999 4,688 mail items were reported "missing" by members of the public. According to the Minister these items were valued at R 2.1 Million.
According to the Minister of Communication, Dr Ivy Matsepe-Casaburi, 3.4 Million households did not have postal services in 1999. It is expected that by the year 2005 all households would be provided with postal services.
To own a postal box one needs to apply at the post office. A fee per year has to be paid. One is then given a key to enable him to collect the mail. In some cases mail is also delivered to street addresses.
Internal services are normally slow and unpredictable. Telegrams, telegraphic money transfers and telex can be sent at the post office.
Post offices are open from 8.30 to 16.30 (some close between 13.00 and 14.00).
Telephones are in wide use all over the country. In 1999 34 % of South Africans were said to have telephones in their dwelling.
| Telephone in dwelling | African | Colored | Indian | White | All races |
| No. with telephone in dwelling / use of cellular |
1,549,000 | 450,000 | 221,000 | 1,405,000 | 3,632,000 |
| No. without telephone in dwelling | 6,391,000 | 42,600 | 46,000 | 181,000 | 7,050,000 |
| Unspecified | 44,000 | 21,000 | 1,000 | 21,000 | 89,000 |
| Total | 7,985,000 | 897,000 | 268,000 | 1,606,000 | 10,771,000 |
To have a private telephone line installed one needs to apply with Telekom. One has the choice of installing either a pre-paid service line or an ordinary telephone service.
For an ordinary telephone service one is required to pay a deposit and should expect the installation a few weeks after date of application.
Modern public telephones are available all over just like in Europe. Both telephones using cards as well as those needing coins are available. Telephone cards are readily available in most shops.
Today offices all over South Africa have their own fax machines. One may also use Fax machines for a certain price at most pharmacies as well as internet cafes.
In 2000 Media Africa and Acuity Group Holdings published the results of the 4th South African Internet Services Industry Survey. In this survey it was shown that 560,000 South Africans had access to the internet through dial-up modems, an increase of 86 % over 1998. Another 980,000 people had access to the internet through corporate networks in 1999, an increase of 40 % to the 1998 figures. At the end of 1999 there were about 280,000 academic users.
In accordance with the above mentioned survey, a total of 1.8 Million South Africans had access to internet in 1999. The number was expected to increase to 2.4 Million by the end of 2000.
Source: South African Statistics Survey 2000/2001, Statistics South Africa , 2000, p. 194
Because different people spend their money on different things it is very difficult to say how much money one will need to live in South Africa. In addition to this the cost of living in South Africa depends on where one lives. There is a vast difference in the cost of living in the suburbs and in the townships. Further, one should also look at whether one is talking about the cost of living in the cities or the rural areas.
| Food | R 1,500 |
| School fees (for 2 children) (present school fees: R 2,750 + R 700 for bus per term) | R 3.000 |
| Petrol | R 1,000 |
| Car loan repayments (over a four-year-period) | R 1,500 |
| Car insurance | R 200 |
| House loan repayments | R 4,000 |
| Municipal Rates | R 300 |
| Electricity and water | R 400 |
| Clothes | R 300 |
| Entertainment | R 500 |
| Medical insurance | R 1,400 |
| Total | R 13,300 |
Eskom provides efficient supply of electricity. Power lines from Mpumalanga stretch some 25.000 km to reach all parts of the country . Half of Eskom's electricity is sold to municipalities which in turn re-sell it to individuals and business.
Through the National electrification programm which is part of the Rural development Program, 2.74 Million households were provided with electricity between 1994 and 1999. There are still approximately 3 Million households without electricity.
Source: "All about us" Struik, 3rd Edition, p. 76-77
Government health policy provides basic health care as a basic right and concentrates on primary health care and preventative medicine rather than expensive treatment.
Primary health facilities such as clinics and community health centers offer certain free services to patients who are not members of a medical aid scheme. The idea is to keep patients away from large hospitals which are used for the more serious cases only.
Public health clinic (PHC) workers provide a service that includes immunisation, maternity care, screening tests, health promotion and counselling, family planning emergency and accident services. At most PHC clinics nurses treat patients, although some of the clinics also have doctors.
In addition to the health facilities provided by government a large number of South Africans make use of private medical practitioners, clinics and hospitals. Approximately, 1.8 Million patients are admitted to private hospitals, annually for instance.
According to the Hospital Association of South Africa, in 1999 private hospitals accounted for 27 % of private health expenditure. The remaining 73 % included services of private practitioners and medical specialists, provision of drugs and consultation with supplementary health professionals such as optometrists, physiotherapists and psychologists.
These institutions are run like businesses for profit. Those who can afford it, prefer to use these facilities rather than the public clinics and hospitals. For one, the general treatment of the client tends to be much better, there are usually no long lines and waiting time to be attended to, as is the case with the public health facilities and most belief that the private doctors give better medical treatment.
These facilities are however more expensive than the public health facilities. To be able to afford these facilities, most South Africans take out medical insurance.
For those who can afford it there are a variety of medical schemes on offer. In 1999 there were about 160 medical aid schemes in South Africa. According to the Hospital Association of South Africa, 50 % of these had less than 2,000members.
According to Statistics South Africa, 16 % of South Africans had medical aid coverage in 1999.
| African | Colored | Indian | White | Total | |
Medical aid |
2,810,000 | 816,000 | 320,000 | 3,059,000 | 7,025,000 |
No medical aid |
30,588,000 | 3,019,000 | 785,000 | 1,452,000 | 35,888,000 |
Don’t know |
130,000 | 17,000 | 4,000 | 17,000 | 167,000 |
To be able to get medical care anywhere close to the quality offered in Germany, it is advisable to get medical insurance. One can take a variety of medical covers:
Savings account were introduced as incentives for members to spend money wisely on day-to-day requirements. The principle here is that, if one seeks pharmaceutical rather than a practitioner for minor ailments like flu, the funds not spent should directly benefit the member.
If the scheme offers 100 % cover for all services, it will include day-to-day benefits at the specified tariff. On visiting a General Practitioner (GP) who may be "contracted out" of medical aid rates, the account will be higher than the medical aid rate benefit paid. This shortfall would be for the member’s account. Services such as GP / specialist visits, pathology, dentistry and optometry are deemed to be "controllable" by schemes offering the modular structure where savings accounts are encouraged.
Preferred provider networks mostly include hospitals, emergency services and chronic medicine suppliers. There are a number of schemes that have actual clinics around the country offering the full range of day-to day services. In principle schemes that contract with suppliers are able to pass on reduced costs to their members while maintaining or improving quality.
Where a scheme insists that a member visit a network contractor, it is vital that the member be within a reasonable distance from the contractor. In particular, if a scheme offers day-to-day benefits by clinics where, for instance, a levy is payable, there is probably little or no benefit in seeing a provider of the member’s choice with limited provisions for emergencies. Therefore, members would be wise to confirm which network providers are in their area by obtaining a list of preferred providers.
There are various limits imposed by schemes on each of their options. These can be a combination of the following:
The new medical Scheme’s Act provides for a list of compulsory benefits for members who are automatically entitled to receive it. Where for example a member needs an organ transplant and the medical scheme places a R 10,000 limit on this particular service, the medical scheme is compelled by law to offer the member the prescribed minimum benefit in a provincial hospital and this limit imposed would be of no force and effect.
Advice
Before deciding on which medical scheme / provider one should do some through research since the variety is really wide and the price difference does not necessarily indicate difference in quality of service.
There are 33 notifiable diseases (diseases that have to be reported to the Department of Health) in South Africa.
| 1999 | 2000 | |||
| Disease | Cases | Deaths | Cases | Deaths |
| Cholera | 46 | 2 | 7 | - |
| Congenital Syphillis | 59 | - | 2 | - |
| Diphtheria | - | - | - | - |
| Leprosy | 12 | - | 1 | - |
| Malaria | 32,015 | 230 | 36,717 | - |
| Measles | 143 | 1 | 20 | - |
| Meningcocal infection | 68 | 12 | 12 | 1 |
| Poliomyclitis | - | - | - | - |
| Tetanus | 4 | - | - | - |
| Tubercolosis | 25,401 | 1,048 | 8,886 | 377 |
| Typhoid Fever | 44 | 2 | 2 | - |
| Viral Hepatitis | 423 | 5 | 43 | 2 |
| Whooping cough | 28 | - | 1 | - |
This is one of the deadly diseases in South Africa. In 1998, 23 % of pregnant women attending clinics tested positive for the disease. About 40 % of the beds in provincial hospitals are occupied by patients suffering from AIDS. About 250,000 South Africans die of an AIDS related disease each year.
Tuberculosis is a highly infectious and one o f South Africa’s most serious diseases. TB cases in South Africa increase by 20 % every year. According to the department of Health TB cases would more than double in 2002 because of HIV infections. The Medical research Council predicts that TB infection rates will increase five fold in 2005.
About one in every 22 children born in South Africa dies before his / her first birth day. In 1998 the overall infant mortality rate was 45 per 1000 live births.
| Race | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1998 |
| African | 61 | 60 | 50 | 56 | 55 | 53 | 51 | 51 | 50 | 50 | 49 | 47 |
| Colored | 40 | 38 | 35 | 33 | 31 | 28 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 19 |
| Indian | 17 | 15 | 13 | 20 | 17 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 9 | N/A |
| White | 11 | 9 | 7 | 12 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 11 |
In South Africa children are immunised against seven diseases:
| Sex | Proportion of Children immunised |
| male | 64.7 % |
| female | 62.2 % |
| Race | Proportion of Children immunised |
| African | 61.8 % |
| Colored | 74.6 % |
| Indian | N/A |
| White | 62.7 % |
Sources: South Africa Survey 2000/2001
In 2000 the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of unfair Discrimination Act of 2000 was passed by parliament. The Act prohibits discrimination on various grounds., which were listed as age, belief, birth, color, conscience, culture, disability, ethnic, origin, gender, language, marital status, pregnancy, race, religion, sex and sexual orientation.
According to the above mentioned Act, discrimination is any act or omission, which , on a prohibited ground, directly or indirectly either imposed disadvantages upon or withheld benefits from any person.
Despite the existence of the above Act, discrimination, in all its different forms is still very prevalent in the country. Racial discrimination, in particular is still a real issue. Whereas in the past racism in South Africa was outright with clear segregation in all spheres of life now it tends to be more subtle and other reasons being given for one's exclusion than the racial one.
Education is held by most South Africans as having a pivotal role in improving the quality of one’s life.
According to the Bill of Rights contained in the Constitution of South Africa of 1996, everyone has a right to basic education, including adult basic education and further education, which the state, through reasonable measures must make progressively available and accessible.
The Ministry of Education, which was established in 1994, is responsible for education and training at the national level and is assisted by the department of education.
South Africa now has a single educational system, which is largely organized and managed within the nine provincial sub-systems. The constitution has vested power on the provincial legislatures to run educational affairs (other than universities and technikons) subject to a national policy framework.
The South African schools Act of 1996 (Act 84 of 1996) became effective January 1st 1997 and provides for the following:
The South African Qualifications Authority Act of 1995 (Act 58 of 1995) established a South African Qualifications Authority controlled by an appointed board to oversee the development of a national Qualification Framework(NQF) covering standard setting and quality assurance.
Formal education in South Africa can de categorized into the following sectors:
This is the first year of a child’s schooling and is termed reception or grade 0. Most pre-schools are non-governmental. Only few of the provincial departments of education provide pre-primary schooling. Where this exists, it provides for children from the age of three-school going age.
Grade 0 is followed by grade 1. The children have to be enrolled at the beginning of the year in which they turn 7 years. Junior primary school lasts for a period of three years (in which a child is expected to learn to read, write and calculate). Senior primary is a further three years.
Like primary schooling, secondary education is also divided into junior and senior secondary. In junior secondary school most of the subjects in the exception of two, are compulsory. At the end of secondary school pupils write a public examination in a minimum of six subjects.
Funding
Institutions of higher education can apply for public funding by means of bidding for student places, which the government will ensure are filled by students who reflect the country’s demographics. Funds are granted based on how successful tertiary institutions are at enrolling more historically disadvantaged students and presenting more scientific courses to train people needed in specified fields.
Students in technikons, technical colleges and universities can finance their studies through personal savings, bursary, scholarship or through student loans.
Bursary
A bursary usually covers most of the cost incurred by the student. Getting a bursary usually depends on one’s academic merit or financial need. Bursaries are usually awarded for a period of one year, however they can be renewed.
Scholarship
These are special bursaries that are awarded for academic merit. There is a tendency for there to be more scholarships in the fields of science, engineering and business. Some scholarships have employment conditions attached. This means that one would have to work for the organisation offering the scholarship, on completion of studies.
Study Loan
This is money lent to students for study purposes. Loans have to be re-paid, usually over the same length of time as the loan was taken for .In addition, interest also has to be paid per annum.
In order to obtain a study loan one has to have someone who is working to stand security for the loan. This person, called Surety or Guarantor would have to pay back the loan , should the applicant fail to do so.
Banks, training institutions (for example universities and Technikons) as well as other private organisations, offer study loans.
Organisations that can be contacted for Bursaries / scholarships:
CSIR, CSIR bursary Section
P.O. Box 395
Pretoria 0001
Tel.: 012-841 3568
The closing dates for application are July 31st for University studies and September 15th for Technikon studies.
DAKOTA computer Campus
Tel.: 0027-21-761 4304 (Christoff)
According to their advertisement in Career Times, Monday, July 15th 2002 they have R 1.5 Million in IT bursaries.
Further organisations are:
Technical colleges and other institutions offer post-school vocational education. The major categories of students are school leavers, requiring career orientated training, adults wanting to improve their qualifications as well as persons re-training for another vocation or training in fields such as handicraft, commercial, social and community orientated courses.
The courses are very practice orientated and include theory and design. Instructional programmes are developed according to six broad vocational fields:
The levels of training, examination and certification extend from N1 to N6. The South African Certification Council issues certificates for the programs.
At the moment only one of the 129 technical colleges in South Africa offers distance education.
A number of technical colleges have accreditation agreements with Technikons, thus enabling the mobility of technical college students to tertiary education at a Technikon.
Technical colleges also provide part-time classes for people interested in learning useful skills such as gardening, cooking and needlework.
Universities and Technikons are autonomous institutions and have councils that are responsible for their management. They are established by private Acts of Parliament. At present there are 21 full fledged universities, two of which are mainly non-residential and offer distance tuition.
Technikons provide vocational education at a tertiary level. At present there are 15 such Technikons. Only one provides distance tuition. According to the Technikons Act of 1994 (Act 125 of 1993) Technikons can offer degree studies and confer technikon degrees.
Students who have spent a minimum of three years at a Technikon and have successfully met the requirements, qualify for a national diploma (N Dip) in their specialized fields of study. The three years of study usually consist of a combination of theoretical studies and practical on the job, in-service training.
Having obtained the national diploma enables one to study towards the national higher diploma (NH Dip). This requires a minimum of one-year study, which also consists of theory and practical training.
With a national higher diploma one can then proceed to study towards the Lauretus in Technology (Laur Tech) which is the highest qualification that Technikons offer. This consists of at least one year independent applied research.
To ensure that good and the same standards were adhered to, the above council was established to set examinations. The Council is the one that also issues out certificates.
Colleges of education offer three or four year diploma courses for initial qualifications for primary or secondary school teaching.
The ease with which one can be integrated depends on the level of education at which one wants to be integrated.
At primary school and secondary school it is fairly easy for example if one was in grade 5 in Germany they can go to grade 5 in South Africa.
One should note however that the standard of education in South Africa tends to be lower than that in Germany. It should also be noted that within South Africa itself there is a great difference in the standard of education between the private and the public schools. With the public schools usually having a much lower standard of education than the private schools.
The location of the school is also a very important factor to consider, with rural public schools tending to have the poorest standards compared to their urban counterparts. Location is also still very important in South Africa in terms of whether the school is located in the African townships or the formerly white, colored or indian areas. In general one can still say that the schools in the previously white only areas have the highest standards, followed by the indian, colored and last of all those in the black areas.
It is very important that one gathers information about the different schools in ones area before deciding which school the children should go to. Unlike in Germany, one should not simply take their children to the nearest school. If one has the finances, it is recommended to take the child to a private school.
There are also German schools in the major cities like Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria and Durban.
If one would like to use these schools it is advisable to apply or contact the school whilst in Germany to avoid disappointment as they are usually full.
Addresses of German speaking schools in South Africa
| Deutsche Schule Kapstadt (DSK) | 28 Bay View Avenue 8001 Tamboerskloof, Cape Town Tel.: 0027-21-423 6326 Fax: 0027-21-423 83 49 |
| Deutsche Schule Johannesburg(DSJ) | |
| Deutsche Schule Durban | Stamfordhill Road 4023 Greyville Tel.: 0027-31-309 1415 Fax: 0027-31-309 2135 |
| Deutsche Schule Pretoria | |
| Deutsche Schule Hermannsburg | 3558 Hermannsburg Tel.: 0027-33-455 0606 Fax: 0027-33-445 0706 |
According to the University of Cape Town’s Student Recruitment section, South Africans studying in Germany who have however not completed their studies and would like to do so, need to:
The closing date for submission of application forms is the end of October.
Sources: South Africa Year Book 1998
Suggested Reading:
Bursary Register for 2001 Academic Year
Steyn, J.C "Education for Democracy", Durbanville, Wachiwa
Publishers. 1997
Suggested Websites:
http://www.gov.za/doe/
http://www.school.za
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