Doctors, nurses and other professional medical staff from South Africa have for years been migrating north to hospitals in the west, but lately the migration has experienced a bizarre reverse with many prospective patients, particularly those looking for elective surgery, coming to South Africa to take advantage of much cheaper rates offered for complex surgical procedures.
The ‘Surgery and Safari’ phenomenon has been ongoing now for quite some time, and certainly in a nation that produced the legendary Doctor Christiaan Barnard, pioneering cardiac surgeon who performed the first successful heart transplant …
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Whether travelling alone or in a group, personal safety features high on women’s lists of concerns. And although South Africa, on the whole, requires less of an adjustment from “Western” women travellers than other parts of the continent - the mix of cultural influences here ensures a great degree of tolerance for all types of women’s lifestyles - there are some travel guidelines to bear in mind.
SA Blog’s Tips for Women Travellers:
Personal safety: we don’t mean to be alarmist, but it’s important to know that there is considerable crime in South African cities, especially theft and muggings, and it’s always safer to travel with someone else. Don’t “look like a tourist” - keep your camera packed away until you want to use it; don’t wear valuable jewellry; enter a shop before consulting a map; and don’t open your purse or bag on the street. Go out at night in groups. Odds are that you won’t have an unpleasant experience, and keeping in a group works very much in your favor.
Planning to travel alone? Find a travel buddy at your destination on the BootsnAll Travel Forums.
Sexual harassment and rape are all too common in South Africa, especially the former. Ignore the pettier kinds of behavior (whistling, shouting, etc.), but make a scene if your personal space is invaded. At nightclubs and bars, don’t let your drink out of your sight. Avoid being alone with unfamiliar men. If you are raped, contact Rape Crisis (national hotline: +27 (0) 21 447 1467; based in Cape Town, with referral services in other parts of the country), which will provide counselling and assist you with the police.
Tampons, medicines and the Pill are available in familiar brands and prescriptions, but it’s more convenient to bring supplies from home. If you’re on the Pill, bring enough to last your entire trip (and remember that severe vomiting or diaorrhea can render it ineffective).
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Howzit! You’ve reached a section of SouthAfricaBlog.com that is, sadly, empty.
In time, however, it will be filled with all sorts of blog fodder, so if this particular subject is your bag, bookmark it and come back later.
Meanwhile, why not visit our Help Wanted section, where you can make yourself useful?
Thanks!
Ben, who am Editor
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In the ancestor worshipping traditions held by the majority (80%) of South Africans (Zulu, Xhosa, Ndabele and Swazi) the Sangoma is the primary and sometimes exclusive healer and counsellor.
There is no governing body to control who is, and who is not, a sangoma, anyone can claim to be one (there are over 200,000!). Traditionally a new sangoma is called by an initiation illness, often psychosis, headache, stomach pain, shoulder or neck complaints. After which they will undergo “Thwasa”, a period of training including learning humility to the ancestors, purification through steaming, washing in the blood of sacrificed animals, and the use of Muti, medicines with spiritual significance. At the end of Thwasa, an animal is sacrificed to appease the ancestors.
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You can get world class medical care in South Africa - provided you go with private doctors, ambulances and hospitals. This is one reason why it’s essential to travel with health insurance. Public health care here is reasonably good, but typically not as quick or convenient as the private option. In all cases, expect to pay fees upfront, and then reclaim from your insurance company.
Ambulance Emergency Numbers:
Dialing any of the following numbers will call an ambulance to your location.
1-0177 for municipal (public) ambulance service.082 911 for Netcare (private) ambulance service.082 124 for ER 24 (private) ambulance service.
Hospitals:
SA Blog …
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