My Wife and I will be going on our first ever PG Hunt to SA in August. This will be our first trip out of the Country. Where and how is it the best to exchange currency? Are Travelers Checks needed or would a Credit or ATM card be better?

Thanks
TJH

I have allways just exchanged some cash at the airport for some Rand. Just enough to cover items I might buy while in country. I have allways paid the balance due to the outfitter in US cash since he posted all his fees in US currency. By exchanging at the airport you get a form showing how much you exchanged so if you exchange too much you can exchange it back to US. Also, when doing any exchange they will want to see your passport.

credit card will give you the maximum exchange rate in RSA. do not use it in zim

I never buy more Rand than I think I'll want for pocket money to spend on the odd curios, or soda. I find you get a better exchange rate at your local bank than you do at the airport.

If you're going to use credit cards on your trip, it is a good idea to alert your CC company ahead of time that you are going to Africa and where you will be. It is fairly common for CC users in say, Joberg, to suddenly have their CC number being used in Nairobi or Dar, meaning it has been misappropriated. This is a trans-African problem and happens often. You just didn't know you needed that set of tires in Nigeria......

If you don't tell your CC company that you are going to a specific country(ies) in Africa, it is possible that their fraud security mechanisms will freeze your card when the first few African charges hit until you call to confirm use in where ever you are in Africa. Needless to say, that can be inconvenient.

Because of the CC number theft issue, I only use my CC at major establishments and then only when I'm short of cash or if it is a major expense. That's by no means a guarantee against misappropriation but gives you a better chance than swiping it in a tent somewhere.

Personally, I'm not as allergic to cash as some in here seem to be, I always cash a few hundred dollars worth of local currency if I think there is any possibility that I might need some local currency, and I almost always need some (Zim might be an exception currently). Worse comes to worse, you can change it back to dollars on the way out. I usually plan on going back so keeping some rand, or N$, is not a big issue with me. I can't comment on the current situation in SA, but in most places the airport exchange rates are not as good as you're going to get at a bank. OTOH, if you're talking about cashing a few hundred dollars worth, your savings might be $10 at most. Not completely insignificant, but hardly worth your time looking for a stand alone bank when you're on a trip that costs many times that per day.

Finally, unlike the situation almost everywhere else in the world, the currency exchanges in the Windhoek airport usually give as good or better (better according to my Namibian friends) rates than you can get at a stand alone bank elsewhere in the country.

I've also found that the worst rates are usually in the exchange kiosks in US airports before you leave.

Also I think you will pay a 6 or 7% surcharge when you use your CC to buy something plus your Bank will charge 1 or 2% for overseas use?

TJH

Gatogordo gave you some great advise on using your card overseas. Any unusual spending patterns can cause the CC company to temporarily freeze your acct.

Personally I've never needed any Rand and I really don't think you will either. Prepay your safari costs and an estimate of trophy fees before the safari via wire transfer. Then you only need some pocket money and safari crew tips. Your US dollar should be readily accepted in RSA.

Mark

Use the CC as Gatogordo stated. While we were there our PH offered to make any purchases for us that we wanted, then we just settled up with him at the end of our stay.

TJH, Your PH should have no problems getting you some Rand. I know of no better conversion rate than dealing with the person who you've booked your hunt with. Ask him/her if they prefer USD or Traveler's Cheque's for some Rand. Keep some $1's in your pocket for tipping when you first arrive. Unless you've contracted meet and greet you'll need it.
Regards,
David

Great advice, and that is what most of my PHs in South Africa have done. Better to reimburse them than to have your CC number used all over the continent. Take some USD and traveler' checks to pay off your PH for those things that he purchases for you, or for those items that you purchase on your own. I would not use my CC unless I absolutely had to. Two months ago I received a call from my CC Company letting me know that some fools had used my CC number recently in Paris, to try to charge $8K for personal purchases. The only time that I used the card in Paris was last August and at the Sheraton Airport at CDG Airport. That's why I won't use it unless I absolutely have to.

I dunno about you guys, maybe you hang around with a better class of PHs than I do, but I've been around 5 or 6 of them over the years and not one of them could "front" a $1000 purchase with what he had with him.......

As far as the PH "getting you some rand", I've been that route 3 or 4 times as well, and NEVER ONCE was it cheaper than I could have obtained at the bank. Mostly it was significantly higher. I don't appreciate being jabbed and avoid that issue by having my own local currency.

Not related, but I feel the same way about places in South American that provide dove hunts, where they sell you shells for $14 or $15 a box when they cost substantially less than that. My thoughts are, if you need more money for your operations to be profitable, then just charge more upfront. I don't mind anyone making a reasonable profit for handling and storing ammo but 30 or 40% is not reasonable for the volumes of shells involved IMO and I won't do business with people who do business that way.

I always use my ATM card to get a supply of Rand to use for tips and incidental purchases upon arrival in South Africa. And I have used credit cards in South Africa without difficulty or fraud, but, you must be prudent.

We will prepay, by Wire Transfer, all of our daily Rate and expected Trophy fees expenses to our [TRUSTED!] outfitter to avoid much of the cash issue.

The best exchange rates will be from the ATM or the Credit Cards, [even after their charges] but the Rennies Currency Exchanges seem to have better rates in general. They are also offering a pre loaded Visa Card for use there now.

The very worst exchange rates will be hotels, shops, and local banks. [BTW be prepared to use only the new multicolor US$ bills if available as some may not accept the older bills.]

Les

Flying home my buddy had his credit card frozen, we had missed our plane and his wife was in tears...luckily my cards still worked. Imagine yourself in a strange place with no money at all. Carry lots of credit cards, let them know you're going overseas and have your ATM card too. I'd rather have too much currency than not enough, a thousand rand isn't much money at all. When I ran out of rand I got more at the camp and just had it tacked onto my bill.



the chef

Geez, don't you have pockets on your travel pants?
There is not one little wide spot on the road that does not know the exact exchange rate in most african countries for their currency VS US Dollars. I carried a couple grand with me to Zimbabwe last December and had no issues. My PH had told me not to even tell anybody on the continent I had a CC a week before I left. Nobody is going to beat you up and take your lunch money fellas! Put your cash or travelers checks inside the little neck bag your passport is in, and a hundred or so in twenties in your front pants pockets.

Why do some people need to complicate everything? Last month someone posted wanting to know if they needed American toilet paper, or if the native stuff would work. The roll is the same size, in case some of you were concerned.

Simplify, and just use a little common sense.

Rich
Buff Killer

I took about $1000 US with me last year to Namibia, converted some to Rand in Frankfurt (bad move - horrible rate and fees), and then once in Namibia I either used my credit card (A LOT!) or get Rand/N$ from ATM machines.

Before leaving I informed two of my cc companies (one was a backup) of my travel. My Capital One card has NO foreign exchange fees (very nice, as some charge 2-3%) and I used it with no problems all over Namibia. Most places accepted Visa/MC with no problems at all.

I got some Rand from my bank a week before we left and it worked well for me that way. American Express has exchange counters at the Jo'burg airport, with competitive exhange rates so that is another way to go. Peronally, I'd prefer to not conduct my financial business in teh middle of an extremely busy airport, as you never know who's watching.

I would recommend having enough Rand for tips to the African staff, as they have a more difficult time with USD than your PH will. Your safari operator or PH can advise you on how much to tip the staff members.

We spent a week at the beginning of our trip touring Kruger and staying at Monwana Lodge, and I used my credit cards for most expenses that weren't already pre-paid. I did pre-pay as many things as possible before we left, with able assistance from Marita Dyason of Spear Safaris.