General

Days

Hours

Days to the conference

GENERAL INFORMATION

PASSPORT & VISA INFORMATION

All individuals planning to visit South Africa must have a valid passport and may require a visa, as per the Immigration Act of 2002, which they should apply for at their regional South African embassy or consulate well in advance, preferably 1-2 months ahead.

It’s crucial to ensure your passport has at least three blank pages for endorsements, as entry may be denied otherwise. Passports should be valid for at least six months beyond the departure date from South Africa. To determine visa requirements, consult the South African Home Affairs Department website.

For embassy information, refer to the South African Missions Abroad website.

LETTER OF INVITATION/VISA SUPPORT

Please be advised that Visa Support Letters will be provided only after your registration is confirmed and full payment for registration fees has been received. These letters will be sent via email in PDF format, typically up to 5 days after receiving your information (by completing this form) and confirming payment with the congress secretariat.

Ensure your name matches exactly as it appears on your passport to avoid any delays or visa application issues.
Please note that the Re-worlding Reproduction Conference and its organising committee can only provide a Notification of Invitation Letter, and cannot assist beyond that in the visa process. If your visa application is denied, neither the conference nor its organising committee can influence the decision of the South African Embassy, nor will they engage in discussions or correspondence with the Embassy on your behalf. Please note that registration fees are non-refundable in the event of visa application denial.
Visa processing by the Embassy typically takes around one month, so we recommend registering as early as possible to allow sufficient time.

YELLOW FEVER

If you are an inbound traveller – here’s all you need to know about yellow fever vaccination or inoculation before you visit our country.
South Africa requires all travellers journeying from yellow fever-risk countries to show proof of yellow fever vaccination by means of a valid yellow fever certificate.
This also applies to those who have transited through a yellow fever-risk country.
Countries for which a yellow fever vaccination certificate is required for entry into South Africa are:

Angola
Argentina
Benin
Bolivia
Brazil
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cameroon
Central African Republic
Chad
Colombia
Guinea-Bissau
Congo
Côte d’Ivoire
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Ecuador
Equatorial Guinea
Ethiopia
French Guyana
Gabon
Gambia
Ghana
Guinea
Guyana
Kenya
Liberia
Mali
Mauritania
Niger
Nigeria
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Rwanda
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Sudan
Suriname
Togo
Trinidad and Tobago
Uganda
Venezuela

GENERAL HEALTH INFORMATION

MALARIA

While most of South Africa is malaria-free, this mosquito-borne disease is prevalent throughout the year in the Kruger National Park and the low-lying areas of northern KwaZulu-Natal and Lowveld of Mpumalanga and Limpopo, do pose a malaria risk in the summer months. (Transmission is seasonal, with peak rates of infection occurring in April and declining by June).

Petoria falls inside the Malaria Free zone.

SOUTH AFRICAN SUN

South Africa has a warm sunny climate and pollution and ozone layer damage has led to extremely high UVA and UVB penetration over South Africa.

Protecting yourself against the harsh sun with sunscreen, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses is essential – especially between 10am and 4pm, regardless of whether there is cloud cover or not. You can still get sunburned even if you have a dark complexion – especially if you are from a cooler climate and have not had much exposure to the sun.

Use the highest possible UV protection It is the UVA rays (that don’t cause burning) that you are trying to block out. Ideally, you should aim for an SPF of 30 or more to offer protection.

MEDICAL FACILITIES

Medical facilities in cities and larger towns are world-class, but you will find that in rural areas the clinics and hospitals deal with primary health needs, and therefore do not offer the range of medical care that the large metropolitan hospitals do.
Trained medical caregivers are deployed around the country, so help is never far away.
Of course, accidents can happen anywhere in which case you would need a specialised casevac or medical evacuation.
Fortunately, we have excellent casevac facilities, which have reciprocity agreements with most international emergency medical services. So your existing insurance should cover it. But do check before leaving home. It is a good idea to carry medical insurance to deal with such eventualities.

DRINKING WATER

High-quality tap (faucet) water is available almost everywhere in South Africa, treated so as to be free of harmful micro-organisms, and in any area other than informal or shack settlements, is both palatable and safe to drink straight from the tap.

Bottled mineral water, both sparkling and still, is readily available in most places.

HIV/AIDS

While Southern Africa has a high prevalence of HIV/Aids, your only real risk of contracting it is if you have unprotected sex with an infected individual.
There should be no reason for unprotected sex as condoms are freely available in pharmacies and convenience stores everywhere you go.

INOCULATION REQUIREMENTS

Adults don’t need any inoculations unless they’re travelling from a yellow fever endemic area (the yellow fever belt of Africa or South America, please see the list above), in which case you will need certification to prove your inoculation status when you arrive in South Africa.

MPOX

South Africa remains a safe and welcoming destination for tourism with countries in the region having measures in place to prevent the spread of the virus.

However, the public is implored to practice safe sex and observe hygiene protocols.

PHARMACIES

Pharmacies are well stocked, and equivalents to most international medicines are available. Pharmacists may not dispense Schedule 3 drugs and up without a prescription, so visitors on chronic medication should carry their own prescription.

PREPARING FOR YOUR ARRIVAL

WHAT TO PACK

September is one of the best months to be in Pretoria. During this time, temperatures range between a minimum of 15°C and a maximum of 28°C. There are an average of 10 hours of sunshine daily and only about one rainfall day for September. A daily report of the expected temperatures in Pretoria in September can be accessed here. Below are some tips on what to pack.

IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS

Passport
Yellow Fever vaccination certificate (please check here whether you need one)
Flight Tickets
Hotel voucher

ELECTRICAL PLUGS

Most plugs in South Africa are 15 Amp 3 prong or 5 Amp 2 prong, with round pins. Please bring a suitable adaptor if you need one or purchase one on arrival (available in most supermarkets or pharmacies).

Pack clothes that are cool, light, and comfortable. Bringing a light jacket, umbrella, or raincoat for rainy days is a good idea.

Future Africa is located on the University of Pretoria’s Hillcrest Campus, which features many safe walking and running spaces, bring comfortable shoes to take advantage of these facilities.

Smart-casual attire is recommended for networking events.

GETTING YOUR PHONE CONNECTED

For international visitors: By South African law – specifically the Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communication Related Information Act (RICA) – you are required to provide proof of residence if you want to buy a prepaid SIM card outside the airport. We thus recommend that, if you are not using international roaming on your cellular device, you buy a SIM card in the airport arrivals lounge, where you can purchase one with only your passport. The mobile vendors at the airport do not require proof or residence.

LOADSHEDDING

If you have spoken to any South African for more than 5 minutes, they surely would have mentioned ‘Loadshedding’. Or from time to time, you may notice the electricity going off. In South Africa, we call this Loadshedding. Future Africa has backup measures in place to ensure no interruptions during the conference.

To ensure you don’t get caught in the dark, use the QR code for the ESP app to track loadshedding during your stay.

CONVENIENCE STORES & SHOPPING

There are no convenience stored located on the Future Africa campus, although you can purchase a limited selection of snacks and drinks (water, fruit juice, and soft drinks) at the dining hall. There are, however, various shopping centres and restaurants located in close proximity to Future Africa. You can use the Uber taxi service to get to shops or restaurants or, alternatively, use the Uber Eats delivery service to get food and other basic items delivered to you.

For your convenience, you can also download the Uber Eats app, which can be used to purchase food from selected stores near you and deliver it to your doorstep. For more information, visit https://www.ubereats.com/za/near-me/south-african

BROOKLYN MALL

Brooklyn Mall is situated at the heart of Pretoria’s cosmopolitan Embassy Suburbs. The mall boasts a full complement of national retailers along with approximately 220 specialist retail stores. It also has an assortment of restaurants and coffee bars.

MENLYN MALL

The Menlyn Park Shopping Centre is located outside Pretoria just off the N1 highway. The mall is renowned as a fashion destination.

LOCAL TRANSPORT

If you wish to see Pretoria and the surrounding areas at your leisure, we recommend you choose one of the following transport options:

GAUTRAIN

This is a commuter train travelling between Pretoria, Johannesburg, and OR Tambo International Airport. The Hatfield station is located on the corner of Grosvenor and Arcadia Street, near the University of Pretoria.

To use the Gautrain, you will be required to purchase a card from the cashiers at any Gautrain station and load it with the correct amount of credit to travel. Costs for different routes are available here.

The Gautrain schedule can also be accessed here.