Cash & Credit Cards
Your Money
Money can make or break a tour so make sure you have enough and tailor your trip to fit your pocket. Africa is not cheap, so spend wisely and note the prices of the optional activities in your tour dossier when planning for your tour. In Southern and East Africa, both local currencies and US Dollars are accepted. The conversion rates for local currencies do however fluctuate quite regularly so if you plan on using local currencies in the countries you visit, please check the exchange rate before you depart on tour. An example of a website that you can use to check a currency against your own is www.xe.com.
Cash
If you are carrying US Dollars, always make sure that they have been printed recently and if possible, request that your bank provides you with notes that are not torn or severely creased as you may find that the bills will not be accepted if they are not in a good condition. Request that your bank provides you with a range of bills so that you can use the smaller ones for tipping and the larger ones for settling bills if required. Carry your cash in a flat money belt on your body, however always keep a small amount in a more easily accessible place so that you can access it easily if required.
ATM / Debit Cards
ATM cards are a good way to withdraw local currency on arrival in a new country. This may not always be possible but it is an option in most cases. Cards should have a chip and pin. The amount that you withdraw depends on how long you will be in the country for and what you plan to spend your money on while you’re there.
Street Vendors
You may encounter black market traders on arrival in countries who will offer to exchange your USD for a more favorable rate than the banks. Please don’t be tempted to do this. It is not worth the risk or the hassle and it is not good practice to display your foreign currency.
