acantor

I just read an article about South African wineries, and am wondering about the prospects of credit card touring through the country's wine growing regions. I have previously cycled through wine areas in France, Switzerland, Italy, and Canada, and these have been some of my favourite bike trips.

Has anyone bicycled in South Africa? What is the political climate now, 12 years after the end of apartheid? Is it safe to travel alone? Any books, resources, web sites you would recommend?

Caspar_s

The wine region is the Cape. The Garden route would be a good area to look into. Lots of backpacker lodging and B&B's.

Very touristy area - lots of traffic, but pretty safe because of that. Also I think just the fact that you are travelling by bike will make you safer than if you were travelling by car.

I haven't been there is a while so I'll let someone else let you know of the current situation. Basically similar to riding through any city areas. Just be aware of your surroundings.

It's on my list to bike tour some time.

If you want more info, let me know - my older sister owns a B&B in Kwa-Zulu Natal and my mother and youngest sister live there.

racpat_rtw

We rode from Capetown east along the coast, then up through the Karoo to Bloemfontein, Johannesburg, Kruger NP and into Zimbabwe on our way to Nairobie. This was ten years ago just before the elections that elected Mandela. Capetown, the Cape and Karoo are very scenic. Go ride an ostrich in Oudshoorn! The center of the country is not that exiting, but the Drakensbergen and Kruger in the Northeast and magnificent.
I am not sure about safety, when we went it was supposed to be dangerous but we had not problems.

amaferanga

You might like to read South from the Limpopo by Dervla Murphy. She cycled round SA twice (once just before the "end" of apartheid, then again after).

The main danger will be traffic on the main roads. I've heard stories of folks being mugged for their bikes, but strangely the mugee always seemed to be a (white) South African and not a foreigner.

Politically there's little to worry about in SA, but apartheid is still going strong in most parts. This is not to say that there aren't many, many whites that have reformed. Many have changed their views, but many just accept the current system while maintaining their old views.

There was an interesting documentary on in the UK just a few days back called "My Big White Self" (by Nick Broomfield), focusing on Eugene Terre Blanche and his cronies as they are now. These guys are either in prison or are living peacefully isolated from the natives, but really their views haven't changed. Luckily they have no influence over South African politics these days.

bokes

I biked thru South Africa in 99'. Loved it and hated it. It was extremely beautiful and exciting, but I felt very uncomfortable because as a caucasian many Africans would look at me with such hatred in their eyes that i felt just awful. there is still so much hate there. And much crime gets dismissed as acts of retribution from the dark years of Apartheid.
If you tour there, get to know the locals and stay on the safe path. Don't get lost and bike thru the townships. your bike is like winning the lottery for some of them.

challengea2z

South Africa is an awsome place to ride, i was born there so lived through aparthied and moved to the UK to get out of being forced into the army in the bad old days. I used South Africa after that for summer training for my Europe road racing season. It's like anywhere in the world it has good and bad places, I've only had trouble twice in my entire 20 years in SA. The wine lands are awsome as well as the garden route there are plenty of places to stay, it really depends on you budget on how much you'll pay but the Rand is relativley week so most things are cheap. Please ask me whatever you want to know and I'll try to answer your questions. Please have a look at my website www.challengea2z.com I'm trying to raise money for education of disadvantaged black kid in the informal settelments in the Western Cape which is the area you'll ride round.