CREDIT CARDS AND CASH

All major credit cards can be used in Southern Africa, with American Express and Diners Club enjoying less universal acceptance than MasterCard and Visa. In some small towns, you may find you will need to use cash.

When it comes to paying for fuel, you may also have to pay cash. Our filling stations can now take credit card payments – regulations allowing them to do so came into effect in July 2009. However, many filling stations (or garages, as we call them) may take a while to adjust, or may choose not to. Look out for the "cash only" notices.  Many locals have special fuel credit cards, known as garage or petrol cards, for use only at filling stations. These will still be accepted.

Road tolls, on the major routes between cities, can be paid using MasterCard or Visa.