Britons 'need to brush up on South African rand knowledge'

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By Rachel Jones
Know Your Money Editor

The World Cup kicks off in South Africa on June 11th when the host nation plays Mexico.

Many avid football fans will by flying out to see some games, with England's first match against the USA taking place on June 12th.

But according to Sainsbury's Travel Money, many UK holidaymakers do not realise there is a 5,000 rand (£447) limit for cash being taken into South Africa.

This could prove expensive if Brits are forced to hand over any cash over the limit, potentially ruining any savings made on cheap travel insurance.

So what happens if you take too much rand?

The survey by Sainsbury's Travel Money found 74 per cent of people considering taking a break to South Africa this year do not realise there is a 5,000 rand limit to how much cash they can bring into the country.

Britons who plan to go with family or friends could easily have more than that stashed in their wallets, but may face serious disappointment at the airport if their currency is checked.

And with more than 460,000 Britons visiting South Africa every year - with thousands more expected to travel there for the World Cup - the coffers at customs could soon start to grow.

Furthermore, you cannot take more than 5,000 rand out of the country either, so people could end up losing out twice if they are not careful.

Scott Gorman, head of Sainsbury's Travel Money, said: "Our research shows that thousands of people may be taken by surprise at the currency import restrictions in place when entering South Africa.

"One way to get around this is to use a pre-paid card currency, like the [Sainsbury's] Cash Passport, which allows you to load it with up to 85,000 South African rand, approximately £7,000."

Pre-paid cards could prove ideal, after the Sainsbury's poll found the average amount people plan to take with them is £665 in local currency. A fifth admitted they were going to take more.

Pre-paid cards could prove handy for Brits heading to South Africa

Know Your Money has many pre-paid credit cards that holidaymakers might want to use, which can be found here.

The Virgin Pre-paid Mastercard has a maximum balance of £3,500 and carries a 2.95 per cent overseas transaction fee, while the O2 Money Card can be filled with £10,000.

Furthermore, this card has no sign-up charge and has no cash withdrawal levy, unlike the Virgin card, which charges £1.50. However, the O2 Money Card does come with a 2.75 per cent overseas transaction fee.

Lower down the budget scale is the Freedom Eagle Cash Card for Brits who want to stash £3,000 of spending money before they jet off. This costs £9.99 to sign up to.

The FairFX Currency Card - which allows £5,000 to be placed on it - has a 1.5% overseas transaction fee, making it the cheapest card to use in South Africa and an ideal choice for World Cup travellers.

Football fans who want to make donations to their favourite team, as well as potentially enjoying loyalty rewards, can also find the best football credit cards on Know Your Money, here.

Travel safely in South Africa

So now you've got your money sorted, what about travelling around South Africa safely?

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises Britons there are currently no travel restrictions in place ahead of the World Cup.

However, it does note there is a very high level of crime, so stashing your cash on to a pre-paid credit card could be better than carrying around hundreds of rand in your pocket.

"The most violent crimes occur in townships and isolated areas away from the normal tourist destinations. There may be an increased risk of opportunistic crime countrywide during the World Cup," it says.

Between April 1st 2008 and March 31st 2009, 871 Britons needed help with stolen or lost passports so you may want to make sure you look after this as much as your cash.

The government office advises you keep photocopies of your passport in a separate place to the original, while "comprehensive" medical and travel insurance should also be purchased before travelling.

Different travel insurance policies can be found on Know Your Money here.

Good to go

With your suitcase packed, travel insurance purchased and money stashed away on pre-paid credit cards, all Britons heading off to South Africa may need to worry about now is whether England can win their first match against the US, a country known more for its American football and baseball than 'soccer.'

Important Notice
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