South Africa lies at the southern end of the African continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the east and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and is bordered to the north by Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Swaziland and land locked Lesotho.

South Africa has three major geographical regions, namely plateau, mountains and the coastal belt. The high plateau has sharp escarpments which rise above the plains, or bushveld. Despite two major river systems, the Limpopo and the Orange, most of the plateau lacks surface water. Along the coastline are sandy beaches and rocky coves, and the vegetation is shrub like with the Garden Route being the most picturesic.

Durban, South Africa’s third largest city, ripples with vibrancy.
Durban is South Africa’s “fun-shine” city; a melting pot overflowing with cultural diversity, sunshine, gold beaches and scenic beauty.

With a population of some 4 million people, Durban is widely regarded as one of South Africa’s fastest growing cities.

The City of Durban has received many prestigious awards, including the United Nations Award for Best Managed City in Africa (1998) and the Vuna Award for Best Municipality in South Africa in 2006 and 2007.

The Games headquarters at the International Conference Centre (ICC) is an inner-city landmark with all accommodation and sporting facilities located within a 15 kilometre radius (See map on page 3).

Durban is a tremendously popular and highly affordable (according to the Cost of Living Comparison index) leisure destination with its mild winters (23°C), hot summer weather and its golden beaches.  Durban is less than an hour’s flying time from the country’s primary entry point, Johannesburg.

Travel to Durban
Durban has one of the three major International Airports in South Africa.  The new King Shaka International airport came into operation in May 2010 and is situated 40 kilometres to the North of Durban.  It is connected via a highway system which makes for a 25 minute drive to the city.

International airlines making use of this airport is Emirates while further negotiations are underway with a number of international carriers.

Durban is also connected to OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg ( one hour flight) by upwards of twenty return flights per day serviced by a number of regular and low-cost airlines. Arriving participants can be assured a minimum of waiting time should they arrive in Johannesburg or even Cape Town International Airport that brings you to Durban in less than two hours.

Shuttle services run from the airport to the major hotels and accommodation areas in the city. For the WTG it is envisaged that the LOC will arrange for special busses to meet arriving participants and to transport them to their accommodation. Luxury buses will be used for this purpose.

Safety and Security
Because the eThekwini municipality is very safety conscious and has a zero tolerance approach to crime there is a satellite police station on beachfront. Police on foot, bicycle and on horseback will maintain a visible presence to ensure safety and security.

Role players in securing safety of participants will be:

South African Police Department
Metro Police Department
Joint Operations Centre
Fire Department
eThekwini Strategic Projects Unit

Visa and Vaccinations
Information with regard to visa requirements can be obtained from www.home-affairs.gov.za.  Thirty four of the current WTGF member countries will not need visas to visit South Africa.

Recommended vaccinations are Hepatitis A&B and Typhoid.  Yellow fever is only required for travellers arriving from a yellow-fever-infected area in Africa or the Americas.  
Malaria prophylaxis is recommended for travelling to low-altitude areas of Mphumalanga Province (Kruger National Park), Limpopo Province, Northern Province and north-eastern Kwa-Zulu Natal as far south as the Tugela River.

All travellers should visit either their personal physician or a travel health clinic 4-8 weeks before departure.