Before you travel
Health preparation for South Africa
South Africa is unusual among safari destinations in that many of its most popular areas — including Cape Town — carry very low or no malaria risk, while others like the Kruger region do.
Good general healthcare infrastructure in most cities means South Africa is often considered a lower-risk long-haul destination overall.
Final vaccine and medicine recommendations always depend on your medical history, previous vaccinations, current travel health guidance, trip duration and planned activities. This page is general information, not a personal clinical recommendation — book a consultation so our pharmacist can assess your individual trip.
Personalised recommendations
Vaccines commonly discussed
No single list applies to everyone. Recommendations depend on your route, trip length, activities, health and previous vaccinations.
View the Africa regional travel-health guide
TyphoidMost travellers
Recommended for most travellers, particularly those visiting friends and relatives
£38 per dose
Hepatitis A&B CombinedMost travellers
Widely recommended
£85 per dose (adult & junior)
RabiesSome travellers
Considered for rural safari travel or longer stays. Rabies has also been established in Cape fur seals along the Cape coast since 2024, so seek urgent advice after any seal bite
£74 per dose / £222 for a full course
DTPAll travellers
Booster if it's been over 10 years
£38 per dose
Mosquito-borne illness
Malaria risk and bite prevention
Risk in the low-altitude areas of Mpumalanga and Limpopo, including Kruger National Park, where antimalarial tablets are recommended during the transmission season, September to May only. Low risk in far north-east KwaZulu-Natal. No risk in Cape Town, the Garden Route and the rest of the country.
Risk can differ within a country and can change over time. A consultation assesses your exact itinerary and whether antimalarial medicine should be considered.
Read the malaria prevention guideBeyond vaccination
Practical advice for your trip
- Malaria tablets for Kruger and low-altitude Mpumalanga and Limpopo, during the September to May transmission season only
- Sun protection
- Food and water hygiene, generally lower risk in main cities and resorts
Food, water and traveller's diarrhoea
Follow careful food and water hygiene where standards are uncertain. Vaccination does not replace these everyday precautions.
Climate planning
May to September (dry winter) is popular for Kruger safaris; year-round for Cape Town.
Entry requirements
UK passport holders can generally visit visa-free for short tourist stays; check current rules.
Yellow fever
No yellow fever vaccination is needed when arriving directly from the UK. A certificate is required from travellers over 1 year of age arriving from a yellow fever risk country such as Kenya, and for travellers who have transited for more than 12 hours through an airport in one.
Entry and certificate rules can change. Check the latest official foreign travel advice on GOV.UK before departure, and see TravelHealthPro for country-specific health guidance. Yellow Fever vaccination is not currently administered at this clinic; where a requirement is relevant, the pharmacist can discuss your itinerary and explain that an authorised Yellow Fever Vaccination Centre may be needed.
Common questions
South Africa travel health FAQs
Cape Town carries no malaria risk. The Kruger region does, and antimalarial tablets are recommended there during the transmission season, September to May. Outside those months bite avoidance is the advice. Your pharmacist will match this to your travel dates.
If you feel seriously unwell
- If you are seriously unwell abroad, seek local emergency medical care immediately.
- If you are seriously unwell after returning to the UK, call 999 or go to A&E — always mention any recent travel.
- For urgent but non-emergency advice in the UK, call NHS 111 or contact your GP.