Authentic travel on a small budget in Southern Africa

Hi everyone, I’m thinking of heading to Southern Africa next autumn for several months. I’d love some advice on my itinerary—I’m looking for authentic spots with cheap accommodation. I know Southern Africa is generally pricier than Asia or Latin America because of the lack of backpacker infrastructure (except maybe Cape Town). I’m planning to visit South Africa, Mozambique, Lesotho, and maybe Eswatini. My main goal in South Africa is to see the coexistence between white, mixed-race, and Black communities. I think I’ll skip Namibia and Botswana because of the cost of living. Thanks

Hello,

If I understand correctly, this is a sociological trip we're talking about.

For the cost, it’s not as basic as prices in the most budget-friendly countries, but it’s not European rates either.

Accommodation shouldn’t be an issue. There’s something for every budget—camping (where it’s available), and more. For transportation, it’s a bit trickier. But since the trip isn’t focused on safaris or landscapes, it should work out. There are a few long-distance buses and minibuses (for short and medium distances). The main transportation challenge is in South Africa.

Minibuses can be risky (not always up to standard, and routes aren’t always safe).

The biggest concern is safety. You can’t just go anywhere or any way you like.

The Cape Town region should actually be easier to explore.

Hi there,

In South Africa, outside the big cities, you’ll mostly find backpackers along the coast, often connected by the Bazbus network.

For Mozambique, I recommend checking out this trip report by Eversmile, who traveled the country from north to south on a budget.

My main goal in South Africa is to see the coexistence between white, mixed-race, and Black communities

Hope you’ll share your observations with us! 🙂

Cool, thanks. I’m mostly thinking of exploring around the big cities and spending quite a bit of time at the Cape. Lesotho looks beautiful, and I’ll head to Mozambique just to visit a Lusophone country in Africa. For budget accommodations, is it better to book on Booking.com or look once I arrive? Thanks

Absolutely. I’m in touch with a Zulu village near Durban that welcomes volunteers.

I don’t travel backpacker-style, but I’d still recommend booking at least the first two nights in each major city. That way, you won’t have to search for a place when you arrive in an unfamiliar city where some neighborhoods can be tricky. You can then take your time choosing something else for the following nights if the accommodation doesn’t suit you.

Also, it seems a bit tough to visit several guesthouses without a car. They won’t necessarily be clustered in the same area!

If you avoid South African school holidays, you should easily find availability in cities. My answer would be different for tourist hotspots, but since that’s not what you’re looking for, it’s not an issue.

Hi there, Without a vehicle, Southern Africa (AFS) seems complicated outside of certain areas. In the car: a tent. Lots of little spots possible for camping or in guesthouses (gh). You can find them on the sudaf sites. Seeing the cohabitation between Black, White, and mixed-race folks… it’s not gonna be easy-peasy.

Cool, thanks! I’ve seen some pretty affordable hostels along the coast, but I think I’ll be doing a lot of hitchhiking since traveling off the main roads doesn’t seem easy. To experience the relationships between different ethnic groups, I’m going to try to find volunteer work in Black neighborhoods or villages.

To see the relationships between Black, mixed-race, and white communities, I’m going to try to find a volunteer opportunity in a working-class neighborhood or an African village.

Okay, Julien, you’ve gotta mentally prepare yourself. This country is stunning, but it really saddened me because I kinda believed in "the end of apartheid"—what a fool I was!

The reality is, if you want to do volunteer work in a Black neighborhood, you’ve gotta go here:

And if you want to volunteer in a white neighborhood, LOL, it’s more like here:

As for seeing "relations" between them, it’s quite the challenge to find spots where locals actually mix (we only saw it 2 or 3 times in 20 days and 4,000 km traveled).

That said, it’s still a fascinating, surprising, and eye-opening trip.

Hope you’ll share your story with us! 😊

Christelle

I know that people don’t mix much—white people make up 7% of the population but hold 70% of the wealth. Do you have a volunteer address? You wrote that to do volunteer work, you have to go there under a photo.

Sorry Julien, I don’t have an address—it was just irony. But I did share our trip here if you’re interested in the vibe we found on the ground: https://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=9614884;#9614884 Happy planning! Christelle

To avoid rehashing everything that’s already been said elsewhere, here’s the link to an interesting discussion.

Hitchhiking seems like a slightly risky option in South Africa (especially as a passenger).

It can also be a paid option.

Hi Ms. Attila, I skimmed this post again—well, skimmed, but not carelessly. I stand by my words and the struggles of this country. I confirm that in 2019, things got both better and worse. Better in terms of poverty. For example, the areas around Hoedspruit and Punda Maria have improved. But urban violence hasn’t gotten any better.