Last reviewed: September 2026

Two practicalities are worth ten minutes of planning. First, insurance: medical treatment, evacuation, cancellations and adventure activities can create large costs, so choose cover for the trip you are actually taking. Second, the legal drinking age is 18, alcohol sales are regulated, public-space rules vary by municipality and venue, and drinking and driving is a serious safety and legal risk.

Why insurance matters here

South Africa has public and private healthcare providers, and visitors may face substantial charges depending on the facility and treatment. At minimum, consider cover for emergency medical treatment and hospitalisation. Many travellers also choose repatriation, trip cancellation and an activities extension. Hiking, paragliding, abseiling, surfing and diving may be excluded unless specifically covered. European health cards do not apply in South Africa, and policy recommendations differ by home country and itinerary.

What a good policy includes

Emergency medical and hospital cover at private-facility levels; evacuation and repatriation, rarely needed and expensive when it is; the adventure-activities extension, checked against your actual plans; car-hire excess cover if you are driving, which turns a windscreen or scratch dispute into a shrug; and baggage cover calibrated to reality rather than fantasy. Keep the policy document and the 24-hour emergency number on your phone, and tell your travel companions where it lives.

The drinking rules, plainly

The legal purchase age is 18, and venues may ask for identification. Licensed bars, restaurants and stores trade within regulated hours. Do not assume that alcohol is allowed on a beach, promenade, park or picnic area: municipal bylaws, reserve rules and venue conditions can prohibit it. Read posted signs and follow current local guidance.

Driving and drinking: make zero your personal limit

South African law sets alcohol limits for drivers, but individual impairment and breath or blood readings are not something a visitor should try to calculate. Roadblocks are used and penalties are serious. The safest practical rule is zero alcohol for the driver, especially when using a hire car. Arrange a sober driver or reputable ride service instead.

Where Aqua Terra fits

Aqua Terra is an owner-managed, five-suite guesthouse in Simon's Town, and the hosting includes the unglamorous bits: current word on the nearest pharmacies and after-hours clinics, honest advice on what your insurance should include for the activities you have planned, and house rules, from quiet hours to the pool, that keep everyone's evening pleasant.

Check live availability for a Simon's Town stay, or message Garth on WhatsApp for direct booking help.

The short answer

Choose insurance that matches your medical, cancellation and activity risks. The legal drinking age is 18, local public-space rules apply, and the safest driver is one who has had no alcohol.