Registered Yellow Fever Centre
Travel Vaccines for South Africa
South Africa covers a lot of ground, from Cape Town and the Garden Route to safari country around Kruger National Park. The advice depends on where you go, so our pharmacists use current TravelHealthPro guidance to plan vaccines around your route. You can book an appointment online.
Vaccines recommended for most travellers
TravelHealthPro advises that everyone should be up to date with their routine UK vaccines, including MMR and diphtheria, tetanus and polio. On top of that, most travellers to South Africa are advised to consider:
Hepatitis A, recommended for all previously unvaccinated travellers. See our hepatitis A vaccine page.
Typhoid, recommended for most travellers. Both injectable and oral vaccines are available. See our typhoid vaccine page.
Tetanus, if you have not completed the UK course, or a booster if your last dose was more than 10 years ago and medical care may be limited where you are going. See our tetanus page.
Vaccines for some travellers
Depending on your itinerary, you may also be advised to have:
Hepatitis B, which could be considered for all travellers and is recommended for longer stays and higher-risk activities. See our hepatitis A vaccine page.
Rabies, recommended for some travellers, such as those working with animals, staying more than a month, travelling to remote areas or taking part in water sports along the Northern, Western and Eastern Cape coast as far as Algoa Bay. See our rabies vaccine page.
Cholera, an oral cholera vaccine for people at increased risk, such as aid workers or those going to areas with an active outbreak. We’ll check stock when you book so it’s ready for your appointment. See our cholera vaccine page.
MMR, because TravelHealthPro assesses measles risk as higher than in the UK. Babies from 6 months old who will mix with local people may be offered an early dose. See our MMR vaccine page.
BCG (tuberculosis), recommended for unvaccinated children under 16 staying more than 3 months, and some higher-risk workers.
Yellow fever certificate rules
There is no risk of yellow fever in South Africa, so you do not need the vaccine if you fly straight from the UK. However, South Africa requires a yellow fever certificate from travellers aged over 1 year who arrive from a country with a risk of yellow fever, or who have spent more than 12 hours in transit at an airport in a risk country. This matters if you combine South Africa with a risk country such as Kenya. Since July 2016 the certificate is valid for life. As a registered Yellow Fever Vaccination Centre, we can check your route and give the yellow fever vaccine if you need it.
Malaria in South Africa: Kruger and the malaria-free areas
Malaria risk in South Africa is limited to certain areas and is seasonal, with transmission mainly from September to May.
Low-altitude areas of Mpumalanga and Limpopo, including Kruger National Park and areas near the borders with Mozambique, Eswatini and Zimbabwe: antimalarial tablets are recommended from September to May, together with bite avoidance. From June to August the risk is very low and bite avoidance is advised.
Far north-east KwaZulu-Natal and designated parts of Mpumalanga and Limpopo: low risk, so awareness and bite avoidance are advised. Tablets are not usually needed, but may be considered for some higher-risk travellers.
The rest of South Africa, including Cape Town, the Garden Route and Johannesburg: no malaria risk according to TravelHealthPro. Bite avoidance is still sensible.
Where tablets are advised, the usual options are atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline or mefloquine. We will choose one that suits your health and route. Any fever during or after a trip to a malaria area, even up to a year later, needs urgent medical attention.
Other health risks
Rabies: present in domestic animals, and since 2024 rabies has become established in Cape fur seals along the Northern, Western and Eastern Cape coast. Keep away from animals, including seals. If you are bitten or scratched, wash the wound with soap and water and get medical help straight away, even if you have been vaccinated.
Insect and tick bites: African tick bite fever and other insect-borne infections occur in southern Africa, so use repellent and check for ticks after walks in the bush.
Schistosomiasis: there is a risk in fresh water, so avoid swimming or wading in lakes and rivers. Chlorinated pools and the sea are not a risk.
Food and water: take care with food and water hygiene.
Altitude: Johannesburg sits at about 1,750m and Mafadi Peak in the Drakensberg reaches 3,450m, so ascend gradually if trekking.
Live vaccines, pregnancy and weakened immunity
Some travel vaccines, such as yellow fever, MMR and oral typhoid, are live vaccines. The Green Book advises avoiding live vaccines in pregnancy and in people with weakened immunity, so tell us if either applies.
Before you go
A small travel health kit saves a lot of hassle if you feel unwell abroad. It is worth packing:
Any regular medicines in your hand luggage, with a copy of your prescription
Insect repellent and high factor sun cream
Oral rehydration sachets and simple pain relief
Plasters, antiseptic and hand sanitiser
Make sure your travel insurance covers medical treatment and repatriation. Save the local emergency numbers in your phone before you leave; the FCDO travel advice for South Africa lists them along with current safety information.
When to book
Ideally book 6 to 8 weeks before you travel, which gives time for vaccines that need more than one dose. Leaving sooner? A last-minute appointment is still worthwhile. For trips that also include other countries, see our Africa travel advice and Kenya page.
Book your South Africa travel consultation
Every appointment is with one of our pharmacists. We check your whole itinerary against current UK guidance and go through every vaccine and travel medicine you might need in one visit.
We have two branches, and both are registered Yellow Fever Vaccination Centres. Cambridge Travel Clinic at Petersfield Pharmacy, 56 Mill Road, Cambridge CB1 2AS (01223 354383), is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm. Book at Mill Road online. Cambridge Travel Clinic at Waterbeach Pharmacy, 5 Greenside, Waterbeach, Cambridge CB25 9HW (01223 564422), is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 1pm and 1:30pm to 5:45pm. Book at Waterbeach online.
We see travellers from Cambridge, Cherry Hinton, Trumpington, Chesterton, Histon, Milton, Cottenham, Waterbeach and nearby villages. Our current fees are on the pricing page. You can also read about Kenya and other destinations in Africa.
We’re happy to talk through your plans, however close your departure.