Currency
The South African Rand (ZAR). It's volatile — check the rate close to your trip, not three months out. Carrying some cash matters: tips, farm stalls, township vendors, and the occasional rural fuel stop still prefer it, though card acceptance is near-universal in towns.
Cards and cash
A no-foreign-transaction-fee card works almost everywhere with a chip and PIN; tap-to-pay is standard. Keep a backup card separate from the first — cloned cards happen, and a single-card traveller can get stranded. ATMs are everywhere in towns; use one inside a bank or a mall, not a freestanding street unit. Tell your bank you're travelling, or expect a fraud hold on day one.
Tipping
Restaurants: 10–15%, expected if service isn't included. Petrol attendants: a few rand (R5–10). Car guards — the bibbed attendants who watch parked cars: R5, more if they helped with bags. Housekeeping at hotels: R20–50 a day. Safari guides and trackers: R150–300 per couple per day for the guide, half that for the tracker — lodges usually give a guidance note or a sealed envelope.
What things cost
A good restaurant main: R180–350. A coffee: R30–45. A pint: R40–60. Park entry at a SANParks camp: roughly R100–400/person/day as a conservation fee. Self-drive Kruger is genuinely cheap for what it is; private reserves are genuinely not — plan your money accordingly.