In the course of your research abroad, you may decide that purchasing a particular book is the best way to go. Most South African cities have bookstores, but online vendors are a good option, too.

Amazon.com will ship to South Africa, but standard international shipping may take up to 40 days. Delivery times and shipping charges are less if you use the United Kingdom portal: amazon.com/uk.

Loot.co.za is a South Africa-based online vendor that opened for business in 2003. Like Amazon.com, their initial emphasis was books, and they currently stock over one million titles.

Internet Cafés

Many South African libraries offer public internet access, but internet cafés are another option. Although they charge for the use of their computers, and connection speeds may vary, they are more likely to be open in the evenings and on weekends. Most South African guidebooks include locations and pricing information for local internet cafés, but the online resource, Cybercafe Search Engine is also worth checking out.