June 12, 2010
By Neesa Moodley-isaacs
At times of great excitement, sports fans are prime candidates to fall foul of criminals who want to score off their finances. Here is a comprehensive guide to help you keep your money safe.
Banking for tourists
South African banks have taken steps to make it easier for tourists to manage their finances while they are in the country.
Absa is offering assistance in a foreign language. A team of foreign language speakers will be able to assist visitors over the phone in 25 languages.
Absa's Pay in Your Currency allows tourists immediately to see on their receipt exactly how much they are spending in their own currency when using their debit or credit cards at various retail outlets.
The SA Travel Card is a prepaid card offered by Absa and supported by Visa. Once money is loaded onto it, tourists can use the card at any ATM across the country, as well as at any Visa pay point. There is a once-off cost of R100 and you can load up to R25 000 on these cards. All withdrawals (at point of sale and ATMs) are free. However, you can load the card only once.
Nedbank is offering a Visa prepaid card, which can be loaded with money and used at any Visa till point. There is a once-off purchase fee of R30 and you will be charged 2.5 percent of the transaction value each time you reload the card. To buy the card, you will have to produce your identity document or passport.
Western Union Money Transfer: visitors who exceed their budget and need to get funds from abroad can use the Western Union Money Transfer services available at Absa branches countrywide, as well as at American Express Foreign Exchange and Travelex outlets.
Barclays clients can use Absa's internet kiosks in more than 300 branches, rather than less secure internet cafés, to bank online. Absa has partnered with Vodacom to offer all Barclays clients a discount on prepaid packages, global positioning system (GPS) rentals and data cards.
To improve financial access for tourists from African countries, Ecobank cardholders will be able to withdraw funds from their Ecobank accounts via all Nedbank ATMs. Smit Crouse, the executive head of the Ecobank/Nedbank Alliance, says this will afford Ecobank clients significant savings on foreign exchange costs, particularly for those who previously had to convert their currency twice: first into United States dollars and then into rands.
Extended hours
Absa: Most branches in host cities will extend their weekday hours to 7pm between June 11 and July 11. Some will be open until 1pm on Saturdays.
First National Bank: Most branches in host cities will be open until 7pm on weekdays and until 3.30pm on Saturdays.
Nedbank: Most branches in host cities will open from 8am to 6pm on weekdays and from 9am to 3pm on Saturdays.
Standard Bank: Most branches in host cities will be open until 6pm on weekdays and until 1pm on Saturdays.
Emergency numbers
Absa: 0860 557557
American Express: 0800 110929
Capitec: 0860 102043
First National Bank: 0860 112244
Mastercard: 0800 020600
Nedbank: 0860 115060
Standard Bank: 0860 123000
Visa: 0800 110132
Internet banking
Christo Vrey, the managing executive of Absa's digital channels, says you need to follow the standard security measures that you would use elsewhere in the world:
Never share your password or personal identification number (PIN) with anyone.
Provide your online ID, password or PIN only once the browser has displayed the lock icon that indicates a Secure Socket Layer connection to the bank.
Do not make your passwords too personal - rather create passwords that have letters and numbers that cannot be guessed by anyone with access to your personal information.
Provide your credit card details only to reputable companies.
To ensure you are using a secure shopping site, look for the lock or key icons and security certificates on the web page.
Do not respond to any unsolicited emails promising you a windfall, asking for your help in transferring large sums of money or telling you that you have won a lottery you cannot remember ever entering - these are known as 419 scams.
At the ATM
Kalyani Pillay, the chief executive of the South African Banking Risk Information Centre, says there are a number of steps you can take to safeguard yourself against theft and fraud when you are at an automated teller machine (ATM).
Choose an ATM that is in a well-lit and safe area. Most shopping malls have banking halls that house the ATMs of the major banks.
Scan the area for suspicious-looking people before you approach the ATM.
Avoid an ATM if any part of the machine has been visibly damaged or tampered with, or if a cord or foreign object is hanging from the ATM.
Never force your card into an ATM's card slot. Use a different machine if you have difficulties inserting your card.
Always shield the keypad with your hand when you enter your personal identification number (PIN).
If you think the ATM is faulty, cancel the transaction immediately.
Some criminals may pose as bank staff members to create the false impression that they are there to help you. A genuine staff member will never ask you for your PIN.
Never write down your PIN or disclose it to anyone, and never lend your ATM card to anyone.
Credit card safety tips
Keep your card in sight whenever you make a payment, and ensure that you receive your card back from the merchant or retailer.
When eating out, if the waiter cannot bring the point-of-sale device to your table, go with the waiter to where the device is located.
Look out for skimming devices at ATMs and pay points. These are small, usually rectangular or square-shaped devices through which a card can be swiped. The information is then transferred onto a counterfeit card or used to re-encode a stolen card.
Destroy your card receipts before you discard them.
Travel insurance
Travel insurance can include cover for trip cancellation or interruption due to work reasons or involuntary job loss, theft or loss of baggage and personal effects, flight accidents and medical expenses.
Keep a copy of your travel insurance policy with you at all times and make sure that you understand who is covered, what is covered and how to go about making a claim.
Make copies of all travel documents, including your passport, identity document and insurance policy, and keep the copies in different bags so that you do not lose all these documents at once if some of your luggage goes missing.
You should have a comprehensive travel insurance policy that, if necessary, covers you for repatriation to your home country.
Health insurance
Foreign tourists who require hospital treatment while in South Africa should be aware that they may be expected to pay in cash or provide security for their bills at a private hospital. State hospitals in South Africa will charge you according to your means to pay.
Life Healthcare, one of South Africa's largest private hospital groups, says tourists who have contracted with insurance co-ordinators that have direct billing arrangements with its hospitals, such as Europ Assistance or International SOS, are unlikely to have any issues regarding the payment of their bills.
In the case of tourists who have travel insurance with any other companies, Life Healthcare will contact the insurance co-ordinator and request a letter of guarantee. If this letter is obtained easily, tourists will not have to provide any financial security to the hospital, but if not, they will be given a quote and asked to pay cash upfront. Patients without any insurance will be stabilised and given the option to pay upfront or be transferred to a state hospital.
Private hospital group Medi-Clinic says it has contracts with several international insurance companies.
Netcare, the third of South Africa's big three private hospital groups, says it already sees large numbers of international patients on a day-to-day basis and has procedures for dealing with them. It says it has staff who can be used as translators where needed.
Car hire
Christelle Fourie, the managing director of MUA Insurance, has the following advice if you hire a car:
Only rent vehicles from reputable car hire brands. A cheaper company can cost you far more in the long run.
Check the wording of the insurance policy about liability for third-party damages and other restrictions.
Check the excess, which can vary greatly among companies and can be extremely high.
Only the drivers named in the contract can drive the car. If you let an unnamed person drive the vehicle, it can invalidate any claim.
Pay the extra fee and hire a GPS unit to ensure you do not get lost in unsafe areas. It is best to plot your route before you leave your accommodation and double check it with someone who knows the area. Although a GPS may give you the quickest route, it may also take you through an unsafe area.
Know the emergency roadside assistance number of the car rental company and save it on your cellphone.
Do not leave items of value visible in a vehicle. Lock them in the boot.
Tipping
The Portfolio Collection, a tourism website, has the following guidelines about tipping:
Restaurants. It is customary to tip a waiter between 10 and 15 percent of the bill. However, check your bill carefully. Some restaurants, especially if they serve a large group of people at a table, may add a "gratuity fee" or "service charge" to your bill - this is the amount set aside for the waiter's tip. If you pay an additional tip, it is unlikely to be questioned.
Petrol stations. It is customary to tip the attendant. The amount is at your discretion.
Car guards. Wherever you park your car in the open, you are likely to find a car guard. Most car guards do not receive any remuneration other than the money they are given by motorists. Although the presence of a car guard significantly reduces the likelihood that your vehicle will be stolen or broken into, it is not a guarantee that your car will be secure. You can tip a car guard at your discretion, usually based on the length of time your vehicle was parked.
Accommodation. A standard 10 percent of the bill can be paid on check-out. This is usually distributed by the establishment among staff members such as cooks and cleaners. You can check with the individual establishment on their in-house policy on tipping.
Porters. Porters are usually tipped between R3 and R5 per item of luggage.
  
 
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