You could be mistaken for being under the impression that there's only one reason for going to South Africa this year. Yes, the FIFA World Cup is going to be massive, but what happens if you don't give a damn about the football? Well, for the football widows about to be dragged along to a month-long festival of sport, we've got a few suggestions.

Drool over some seriously impressive bling

Cape Town's Gold of Africa museum makes a decent stab of being an educational experience. The displays go into how gold has always been an important status symbol in sub-Saharan Africa, uncover legends about cities of gold and present some extraordinary room-sized maps and timelines. But it's mainly a massive bling showcase.

The precious shiny stuff comes in the shape of coins, bracelets, pendants, sword hilts and even horse whips.

And once you've developed a thirst for expensive trinkets, you can learn how to make your own. The goldsmith's studio at the museum has a number of jewellery-making courses on Wednesday evenings. These cover various bases depending on what you sign up for — one is about putting gemstones into wearable jewellery, others are on making chains and jewellery casting.

Go shopping

South Africa is big on its shopping malls, and amenable places to fritter away the savings can be found in the suburbs of every major city. These can be big, soulless affairs, however, and two of the more interesting options can be found in Cape Town.

The Pan-African Market on Long Street doesn't look too promising from the outside, but it is a TARDIS. Once inside, it somehow turns into a maze of interlocking shops, stalls and rooms full of carved giraffes. It's a top spot for souvenirs, but also has traditional crafts and fabrics from all over Africa.

For something truly unique, head to the Bromwell Boutique Mall in Woodstock. This is a high-tech, flamboyant take on the shopping mall concept.

The Bromwell is an old hotel that has been transformed so that every room displays unique artworks by South African artists, flashily reupholstered antique furniture and jewellery modelled by rotating mannequins.

Information on everything is on a touch screen, and you buy by swiping a card. The chosen items are then wrapped and sent to you with a certificate guaranteeing that what you've bought is a genuine one-off item.

It's bizarre, it's expensive, but it's one of the coolest window-shopping experiences you'll ever have.

Drink lots of wine

Another string to Cape Town's bow is that it has South Africa's most famous wine regions on its doorstep. Scattered in and around Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek are hundreds of wineries, most of which are open for tastings.

Amongst the most interesting to visit are Graham Beck (which is famous for its cap classique — the South African term for Champagne-style sparkling wines) and the Fairview Estate. The latter is a quirky affair that has goat roaming around outside. They live in a Rapunzel-like tower at the front of the winery, and are used to produce the awesome cheeses that can also be tasted at Fairview.

Another winery with a quirk is the Spier Estate near Stellenbosch. It has its own on-site Cheetah Outreach Centre, which hand-raises the speedy cats. And for the big aaaah factor, you can go and stroke them.

Get up close with a lion cub

Big growly lions don't take too well to being petted, but the younger version is far more amenable to human interaction.

Lion Park near Johannesburg and Pretoria has plenty of the big beasts prowling around, but its Cub World section is the most popular. Here you can get in with the little cubs, give them a stroke and pose for ultra-cutesy photographs. There's also the opportunity to hand-feed giraffes.

Go out on a game drive

Of course, for animal lovers, South Africa's must-do activity is to go out on a game drive. There are game reserves all over the country, of which the Kruger National Park is justifiably the most famous. The Pilanesberg Game Reserve is arguably the best easily accessible, malaria-free option. It's just under three hours away from Johannesburg, and hosts the Big Five (elephants, rhinos, leopards, buffalos and lions).

But delve beyond the ticklist, and it's the smaller beasts that give most pleasure. Think zebras having playfights, dominant males trying to shepherd unruly herds of impala around and warthogs trying hard to not annoy the hippos.

Pamper yourself

If the credit card can take the strain, then South Africa has some of the world's best luxury hotels and spas. The Cape Royale in Cape Town is a classic example: each room is an enormous, fully equipped suite. For pampering, there's a choice between the rooftop pool with sea views and the 10-suite Equinox Spa.

Perhaps the best all-rounder in terms of settling in for a luxurious stay, however, is the Palace hotel at Sun City. This ludicrously OTT fantasy Africa theme hotel is surrounded by pools, waterfalls and giant elephant statues. More importantly, it's attached to the enormous Sun City complex which contains everything from a cultural village and elephant-back safari operator to a theatre and multi-room spa.

Further details

Viator has trips to the winelands, Sun City, Pilanesberg and the Kruger National Park as part of its South African tour collection. For more information, visit Viator.com.

Got any tips on living it up in Africa? Enter your comments below.

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