South Sudan

Understand

History South Sudan was part of Sudan until it gained its independence in 2011, following a long war in which over 1 million people were killed, and a historic referendum. Although South Sudan was granted independence by Sudan after an overwhelming vote for independence in the referendum, relations between the two Sudans remain tense. Sudan depends on hard currency obtained from transshipping oil from South Sudan through Port Sudan on the Red Sea, while the landlocked South Sudan depends on access to that port, and the two countries have argued about terms for transshipment. There has also been some armed conflict over the oil-rich Abyei District which is ruled by Sudan but borders on South Sudan, and the Sudan People's Liberation Army - North, which fought alongside the Sudan People's Liberation Army that now rules South Sudan, continues to fight in the Sudanese provinces of Blue Nile and South Kordofan, with the sympathy and, allegedly, military aid of the South Sudanese government.

People South Sudan has more than 60 indigenous ethnicities. The Dinka comprise 40% of the population.

Climate South Sudan's climate is similar to an equatorial or tropical climate, and has a rainy season of high humidity and large amounts of rainfall followed by a drier season.

Holidays 9 January: Peace Agreement Day 16 May: SPLA Day 9 July: Independence Day 30 July: Martyrs' Day 25 December: Christmas Day

Books They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky: The True Story of Three Lost Boys from Sudan, by Benson Deng, Alephonsion Deng, and Benjamin Ajak. Not exactly something to advertise South Sudan as an appealing destination, but it's a vivid and moving account of the war that preceded the country's independence. Warchild by Emmanuel Jal What is the What by Valentino Achak Deng and

See

East African wildlife in Nimule National Park. Rumbec Freedom Square in Rumbek. White Nile. See the White Nile and the locals taking a drip from any of the restaurants located on its bank like Da Vinci and Afex. Afex. This restaurant has the best view of the iconic sinking ship that every humanitarian has on their Facebook page. Jebel Kujur. Hike up this 684m-high rock and get a good view of the city. However, it is crowded during the weekends. Check the security situation of the area before hiking up.

Do

Safaris to Boma National Park and Nimule National Park. See the parks by 4x4 vehicle or aircraft. See the greatest migration of mammals on the earth. If you're feeling charitable, visit the Angels of East Africa orphanage (as featured in the film Machine Gun Preacher), also located in Nimule.

Eat

South Sudanese cuisine is mostly based on grains such as maize and sorghum. The national dish of South Sudan is Kisra, a sorghum pancake. It is heavily influenced by Arab cuisine. The following are the most common dishes served:

Kisra. This is the main source of carbohydrate. It looks similar to Ethiopia's injeera but is more fermented, has a stronger sour smell, and has a rougher texture. It's color depends on what grain is used but most are made from sorghum, which gives its deeper brown color. Mandazi. Deep fried square donuts. Wala-wala, millet porridge. Aseeda, sorghum porridge Shaiyyah. Pan fried meat. Mahshi. Similar to the Middle Eastern dolma. Zucchini, tomatoes and bell peppers are stuffed with minced meat, rice, onions etc. in a bed of tomato sauce. Gurassa, yeasted pancake. Kajaik, fish stew. Ful sudani, peanut sweet. Molokhia. Made of Molokhia or Jews mallow leaves cooked in a meat based soup. Tamia, falafel.

Drink

South Sudan's first brewery closed in 2016. However a new brewery was opened in 2024. South Beer is one of their most popular products. In the towns of South Sudan such as Rumbek and Juba, Kenyan and Ugandan beers are starting to appear in bars at inflated cross-border prices. In Renk, you can even buy Red Horse,

Buy

Money

The currency of the country is the South Sudanese pound (ISO currency code: SSP). The official rate or "bank exchange rate" (above) is what you would see on sites like Oanda and mataf.net. You can exchange your money by paying in US dollars at supermarkets like Juba Mall, Lily's, and Phoenicia. They will ask you if you want your change to be in USD or SSP. There are also money changers that line some streets with stacks of SSPs but be wary of them. As of Jan 2026, the black market rate for US dollars is SSP 5,800. Coins in South Sudan come in denominations of 10-, 20 and 50 piasters, 1 and 2 South Sudanese pounds. Banknotes in South Sudan come in denominations of 5-, 10 and 25 piasters, 1-, 5-, 10-, 20-, 25-, 50-, 100-, 500 and 1,000 South Sudanese pounds. You can withdraw money with a Visa or MasterCard credit/debit card in any of the Ecobank or Equity bank ATMs in South Sudan.

Souvenirs Maasai Market. The Maasai Market is a souvenir place but the items sold here are souvenirs from Kenya and Uganda, not from Juba. Shea butter. You can buy unprocessed shea butter from the market.

Getting there

Visa requirements Visas are issued for US$100 at all border crossings and Juba International Airport. The length of the visas issued seems to vary randomly between 1 and 6 months. An invitation letter may be required depending on which official is at the desk on your day of arrival. The process can take 3 hours. If you do not have a local contact with official connections, it would be safer to get a visa before arriving in the country. Visas are now available from the embassy in London for UK₤50 cash and typically take 5 working days to process. The embassy in Nairobi is also a popular place to get a visa. Once in South Sudan, foreign visitors must register their presence in the country within 72 hours of arrival. Visitors must do this in person. As of April 2024, you can apply for e-visa on this website: https://evisa.gov.ss/. Single entry visa is 100 USD, three months multiple entry visa is 300 USD and six months multiple entry visa 350 USD. Make sure you have your Yellow Fever Vaccine card with you.

By plane As of 2025, the only direct commercial flights from outside Africa are from Dubai on flydubai and Istanbul with Turkish Airlines (suspended May 2026). Most airlines flying into Juba depart from Cairo (Egypt), Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Entebbe (Uganda), Nairobi (Kenya) and Khartoum (Sudan). Be careful of taking photos in the airport as this is actually not allowed but an increasing number of people are observed to take photos despite the rules.

By car Overland crossing from Sudan to South Sudan was closed from the latter's secession in 2011; Sudanese leaders have announced plans to re-open the border in 2016.[1] As of April 2024, crossing from Uganda to South Sudan is possible. The Renk crossing for Sudan to South Sudan is also flooded with refugees and retu

Getting around

By car Roads are unpaved, and during the rainy season from July to October and November, they often become impassable. Infrastructure is non-existent,