Question:
Is there a health protection that a North American should use in Southern Africa (RSA, Zim, Namibia) regarding drinking water purity?

I have been innoculated for typhoid, hep A, and polio; I'm asking now about the annoying and uncomfortable threats, not threat to life.

Is the city water supply in the major cities healthful? What about drinking water in National Parks in those nations? Are there worries about microbial contamination?

I bear in mind that precautions such as bottled, filtered, or treated water is recommended in Latin America - what about the tourist destinations in Africa? Is bottled water available in stores? In the campgrounds? Should I carry a micropore filter? Or purification tablets (iodine?)?

Answer: Water in South Africa: 100% in all cities and towns - first class and quite safe. Beware that almost all river and dam water may carry bilharzia in the eastern part of the country. Treat all open water in Africa with great suspicion.

Namibia - much the same as South Africa.

Zimbabwe - okay in the cities, but I would enquire locally before using water in smaller towns.

Bottled water is available freely in South Africa and Namibia.