After a couple of hesitant holidays outside Europe (just) Morocco and then South Africa, I feel a lot more confident about doing it again. South Africa in particular was wonderful with my 2 year old and probably even better with older children. Its that great mix of the familiar and the exotic and exciting. You can wake up in the morning to a bowl of cornflakes and Teletubbies (of course) on the TV and then go off for a morning whale watching before a quick lunch of spag bol before going to the beautiful (really spectacular!) beaches where there are showers and baby changing places and life-guards and cafes etc. In a place like South Africa, unless you decide to be a bit more adventurous then I was - I stuck to the Cape really - then you won't need to worry about the effect of local food on your family's tummies, or about malaria, or any of the other major concerns on travelling further abroad. I intend to be even more adventurous next time, but I'm quite happy doing it step by step.
would be interested in your feedback on security in South Africa in general, especially when on a family holiday.