Thousands of spiders call South Africa their home. While many are harmless some spiders can give painful bites which can get infected. Dangerous spiders such as the Black Widow can cause serious symptoms including severe muscle pain, abdominal cramps, excessive sweating, increased heartbeat and muscle spasms. Symptoms usually last for 3–7 days, but may persist for several weeks. The main nuisance from spiders are their webs. Large spider webs are both unsightly and very annoying if you walk into them.