Call the SA embassy nearest to you
http://www.dfa.gov.za/foreign/sa_abroad/sau.htm which won't cost a pound a minute.
If you read kwachon's post properly you'd have seen that N. Ireland is on the list of visa free countries.
A PPL is considered a recreational activity much like scuba diving so it's still a holiday.
I'm phning the embassy to clarify this. Didn't want to because it cost 1 pound a minute.
You should ALWAYS call the appropriate embassy rather than relying on information from anonymous forums or flight schools; it'll save you a lot more than a few pounds.
Other than that enjoy PE.