Flying lawyer
Ok. I won't ruffle any more feathers
Sounds like "Landing on a beach" is the Cape Town equivalent of the UK "Landing on a field". No doubt you have to accept some risks flying around the Cape Peninsula else you wouldn't be able to fly at all.
I think the biggest hurdle to flying in SA for UK pilots is the paperwork and having to write exams etc. I believe it's now easier than it was.
You are being a bit unfair implying that SA regulations are freer than other countries (such as UK). In many ways SA regulations are a lot tighter (probably for good reason) - you can't go off flying anywhere you like without a flight plan - which you can do in most of the UK. The UK also allows you to fly here on your SA license - but it doesn't work the other way round!
SA has a more European attitude to regulations (and always has) - the UK tends to be more pragmatic.