Being a South African I'm pretty used to spiders and snakes--in fact I think they're great. This guy looks like a relative of the Wolf Spider and is generally harmless. He could give you a nasty nip but it is unlikely to give you more than a sore finger. In my country the general rule is: the smaller the spider (like the geometric or black widow), the more poisonous he is. The larger baboons, wolfs and trapdoors bite but are not deadly in any way. At the other end of the spectrum is the "daddy long legs" who has very poisonous fangs but, fortunately for us, they are too small to inflict any damage. There are exceptions to the rule but not many. South American spiders seem to be the nastier customers!
