The Dutch government has become the latest country to impose a flight ban on all flights to the Netherlands with passengers from South Africa, the UK and various countries in South America due to continued Covid-19 safety concerns, following more contagious variants being found in SA, England and Brazil. The ban will be effective from […]

Sand sculptor Sonwabo Micheal Somfele has relied on the money he makes from making drawings and images at Lookout Beach in Plettenberg Bay for four years. But since the Garden Route was declared a hotspot, and the beaches closed, he is struggling to make a living. Artists and small business owners in Plettenberg bay say […]

Due to the new regulations released by the Dutch government last week, KLM has adapted its flight schedule beyond 18 January 2021. KLM will operate 4 flights per week from Johannesburg to Amsterdam and 3 flights per week from Cape Town to Amsterdam, with a technical stop to Dar Es Salaam. Passengers will remain on […]

JOHANNESBURG – Following the announcement today that Emirates will be temporarily suspending flights to and from South Africa from Saturday – 16 January – until and including 28 January 2021, the Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG) South Africa has issued a statement to reassure its stranded Emirates customers that Flight Centre will get them home. […]

JOHANNESBURG – South Africa’s representative of the hospitality industry, FEDHASA, has called on the government to fast track its vaccine deployment to make SA a more attractive destination to international travellers. South Africa’s competitiveness as a global tourism destination depends on perceptions of safety for travellers New AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine provides another viable alternative The […]

A simple bath in South Africa – with a stupendous view – is becoming a bit of an international star. Appearing today in The Daily Mail, one of the world’s most popular online media outlets, Grootbos Private Nature Reserve is featured as one of the amazing hotels on the planet where “the bath is the […]

England announced last night that as of 09h00 today, Thursday morning 24 Dec, no more flights will be allowed to enter the country from South Africa. This follows the discovery of at least two patients in the UK being identified with the Covid-19 variant from South Africa, a mutation which the South African authorities announced […]

DOHA, QATAR – Qatar Airways says it has paid out over R200-Million since March 2020, honouring its obligation to passengers who had travel plans impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. The airline said in a statement on Wednesday that this demonstrates its commitment to the SA market. The airline said it also helped repatriate over 12,000 […]

News that British Airways has announced plans to suspend 13 destinations, including the direct Durban – London route, has been met with disappointment by KwaZulu-Natal’s (KZN) Economic Development and Tourism Department… as well as understanding. The department’s Ravi Pillay has warned this will hamper growth of international air services into the province post-Covid-19, but said […]

Germany plans to ban all passenger flights between Germany and South Africa with an emergency order. Israel has implemented a similar ban on flights from SA. Both Germany and Israel, along with several other countries, have also closed their borders to the UK. German Health Minister Jens Spahn said on Sunday: “Tomorrow we are planning […]

Israel has closed its borders to South Africa because of the new Covid-19 strain that is believed to be driving SA’s second wave of infections. Israel has also stopped all flights from the UK and Denmark, it was announced on Sunday afternoon by the Israeli Prime Minister. SA has highest proportion of Covid-19 variant in […]

Holiday accommodation spots on the Garden Route have suffered devastating cancellations, especially in Knysna and Sedgefield, according to a survey. One third of owners say they have lost 50% of their bookings for the festive season. Some have lost over 80% of their revenue. According to the survey, run by online accommodation booking system provider, […]

KLM has announced that its planned flights will now go ahead, following the South African authorities issuing an update to regulations yesterday, 15 December. Last week KLM had announced a reduction in its flights between Amsterdam and South Africa due to new SA regulations which changed the entry requirements for airline crew travelling into the […]

Following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement on Monday evening about the closure of some beaches, longer curfew, alcohol restrictions and other guidelines for the festive season, the tourism industry appears to support the President’s attempt to protect South Africans’ lives as Covid-19 cases soar and SA experiences its second wave of infections. There is a lot […]

DIRCO Minister Dr Naledi Pandor has issued a plea to South Africans travelling to the Northern hemisphere for the festive season to exercise caution as most countries are deep into the second way of Covid-19. The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) said she was worried about travellers becoming distressed or even destitute, pending the […]

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has announced with “great disappointment” that it has taken the difficult decision to reduce its operations from South Africa to Amsterdam with effect from 13 December 2020. UPDATE 16 December: KLM resumes planned flights after SA authorities revise air crew regulations. KLM said in a statement on Friday: “On 3 December […]

The South African Department of Health has urged communities affected by malaria, as well as travellers to malaria endemic areas, to take the necessary precautions to prevent contracting the disease, and to seek treatment when they experience signs and symptoms. The department made the call as South Africa joins the Southern African Development Community in […]

The inclusion of Germany on the latest “red list” of high-risk countries not allowed into South Africa – except business travellers and those staying longer than three months – has caught many by surprise. “Attention, attention! South Africa put Germany this afternoon on the list of COVID-19 high risk countries, most probably with immediate effect,” […]

A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test certificate not older than 72 hours and travel insurance are just some of the requirements for travellers to South Africa upon arrival on the country’s shores. On Friday, Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula provided details on the requirements for travellers following the reopening of borders to international travellers with effect […]

South Africa will reopen its international borders on 1 October 2020, under alert level 1 of lockdown which began today, but not all visitors will be welcome just yet. SA to keep close watch on countries’ COVID-19 status The SA Government says while a ban will be put in place for international countries still experiencing […]

A beautiful BnB in Spain – Almijara Residence – which is owned by South African expats Paul Tilly and Maurice Jonker, has been voted the fifth best Bnb in the whole of the European country. A delighted Paul, who grew up in Zimbabwe, announced the news on social media today, saying: “As years go, 2020 […]

Tourism and hospitality establishments across the country welcomed the news that leisure travel inside provinces has been opened up by government, and the 9 p.m. curfew has been extended to 10 p.m. to make it easier for restaurants to cater to customers. “Intra-provincial travel will go a long way in saving the livelihoods of many,: […]

KLM has announced two more flights in July that South Africans in Europe can catch if they would like to be repatriated home to SA. KLM said today that on the flights from Amsterdam, it is able to bring South African nationals and permanent residents back home.   If you would like to be booked […]

Two South African airlines, Airlink and FlySafair, will start flying again over the next two weeks, with Mango also possibly joining them. Airlink said it would launch a limited scheduled domestic air service from 8 June, with flights on the Johannesburg-Cape Town and Johannesburg-Durban trunk routes, using 98-seat Embraer E190 regional jets. According to the […]

Comair is unlikely to start operating again before November this year, with a downsized fleet, despite the easing of restrictions on air travel as the airline requires a substantial cash injection, the company’s business rescue practitioners said today. Comair, which controls kulula and the local flights of British Airways, said it was in discussions with […]