Travellers to South Africa have been confused by headlines claiming that the law requiring minors to travel with an Unabridged Birth Certificate (UBC) had been “scrapped”. The law has not yet been scrapped… but Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom said in a statement today that his department is in “intense discussions” with Home Affairs to implement […]

You could call it a Johannesburg hat trick. The latest travel pages of the British Guardian newspaper have posted a trio of major articles about the City of Gold, including 1) some fantastic readers’ pictures of the city shared on Instagram, 2) the paper’s own alternative guide and 3) some insightful readers’ tips. Here’s a taste of the […]

If anyone in Britain has not heard about how cheap South Africa is for a holiday, the Spectator has published an article reminding them that “There may never be a better (or cheaper) time to visit South Africa”, adding that “Jacob Zuma’s economic mismanagement has a benefit for tourists: it’s as if a whole country […]

Department of Home Affairs (DHA) Director General Mkuseli Apleni said in a statement yesterday that the DHA is on track with the implementation of those Cabinet concessions on immigration rules which were announced in October 2015. These include an extension of the expiry date of the Parental Consent Affidavit, and the future roll-out of South African passports […]

Lots of us have it, a kind of nostalgia-memory about home triggered by the littlest thing. We’ll be somewhere abroad and suddenly see, hear, smell something that reminds us of South Africa. Even New Yorker Sean Evans still gets it after spending only two weeks in the country. In an article in Conde Nast Traveler […]

It’s hard to believe, but there have been 25 million people up Table Mountain on the cable car, and the 25 millionth guests were surprised by cheers on Tuesday when they got off the cable car. Watch the lucky couple arrive on top of the mountain: The two suddenly famous customers were Bafana Sibanyoni and his […]

South African Airways will stop flying between Johannesburg and Abu Dhabi, a route that was opened in March 2015. The Minister of Finance said in a statement on the weekend he had granted approval for SAA to cease operating the route, which has not performed as expected. SAA’s interventions to improve the financial performance on this route […]

A prestigious new list of the top places in the world to see in 2016 starts off with the Cape Winelands, which,  as it happens, have also just featured for all the great food and wine you get on the so-called “gourmet trail”. The highly esteemed Robb Report says in its Top 21 Destinations for 2016, “South Africa’s perennially picturesque […]

Muizenberg is the little place that could. So many times over the past decades people have believed that the  beach village way on the other side of Cape Town, the surfer’s corner, one of the oldest resorts in the country, might be on the rise. Well, now it finally seems to be coming true. Countless cars and buses used to […]

Cape Town-based journalist Sarah Khan recently embarked on a week-long road trip through Namibia with three other women, and wrote about the experience for The New York Times. Along the way she learnt 10 (and a half) lessons. Lesson 1. The Namibian sun is every bit as potent as you’ve heard. 2. As soon as […]

In February the low-cost African airline fastjet will be expanding what is expected to be a growing list of flights around Africa, when it flies two new routes from Zimbabwe to Johannesburg. Johannesburg is already a destination for fastjet from Dar es Salaam and will be the first international destination for fastjet Zimbabwe, according to recent news reports. […]

The luxurious boutique hotel Ellerman House, overlooking Bantry Bay in Cape Town, has joined 49 illustrious other hotels around the world in the latest “50 Greatest Hotels” named by the British Telegraph newspaper. The three other hotels in sub-Saharan Africa that made the list were designed, owned or managed by South Africans. They are Wilderness Safaris’ North Island […]

South African Airways is in dire straits. According to an internal memorandum of 6 November 2015 made public by the media last month, SAA is technically insolvent and thus guilty of reckless trading. It is therefore legally obliged under the Companies Act to file for either liquidation or business rescue. On 24 December, Citigroup withdrew […]

Even though the news from South Africa these past months has been alarming – the Rand having fallen to record lows, unemployment as high as ever, and the worst drought in years gripping the land – there is a silver lining: 2016 will possibly be the best year ever to travel to the country if […]

South Africa experienced a rise in the number of travellers in and out of the Republic during the festive season and turned back “only 0.6%” of foreign minors, according to a statement by Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba at a media briefing in Johannesburg today. The minister convened the meeting to clarify the traveller figures […]

Breathtaking landscapes. Abundant wildlife. Vineyards. Ocean views. Mountains and more. It’s the video everyone’s sharing this week: “Incredible Drone Footage from South Africa”. It was uploaded by Unilad on Monday, and has already attracted over 3.9 million views. UPDATE 27 March 2017: It’s just over a year later and the video now has almost 8 […]

Cape Town has had one of the busiest-ever holiday seasons, according to early figures – and it’s not over yet – the Cape Town tourism authority has said. Two major attractions, Table Mountain Cableway (with 28 percent more visitors than December 2014) and Robben Island (with 43 percent more visitors, almost 47,000 in December), had record-breaking numbers, […]

A panel of 10 travel experts have told Britain’s Financial Times that South Africa is one of the destinations to watch in 2016, with several factors – the England cricket tour, more diverse destinations in the country, the upcoming release of a sequel to Nelson Mandela’s autobiography – pointing to heightened interest and tourism numbers. The other areas around […]

Summer is the time many people head to the beach to enjoy a refreshing dip in the sea to wash away the years’ hard work. Being bitten by a shark remains a concern for many beachgoers even though statistically, the chances are extremely low. Last year, worldwide 72 people were bitten in unprovoked incidents with […]

The Telegraph newspaper in Britain has included Cape Town on a list of top places across the globe – from cities to countries to national parks – to visit in 2016. Other destinations on the list included Porto, Portugal; Yosemite national park in the U.S.; the Dominican Republic; Kenya’s Masai Mara; and the island of […]

An average of 10 families are being turned away from Heathrow Airport daily as they try to embark on a holiday to South Africa, according to a report by The Independent newspaper in the UK. The British newspaper says that the families are being denied boarding after “falling foul of draconian new rules that demand a full birth […]

Call Johannesburg what you will – ugly, the crime capital of the world, mine dump, blah blah blah – many of us have always loved it. And plenty of people who once avoided the place – staying cocooned at OR Tambo International on their flights to Cape Town or Kruger – are now venturing into this spectacular world-class city. […]

To celebrate International Mountain Day today, Friday 11 December, here are a few awesome and random facts about the Mother City’s 260-million year old iconic landmark…like did you know that Table Mountain is the only mountain in the world to have a constellation (“Mensa”) named after it? Or that there are over 350 trails you could […]

South Africa is known for its beaches – and its cold water in Cape Town – but there are plenty of other places to plunge in. This is only a small collection, but we thought it might get you in the mood. Arathusa Safari Lodge, Sabi Sand Game Reserve Sea Point Pavilion Pool, Cape Town Mac […]

High tea – that sumptuous invention credited to the Duchess of Bedford to quell the pangs of hunger between lunch and dinner – is still part of the culture at a range of hotels in Cape Town. So settle back and raise your pinkie as you enjoy the savoury and sweet treats found at some of the best high tea spreads […]