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 […]

Watching this video about South Africans celebrating New Year’s Eve 2020 in Paris is a stark reminder of how different life is right now, just a few months later… but is also a reminder of how essential it is to cherish every moment. Even the one right now! South African traveller and filmmaker Michael Odendaal […]

What started as a dream holiday in the Maldives turned into a mega repatriation mission as South Africa and the world began to lock down borders… writes Jenna Berndt. A Flight Centre customer and his travel agent started a rescue mission that involved three weeks of sleepless nights, a US$104 000 charter flight, government approval […]

South African futurist and strategy consultant Graeme Codrington has issued a sobering reality check – there will be no overseas holidays this year, he says in the video message below. The SA author and founding director of strategic insights firm, TomorrowToday, says too many people think life will just rapidly return to normal when lockdown ends. […]

Any person or small business in the tourism sector, regardless of their skin colour, can apply for financial relief from the Tourism Relief Fund, says Tourism Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane. The minister said this following Afriforum’s announcement that it had served the department with court papers calling for the review of the Tourism Relief Fund. There […]

A Turkish Airline’s Airbus, Flight TK45, from Cape Town, South Africa, to Istanbul, Turkey, was declared an emergency at 19h45 on Thursday evening after its landing gear would not retract. According to an aviation guru who was tracking the flight, the Airbus A330-343 did patterns around Cape Town, burning fuel, before the decision was made […]

Young South Africans in their 20s are known for travelling the world, teaching English in foreign countries… but the opportunity to experience another culture in this way is not restricted to youngsters only. In the ‘Traveling Teacher Show’ video below, South African expat David Lederle – originally from Plettenberg Bay – shares some of his […]

Hollywood stars Michael Douglas and wife Catherine Zeta-Jones appear to be enjoying a fabulous Christmas holiday in Africa with their teenage children this year. Douglas (75) has been posting photos and video on his Instagram account showing the delighted family in various southern African countries. The couple, who married in November 2000, are with their […]

Could Victoria Falls dry up? That was the question the BBC’s Stephen Sackur asked last week in a HardTalk documentary about Zimbabwe in which the programme claimed “the effects of severe drought and climate change are having an impact on one of the world’s great natural wonders, Victoria Falls.” The show, which was aired less […]

Visitors to the Kruger National Park in South Africa are feeling blessed this morning after one of the world’s most famous wildlife reserves received an abundant summer rainfall on Saturday… although overnight rain did also cause flash floods with evacuations from the Sable Height camp and the Letaba River low water bridge was left under […]