Travel restrictions to South Africa lifted

Guests from all countries are welcome to South Africa, as was announced during last night’s address by President Ramaphosa.  This is a most welcome and valuable next step on the road to recovery of the tourism industry in the country and a major leap forward on the journey towards a New Normal in travel to South Africa.

During last night’s address the announcement was made that travel restrictions to South Africa are lifted altogether and the dreaded ‘red list’ has been done away with. Visitors from all countries are welcome in South Africa, subject to a negative covid-19 test done less than 72 hours prior to departure.  Where necessary, travellers will have to go into quarantine at their own cost. 

This adjusted regulation is a major step forward from the previous regulation where visitors from certain countries were allowed (or not allowed) to enter South Africa – depending on the numbers and trajectory of infections in the visitors’ home country.  And that list changed every fortnight…

Back to last night’s announcement.  What happens should the test be positive?    Guests will have to go into self-quarantine and this will be at their own cost.  What that means for designing itineraries, deposits paid (and received) and possible changes in itineraries during the actual visit, is at this point unclear.  The chance of this happening   

Protocols are in place, screening takes place at every accommodation establishment and attraction you visit, wearing face masks when in public has become part of everyday fashion and there is the freely downloadable app for easy tracing. 

#SouthAfricaIsTravelReady, that’s for sure! Are our visitors too?!