On a recent morning in South Africa’s port city of Cape Town, Patsy Oosthuizen was working her volunteer shift in the coronavirus screening tent outside Tygerberg Hospital when a woman who had been waiting in line suddenly broke down in tears before her. The woman, whose name is not being revealed for privacy reasons, had…
Ryan Tate is supposed to be in South Africa right now helping to fight off poachers who hack horns off rhinos and kill elephants for their ivory tusks. But since the country announced a national lockdown in March to slow the spread of the coronavirus, Tate is stuck in the U.S. He can’t join his team out…
Malawi’s Blue Zebra Island Lodge is located on a private island in Lake Malawi just a short drive from the capital of Lilongwe. Since it’s opening the lodge has always been off the grid, however now they are finalizing a conversion from gas generator to clean solar energy. The new spa is also under construction…
The Mantis Collection opened Mantis Olô Bé Lodge in March in Andavadoaka, Madagascar. The lodge is a six-hour drive from the nearest international airport in Tulear and has seven rooms – three bungalows, two suites and two standard rooms – that overlook the lagoon. Each room features a large wooden four-poster bed with a built-in…
FlySafair, which aims to resume domestic flights when SA’s lockdown lifts, has introduced social distancing seating options, which allows passengers to elect to keep the middle seat next to them open during the booking process – at a price. “As a policy, we will fill window and aisle seats before allocating passengers to middle seats but…
The Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) has launched a new digital campaign designed to keep the islands top of travellers’ must-visit lists after COVID-19. The first phase of the ‘Dream Now, Experience Seychelles Later’ campaign was launched with the STB saying on its digital platforms: “The world may be at a standstill, but your dreams don’t…
Whether it’s goats in Wales or wild boar in Italy, animals around the world appear to be adjusting well to life without humans during the coronavirus outbreak. Even lions are enjoying the peace and quiet, a set of new photos from South Africa‘s Kruger National Park shows. The images show a pride of lions lounging on a road,…
South African Airways plans to lay off its entire workforce after failing to persuade the government to provide more financial aid, a move that threatens to ground the 86-year-old carrier for good. The state-owned airline has offered severance deals to all 4,700 staff from the end of this month after administrators concluded that a successful turnaround is now…
Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa has extended the COVID-19 nationwide lockdown. The lockdown, which started on March 30, was meant to end on Sunday (April 19) but has been extended to May 3.
Ghana became the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to ease movement restrictions after a 21-day lockdown of its biggest cities bought the government enough time to improve its preparedness for the coronavirus pandemic, said President Nana Akufo-Addo. Residents of the capital, Accra, and major centers are allowed to return to work from Monday even though…
Emirates has become the first airline in the world to screen passengers for coronavirus using a pre-boarding blood test. The Dubai-based carrier started administering rapid result tests to passengers on-site in a check-in area of Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport on Wednesday. The blood test for coronavirus, conducted by the Dubai Health Authority, were given…
African countries previously hit by deadly Ebola outbreaks are using the lessons they learned to fight the coronavirus pandemic, experts say, because they know how to rapidly track down, screen and quarantine potential patients. “When a certain outbreak is over, you have a capacity left behind that you can build on or adapt. It could be…
The past few weeks have not been easy for Nico Jacobs, founder of Rhino 911, a nonprofit that provides emergency helicopter transport for rhinoceroses in need of rescue in South Africa. That’s because times are much worse for the rhinos. Since South Africa announced a national lockdown on March 23 to limit the spread of…
A new direct flight operated by TAP is scheduled to start operating between Cape Town and Lisbon in November. The seasonal flights will operate three times a week until the end of March 2021. The first flight is scheduled for November 11, according to Wesgro Air Access Project Manager, Paul van den Brink. He told Tourism Update that…
SouthAfricanAirways(SAA), repatriatedover300South African citizens on April 14, 2020 aboard a specially planned charter flight from the Miami International Airport (MIA) to South Africa. This flight, chartered by Workaway International, operated with SAA’s new state-of-the art flagship Airbus A350-900 aircraft, departed Miami on Tuesday evening en route to Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. Workaway International is…
Mountain gorillas, today one of the most beloved wild animals on the planet, were little known four decades ago when the American primatologist Dian Fossey, commenting on a spate of brutal killings by poachers, warned that only around 220 of the animals were left. “The mountain gorilla faces a grave danger of extinction—primarily because of…
Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo spoke Monday with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. Secretary Pompeo thanked the Prime Minister and Ethiopian Airlines for their continued support to provide flights to American citizens stranded overseas by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Secretary underscored the United States’ commitment to supporting Ethiopia and working with international partners to…
An ancient Egyptian pyramid that came very close to total collapse is finally open to the public again after a 14-year restoration, CNN reported. The Step Pyramid of Djoser, built around 4,700 years ago, is Egypt’s oldest stone monument — even older than the Great Pyramid of Giza (built around 2560 BCE), according to CNN. Believed to be designed by the ancient Egyptian…
The government of Kenya is set to construct the first underwater museum in Sub Saharan Africa in the Coast region. The project which is in line with the country’s blue economy vision is set to boost tourism numbers in the Coast region according to Head of archeology at the National Museum of Kenya Dr. Caesar Bita. The…
Camera traps set up by researchers in DR Congo have revealed 43 secretive forest species such as giant ground pangolins, African golden cats, leopards, cusimanses (a species of mongoose), bonobos, forest elephants and the endemic Congo peafowls. Researchers in the 3,6 million hectare Salonga National Park (Africa’s largest tropical rainforest reserve) in the Democratic Republic…
The Kenyan government announced on Sunday (April 5) that it would extend the ban on all international flights by 30 days as the country intensified the fight against spread the COVID-19 pandemic. The previous two-week ban, implemented on March 25, expired at midnight on April 5. Cabinet Secretary of the Ministry of Transport, James Macharia, said…
The fallout of the Coronavirus pandemic is being felt everywhere across the globe. Here, I speak to Alice Gully, co-owner of Aardvark Safaris, a UK-based specialist tour operator working with a range of camps and lodges across Africa. She says that the repercussions in the decline of tourism will have an enormous impact on conservation efforts in Africa.…
The Seychelles will enter a 21-day period of restricted movement of people and shutdown of essential services from midnight April 8 as part of the government’s efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19. At a press conference April 7, the Seychellois Department of Health announced these new measures, after a Seychellois man – who works as…
Even during these difficult times, there is good news coming out of Malawi’s tourism sector. The newly built Mitengo House opened its doors recently and is a beautiful addition to the range of services offered by Kiboko Safaris. The lodge is located in Area 10 of the capital city Lilongwe, which is considered one of…
Vaya Trails is a new tour company offering hiking experiences through the escarpment of Eswatini. The company is the brainchild of five Swazi locals who are keen to share their love and knowledge of this unique environment, says a statement from Eswatini Tourism. “Vaya Trails offers guided, tailormade hiking experiences,” said one of the founders, Anna McGinn.…
Kenya’s government has created a National Tourism Crisis Steering Committee to not only plan the country’s tourism recovery post COVID-19 but include mitigating measures for emergencies during the pandemic. This was announced by Kenyan Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary, Najib Balala, who said the COVID-19 pandemic had caused a major impact on tourism sectors across the…
The President of Botswana, Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi, today (March 31) declared a State of Public Emergency that includes Botswana going into a nationwide lockdown from midnight on April 2. “Where the President declares a state of emergency when Parliament is not sitting, such state of emergency ceases after 21 days,” explained Masisi in a live broadcast.…
Zimbabwe has implemented a 21-day total lockdown, effective March 30, in an effort to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced that all non-essentials services would come to a halt during the lockdown. “Everyone must stay at home, except those seeking health services or buying food, medicine and vital supplies, as well as those manning…
After banning the use of all foreign currencies in 2019, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has reinstated the use of the US dollar as a currency in order to mitigate the devastating impact of Covid-19 on the economy. The Reserve Bank says this is an effort to simplify transactions for the public and to promote…
The national Airline, Air Botswana, has suspended scheduled services on its domestic and regional route network from the 27th March to 31st May 2020. This is in support of the national call to restrict non-essential travel in efforts to slow-down and arrest the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The suspension period is, however, subject to…
If local tourism suppliers are not flexible with cancellation policies and fees amid the COVID-19 pandemic they could potentially destroy long-term relationships with global tour operators and DMCs and lose future business. This is the opinion of Juliane Loubser, MD of Cape Town-based DMC, Fairfield Tours, who told Tourism Update that many South African tourism suppliers were sticking…
Countries around the world are adopting and integrating the United Nations World Tourism Organisation’s new ‘Stay home today so you can travel tomorrow’ campaign to curb the spread of COVID-19 while still stimulating travel appetites for the future. UNWTO is promoting the tagline on digital media through the hashtag #TravelTomorrow. It encourages travellers to adhere to…
Airlink, the South African-based domestic and regional airline, is suspending all operations after midnight this Thursday, 26 March 2020 in support of South Africa’s lock-down to slow and contain the spread of the COVID-19 “Coronavirus”. “In the face of this global public health emergency, the safety and well-being of our customers, crew, employees their families…
Earlier this year, when the first reports of the coronavirus started to come out of China, global health officials said they were very worried about what would happen if the virus started spreading in Africa, where many health systems are already struggling. Well, now the coronavirus is spreading in Africa. So far the number of…
Malawi has imposed a travel ban on foreign nationals from countries affected by the Covid-19 disease. President Peter Mutharika announced the ban on Friday when he also announced other measures put in place to manage the threat of coronavirus in the country. “My Government has banned travel of foreign nationals from countries highly affected by…
Several African countries have confirmed their first cases of the coronavirus, while Rwanda has become the first nation in Africa to be placed on lockdown. According to the World Health Organization, more than 1,000 cases had been reported across Africa as of Sunday. In Uganda, Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng announced the first case, saying that a man flew…
As the coronavirus infects more people around the world, conservationists are warning of the risk to another vulnerable species: Africa’s endangered mountain gorilla. Congo’s Virunga National Park, home to about a third of the world’s mountain gorillas, is barring visitors until June 1, citing “advice from scientific experts indicating that primates, including mountain gorillas, are…
South Africa has announced a nationwide lockdown of its 56 million inhabitants for 21 days, enforced by police and the army, in a bid to curtail the spread of coronavirus. Confirmed cases in the country currently sit at 552, the highest in Africa but much lower than other major economies across Europe and the Americas,…
Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary in Uganda, which cares for orphaned chimpanzees, is closing until the end of April. “COVID-19 affects humans but can potentially also affect chimpanzees and other apes. The risk to our closest cousins is enormous,” says Executive Director Dr Joshua Rukundo. To protect both visitors and the chimps, the sanctuary is closed to all…
Tourism Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane says she has instructed that tourist attractions across the country be closed following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement of a national lockdown from midnight on Thursday to curb the spread of COVID-19. “We are saying to tour operators and tour guides, you have an obligation to be responsible and protect South Africans…
Please see the following message from Kenya Airways Group Managing Director and CEO, Allan Kilavuka Greetings, We in Kenya Airways have been working hard to help our passengers return to their homes given the increased travel restrictions across the world. As we mentioned in our previous communication, we have been forced to reduce our network…
Solomon (Sol) Kerzner, one of the world’s most innovative hoteliers, founder of the Southern Sun hotel group, Sun International and Kerzner International, has died of cancer surrounded by his family at the Kerzner family home, Leeukoppie Estate, in Cape Town, South Africa. Always a maverick, Kerzner was a titan of the hotel and resort industry who redefined the scale and…
South African Airways (SAA) is suspending all international and some regional Africa flights, effective March 20 through May 31, 2020. This immediate action has become necessary due to additional restrictions that have recently been implemented to prevent the spread of COVID-19 Coronavirus throughout South Africa. Please see the attached press release that was issued by…
In a sweeping set of measures Sunday, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said visas of citizens from high-risk countries, including the United States, have been revoked to contain the coronavirus epidemic. Although South Africa has seen only 61 cases of the coronavirus, and no deaths so far, according to officials, this visa shutdown appeared to be aimed at work visas.…
The Republic of Ghana has instituted a stringent travel restriction in its bid to control the Coronavirus in the country. Ghana has confirmed at least six cases. According to a new travel advisory released by the country’s Information Ministry, any traveller, except for Ghanaian citizens and persons with Ghana residence permits, who within 14 days…
As the novel coronavirus rages through the world and spreads rapidly in the U.S., Africa is the least-affected continent at the moment, with less than 300 reported cases in roughly half of its 54 countries so far. A number of media outlets have reacted with a confounded tone, surprised that Africa does not have more…
Seychelles on Monday announced it is temporarily closing down the island nation to cruise ships, a decision taken to protect the population from the threat of the COVID-19 virus but one that will also carry economic reverberations. Top government officials met on Monday to discuss the imminent arrival of a new cruise ship — the Norwegian Spirit — and…
Kenya halted the entry of foreigners from countries that have confirmed coronavirus cases and suspended schools in a bid to reduce the risk of contagion within the East African country. “Only Kenyan citizens and any foreigners with valid residence permits will be allowed to come in provided they proceed on self-quarantine or to a government…
Transnet Ports Authority (TNPA) has confirmed that two cruise liners are being held “off port limits” following one crew member displaying COVID-19 symptoms (the suspected case has yet to be confirmed). TNPA said in a press statement that it was the first suspected case of COVID-19 in a South African seaport. The crew member had…
SA Express will suspend operations from today (18 March 2020) until further notice. This is in light of “recent adverse developments”, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the airline said in a brief statement. This decision will impact both SA Express customers and staff in the following manner: • All customers will be accommodated…