Ethiopia's flag carrier, Ethiopian Airlines, is set to resume flights between Bole International Airport (ADD) in Addis Ababa and Athens International Airport (ATH) in Athens as a stopover on its flight to Moscow Domodedovo Airport (DME) in Moscow, Russia. Effective 13 December 2019, the airline will operate three weekly flights from Addis Ababa to Athenson Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and three weekly flights from Athensto Addis Ababa on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Ethiopian Airlines last operated flights to Athens 18 years ago. The Greek capitol is the airline's 17th destination in Europe.
Addis Ababa 23:45 > 03:45 Athens(on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays)
Athens22:20 > 05:20 Addis Ababa (on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays)
update (02 October 2019): Translux just announced that the strike has come to an end. This was due to safety concerns for drivers following the unfortunate killing of a driver and injury of another driver.
update (30 September 2019): The bus drivers are still on strike!
Translux, a South African luxury long distance scheduled inter-city bus operator, just announced on Facebook that its services in South Africaand Mozambiquehave been temporarily suspended due to strike action that resumed late afternoon on 25 September 2019. The management of Translux advises customers to make alternative travel arrangements until further notice. Pre-booked and paid passengers are advised to keep their tickets for future travel as there are no refunds payable at this stage. Due to the strike action, there are also currently no tickets sold at any of Translux' sales offices and retail partners. We'll keep you posted! Translux is a wholly owned subsidiary of Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa). The luxury long distance scheduled inter-city bus operator services more than 100 destinations throughout South Africa and Mozambique.
Namibia has launched the "Visa on Arrival" pilot project at Hosea Kutako International Airport (WDH) in Windhoek on 24 September 2019. Under the new regulation, travellers from 27 African countries and 20 countries from other parts of the world are able to submit their visa application at the point of arrival and get approval and pay within a short period of time. The launch at Hosea Kutako International Airport (WDH) is the first phase of the project. The next phase will be rolled out at Walvis Bay International Airport (WVB) in Walvis Bay by the end of October 2019 and at Katima Mulilo border post by the end of November 2019. Noordoewer border post, Ariamsvlei border post, Oshikango border post, Trans-Kalahari (Buitepos) border post and Oranjemund border post will start issueing visas on arrival in the first quarter of 2020.
Namibianow issues visas on arrival at Hosea Kutako International Airport to travellers from the following countries:
update (26 September 2019): South Africa's labour court has blocked tommorrow's nationwide banking strike. It ruled in favour of Business Unity South Africa's (Busa) application to interdict the industrial action.
Travellers in South Africa should be aware of a major banking strike on 27 September 2019. Members of SASBO – The Finance Union, which represents about 70 000 workers in the banking sector, are planning to embark on the strike that will affect all banking services in South Africa including ATMs and online banking. According to the union, between 30 000 and 40 000 of its members across the financial industry are expected to be involved in the strike action. SASBO is planning five marches throughout the country in Johannesburg, Durban. Bloemfontein, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town. The marches will kick off at 10:00 and will carry on into the afternoon. Travellers in South Africa are advised to make sure that they have enough cash money and - in case they are travelling by car - enough petrol or diesel in their cars before Friday's bank strike begins. We'll keep you posted!
Namibia's flag carrierAir Namibia has released a public announcement in response to recent media articles speculating that the airline's operations will cease. According to the statement, there is no decision taken by the shareholder, the Government of the Republic of Namibia or the Board of Directors to close Air Namibia. There is also no pending application for the liquidation the airline by the end of September 2019. The airline also reassures that it will continue to fly as per published schedule for the foreseeable future. We'll keep you posted!
Privately owned Lanseria International Airport (HLA) in Johannesburghas switched the drop off and pick up zone around. The entrance to the drop-off and pick up zone has moved to what is used to be the exit. The exit is now by the bridge of what used to be the entrance. This change was necessitated by the need to alleviate congestion and provide all passengers and airport users with a friendly convenient zone. No buses are allowed to drop off and pick up in the main zone. The buses now have a dedicated pick-up and drop off zone of their own by Gate 3.
The largest Canadian-based online travel company, Flight Network, has published a comprehensive list of the 50 most beautiful cities in the world. Based on the opinions of a 1000+ travel writers, travel bloggers and travel agencies (including us!) from all around the globe, Cape Town in South Africa is the 7th most beautiful city in the world. Winner of the survey is Paris in France, followed by New York City in the US and London in the United Kingdom. Venice (#4) in Italy , Vancouver (#5) in Canada, Barcelona (#6), San Francisco (#8) in California, Sydney (#9) in Australia and Rome (#10) complete the list top 10 list. Congrats Cape Town!
Cape Town is a blend of distinct cultures and people groups, making it one of the most multicultural cities in the world. Thanks to its beauty, it also attracts a lot of foreign expats and immigrants as well, making it even more diverse. [src.]
Namibia's first private scheduled passenger airline, FlyWestair, is set to launch a new service to Cape Town in South Africa. Effective 07 October 2019, the airline will offer two flights a day every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and one flight on Sundays, from Eros Airport (ERS) in Windhoek to Cape Town International Airport (CPT) in Cape Town, with a quick stopover at Oranjemund Airport (OMD) in Oranjemundin southern Namibia. Westair Aviation Limited, which operates under the brand name FlyWestair, is a registered airline of Namibia. In June 2019, the airline was granted "designated carrier" status by the Namibian Transport Commission. This accreditation makes Westair Aviation an official scheduled passenger airline. Scheduled local flights commenced on 24 June 2019 from the airline's hub at Eros Airport (ERS) in Windhoek.
update (19 September 2019): South African National Parks (SANParks) has confirmed that the planned protest action at Kruger National Park on Friday (20 September 2019) has been successfully averted. In a meeting that was convened on 18 September 2019 with the majority of unions Health and Other Service Personnel Trade Union (HOSPERSA) and National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers Union (NUPSAW) a collective agreement was concluded and signed.
update (19 September 2019): According to the online edition of the "The Lowvelder", the threatening strike at Kruger National Park on Friday (20 September 2019) has been successfully averted. The unions accepted the new offer from South African National Parks (SANParks), and a deal was signed.
South African National Parks (SANParks) has received official information from the National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers (Nupsaw) and the Health and Other Services Personnel Trade Union of South Africa (Hospersa) that protest action ("strike") is planned take place at Kruger National Park'sPaul Kruger Gate on Friday 20 September 2019. The two labour unions further informed SANParks that staff from other National Parks in South Africa are also encouraged to withdraw labour on that day. According to SANParks, contingency plans are in place and will be activated with immediate effect in all parks to minimize any disruptions in the delivery of service to the guests. In a statement released earlier tody (17 September 2019), SANParks request its guests to note that the one-day protest action will be focused at Kruger National Park'sPaul Kruger Gate where management will receive a memorandum of grievance from organized labour. All other entrance gates to Kruger National Park and other National Parks will be operational as normal. It is for this reason that guests are advised not to cancel any bookings as a consequence of a one-day planned protest action announced by the two unions.
Johannesburg'sConstitution Hillis a living museum that tells the story ofSouth Africa's journey to democracy. The site is a former prison and military fort and is, today, home to the country's Constitutional Court. To commemorate South Africa'sHeritage Day (24 September 2019), Constitution Hill will open its museum doors to all visitors free of charge. This offer applies to general admissions for self guided tours throughout the precinct. The Constitution Hill precinct is located at 11 Kotze Street in Braamfontein, Johannesburg near the western end of the suburb of Hillbrow. The opening hours are daily from 09:00 to 17:00, with the final tour departing from the Visitor Centre at 16:00. Tickets for adults cost between R50 (Self-guided Tour using the app) and R300 (3hrs night tour).
The Namibia Airports Company Ltd. (NAC) has announced on Facebook that the upgrade of Hosea Kutako International Airport (WDH) in Windhoek is about to begin. The project, which has a budget of N$250 million, will commence on 23 September 2019 and is expected to be completed by the end of September 2020. According to the NAC, the Hosea Kutako International Airport expansion project is aimed at doubling the handling capacity of the airport to accommodate increased passenger movements up until 2030. The project will include:
Departure:
increase in check-in counters to a total of 18 counters
additional five self-service check-in kiosks
increase in the departure security screening points from three to five
increase in the departure immigration counters form the current three to seven counters
expansion of the departure hall to accommodate the growing passenger movement at the airport
Arrivals:
the construction of a new departure hall, as an extension to the existing terminal
17 immigrations counters as compared to the current eigh
South African National Parks (SANParks) has introduced a new tusker to Addo Elephant National Park in South Africa'sEastern Cape. The male elephant is 35 years old, has a shoulder height of 3.18m and tusks measuring an impressive 1.39m from the lip out. His weight is estimated at about six tonnes. Tembe is the first of three bulls which will be brought in as a donation from Tembe Elephant Park in KwaZulu-Natal. The Tembe elephants are known for the size of their tusks and are genetically diverse from the Addo elephants, making them ideal for improving the genetic diversity within Addo's elephant population of about 600 animals. According to AddoPark Manager, Nick de Goede, the other two bulls are expected to be introduced into Addo Elephant National Park before the end of the year.
update (01 October 2019): Ulendo Airlink launched the new service between Kamuzu International Airport (LLW) in Lilongwe and Chileka International Airport (BLZ) in Blantyre today!
Ulendo Airlink, a local charter airline based in Malawi, is set to introduce scheduled flights between Kamuzu International Airport (LLW) in Lilongwe and Chileka International Airport (BLZ) in Blantyre. Effective 23 September 2019, the airline will initially operate 14 return frequencies per week on board a 15-Seater Dornier 228. The schedule of the new domestic service will be slightly adjusted as soon as the runway reconstruction at Chileka International Airport (CLZ) in Blantyreis completed. Ulendo Airlink also plans to launch a four-weekly return service from Kamuzu International Airport (LLW) in Lilongweto the Southern Lakeshore (Lake Malawi) and Liwonde National Park in April 2020. Back in July 2019, the airline introduced a new triangle service between Kamuzu International Airport (LLW) in Lilongwe, Mzuzu Airport (ZZU) in Mzuzu in the Northern Region of Malawiand Likoma Airport (LIX) on Likoma Island in Lake Malawi.
The first phase of the upgrade of the 44-kilometre tarred road between Windhoek and Hosea Kutako International Airport to a dual carriageway, which commenced in January 2016, is expected to be completed by November 2019. The project is divided into two phases. The first phase comprises a section from MR49 (Mandume Ndemufayo Avenue or Kupferberg Road) to the extension of Sam Nujoma Drive, while the second phase comprises the section between Sam Nujoma interchange and Hosea Kutako International Airport. According to Namibia Roads Authority (RA) CEO Conrad Lutombi, the RA is "at an advanced stage in terms of the procurement process to appoint a contractor to proceed with the second phase". We'll keep you posted!
Iziko Museums of South Africa, which operates 11 national museums, the Iziko Planetarium and Digital Dome, the Social History Centre and three collection-specific libraries in Cape Town, will be celebrating South Africa's diverse heritage with the in_herit Festival 2019 – a dynamic, week-long cultural programme with free entry to selected museums. (Castle of Good Hope and Groot Constantia are free only on Heritage Day. The Iziko Planetarium and Digital Dome is half-price on Heritage Day. Museums closed on Saturdays and
Sundays, or currently under renovation, are excluded). The programme of the festical will include exciting and engaging events, activities, workshops, talks, tours and exhibitions. The 12th annual in_ herit Festival kicks off on 23 September 2019, with Heritage Day celebrations on 24 September 2019, and runs right through until 29 September 2019.
The Sterkfontein Caves Road (D1701) in the precinct of the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site in Krugersdorp has been closed from the intersection with R540 (Kromdraai Road) as well as at the intersection with P74/1 (R563 – Hekpoort Road) due to the development of sinkholes that urgently need attention. The rehabilitation process started on 09 September 2019 and is expected to be completed around mid-October 2019. Motorists are advised that only residents are allowed access during the period of rehabilitation. We'll keep you posted!
According to the acting director general of the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ), Mrs Margaret Mantiziba, the second phase of the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport (BUQ) expansion project is set to commence this year. The upgrade of the airport in Bulawayo will include a new air traffic control tower and related equipment as well as a new fire station with new fire fighting equipment. The construction of the new air traffic control tower is expected to start this year, while the entire projet is set to be completed within the next two years at at cost of US$13 million. Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport (BUQ) was established in 1959 as Bulawayo Airport. In 2013 a new passenger terminal building was commissioned (first phase of the expansion project).
The island of St Helena is looking for a "Napoleon Impersonator" to commemorate the anniversary of Napoleon Bonaparte's death. The impersonator should be a male person willing to appear at events throughout bicentenary celebrations in 2019, 2020 and 2021 and is ecpected to to act as an ambassador for St Helena. According to a Facebook post by Enterprise Saint Helena, a non-governmental organisation responsible for the economic development of St Helena, 27 September 2019 is the deadline for "Napoleon Impersonator" to apply for the position. The first public appearance of "Napoleon" will be on 15 October 2019.
St Helena is a remote volcanic tropical island in the South Atlantic Ocean, about 4,000 km east of South America and 1,950 km west of southern Africa. The island measures about 16 km by 8 km. St Helena is part of the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha and is most known for being the place where Napoleon Bonaparte died in May 1821.
Franschhoek Pass (also known as Lambrechts Road), located on the R45 between Franschhoek and Villiersdorp in South Africa's Western Cape, has been re-opened for traffic on 06 September 2019 by the Western Cape'sDepartment of Transport and Public Works (DTPW). The pass was closed due to rockfall since 22 June 2019. According to a press release by the Western Cape Government, Franschhoek Pass will be closed again for further remedial works, should there be any indication that the road is unsafe.
update (31 January 2020): The launch date has been postponed to 14 October 2020. Qatar Airways will operate four weekly flights between Dohaand Luanda.
The state-owned flag carrier of Qatar, Qatar Airways, is set to launch a new service between Hamad International Airport (DOH) in Doha and Quatro de Fevereiro International Airport (LAD) in Luanda in Angola. Effective 29 March 2020, the airline will operate up to five weekly return flights on board a Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, featuring 22 seats in business class and 232 in economy. Qatar Airways currently operates a state of the art fleet of more than 250 aircraft via its hub, Hamad International Airport (DOH) to more than 160 destinations worldwide.
update (24 September 2019):Mlondozi picnic spot in Kruger National Park spot is open again - it was closed for maintenance!
South African National Parks (SANParks) has announced that the Mlondozi picnic spot in Kruger National Park is currently closed until further notice. The popular spot, which overs a birds-eye view of Mlondozi Dam, is located off the S29, approximately 15 km north of Lower Sabie Rest Camp in Kruger National Park'SNkayeni Region (between Sabie and Olifants Rivers).
South African carrier Airlink is set to increase its service between OR Tambo International Airport (JNB) in Johannesburg and Pemba Airport (POL) in Pemba in northern Mozambique to meet increased passenger demand. From 24 September 2019 Airlink will add a Tuesday flight to its weekly schedule. Flights depart Johannesburgat 10:10 and arrive in Pembaat 13:00 and depart Pembaat 13:30 arriving in Johannesburgat 16:25. The additional flight will complement Airlink's current schedule which operates on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays operating one of the airline's Embraer ERJ135 37 seat regional jets.
The World Economic Forum (WEF) has released the biennial Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report (TTCR) 2019. It benchmarks the Travel & Tourism (T&) competitiveness of 140 economies and measures the set of factors and policies that enable the sustainable development of the T&T sector, which in turn, contributes to the development and competitiveness of a country. Spain tops the 2019 edition of the TTCR global rankings for the third consecutive year, followed by France (#2) and Germany (#3). Japan, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, Italy, Canada and Switzerland complete the Top 10. The island of Mauritiusis the highest-ranked Sub-Saharan African country in the Index on position #54 (regional #1). South Africa (#61, #2), which topped the previous regional ranking and fell eight places on the Index since 2017, is ranked second. The largest T&T industry in Sub-Saharan Africa is followed by the Seychelles (#62, #3), Namibia (#81, #4) and Kenya (#82, #5).
increased number of world heritage sites (16th to 13th)
upward revision for protected land (100th to 74th
negative:
one of the worst safety and security environments (132nd) in the world
plagued by high homicide rates (135th),
significant impact of crime on business (131st)
increasing fears of terrorism
poor health and hygiene conditions (113th)
scores low on the Environmental Sustainability pillar (124th)
significant deforestation (124th)
declining environmental enforcement and regulatory stringency (46th to 66th)
declines in the attractiveness of its natural assets (6th to 32nd)
worsening business environment (30th to 54th)
impact of taxes on incentives to work and invest (48th to 78th)
Government prioritization of tourism slipped from 40th to 75th
apparent reduction on marketing effectiveness (40th to 60th)
apparent reduction on overall country brand strategy (5th to 23rd)
declining quality of tourist service infrastructure (6th to 32nd)
lower level of primary education enrollment
broad drops in training and customer orientation metrics
conclusion:
If the South Africa can maintain its lead on natural and cultural resources and infrastructure, and reverse recent losses in areas related to enabling environment — particularly indicators on safety — it will be able to remain one of Sub-Saharan Africa’s key tourism economies.
Southern & Eastern African countries in the Travel &Tourism Competitiveness Report and Index 2019*:
Tanzania's flag carrier, Air Tanzania, has suspended its service between Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR) in Dar es Salaam and OR Tambo International Airport (JNB) in Johannesburg on 05 September 2019. According to Tanzania's Minister of Transport Isack Kamwelwe, the decision was made due to the "ongoing violence" in Johannesburg. This comes after a South African court on 04 September 2019 ordered the release of an Airbus A220-300 aircraft, owned by Air Tanzania, after it was impounded on 21 August 2019.
Angola has launched an online portal ("SME PORTAL") for foreign nationals to submit applications for tourism visas. Previously, travellers planing to visit the country had to to apply for a visa at an Angolan consular post prior to their trip. This took up to 20 days to process from the time of submission of the application. The new processing time is within 24 hours after applying for the tourism visa. Once issued, the tourism visa must be used within 60 days. It is valid for one or multiple entries, allows the stay in Angolafor a period of up to 30 days and can be extended once for an equal period.
The City of Cape Town is set to revive the famous Green Point Market, which was relocated previously to make way for the construction of the Cape Town Stadium and the surrounding Green Point Urban Park. The new location of the market will be the P4 parking area of the Green Point Athletics Stadium in Green Point. The City of Cape Town has appointed an interim Market Facilitator to oversee and manage the comeback of the market, which used to be one of the most popular and largest markets in Cape Town. The Green Point Market will initially begin with 200 vendors although there is space for 300. It is expected that the market will be operational by December 2019. We'll keep you posted!
Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) has published the on-time performance results of domestic airlines’ flying out of OR Tambo International Airport (JNB) in Johannesburg, Cape Town International Airport (CPT) in Cape Town, Durban's King Shaka International Airport (DUR) and Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ) in Port Elizabeth in August 2019. On-Time
Performance is measured by comparing the actual off-block time (when
aircraft pushes back) against the airline schedule time for a departing
flight. The measurement is done in accordance with the IATA
(International Airlines Transport Association) universal standard
benchmark with considers a 15 minute deviation from the scheduled time
as an on-time departure.
The North West Parks Board, responsible for the management of protected areas and public nature reserves in South Africa'sNorth West Province, announced on Facebook that between 08 - 15 September 2019 ("Mahala Week") all parks and game reserves, including Pilanesberg National Park and Madikwe Game Reserve, will be open to South Africans for free. In order to be allowed free access, visitors will be required to present their South African Identity documents.
North West Parks Board is the custodion of the following 15 protected areas in the North West Province:
