Western Cape: The Ski Hut in the Matroosberg Private Nature Reserve burnt down!

The Matroosberg Private Nature Reserve in the the Western Cape in South Africa has announced that its popular Ski Hut burned down during the last weekend. According to a statement on Facebook, the police is currently busy with a thorough investigation into the cause of the fire. The management of the Matroosberg Private Nature Reserve further announced that the Ski Hut will be rebuilt and that they will have something better to offer their guests "after the dust had settled". We'll keep you posted!

The Matroosberg Private Nature Reserve is situated on the working fruit, vegetable and protea farm Erfdeel about 35km outside of Ceres and about two hours from Cape Town. The reserve covers more than 1 000 ha of mountain area, including the Matroosberg Peak, the highest mountain in the Cape Winelands with a height of 2,247 m above sea level.

South Africa: Geelbek Restaurant in West Coast National Park changes opening times in June & July 2023!

South African National Park (SANParks) has announced that the Geelbek Restaurant in the West Coast National Park in the Western Cape in South Africa will only be open on weekends and then closed on weekdays in June 2023 and July 2023. The restaurant will be open again throughout the week in August and September 2023. 

Situated right on the picturesque Langebaan lagoon, the Geelbek Restaurant offers spectacular views of the West Coast National Park and the lagoon. It is surrounded with breathtaking natural vistas of flamingos and other birdlife, with a huge variety of game and wildlife. This Cape Dutch building is a National Monument and was renovated three times since it was first built in 1744.

South Africa: Airlink to launch flights to Malawi!

South African regional carrier Airlink is set to launch flights to Malawi. The airline is planning to operate three weekly flights between OR Tambo International Airport (JNB) in Johannesburg and both Kamuzu International Airport (LLW) in Lilongwe and Chileka International Airport (BLZ) in Blantyre from 23 September 2023. Airlink will fly their 37-seat Embraer Regional Jets on both new routes. Malawi becomes the 16th country to be included in Airlink’s route network.

• Johannesburg 11:00 > 13:20 Lilongwe on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays
• Lilongwe 14:10 > 16:35 Johannesburg on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays
• Johannesburg 11:00 > 13:05 Blantyre on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays
• Blantyre 14:15 > 16:35 Johannesburg on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays

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Study: The "Most Beautiful Vineyard in the World" is located in South Africa!

UK-based international specialist tour operator CV Villas recently conducted a study to discover where the world's best holiday destinations for wine lovers are. The study revealed that the best holiday location for wine lovers is France’s Champagne region and that the most beautiful vineyard in the world is actually located in the Western Cape in South Africa. Based on the number of associated hashtags on Instagram, the Boschendal Estate in Franschhoek is the world’s most beautiful vineyard. Founded in 1685, the wine estate is one of the oldes in South Africa. Set in the Drakenstein Valley surrounded by dramatic mountain landscapes, lush gardens and vines, Boschendal's original farmstead complex is now a national monument with a rich and intriguing history of more than 300 years.

The Tokara Winery (#19) in Stellenbosch, Waterkloof (#20) in Sommerset West and the Spier Wine Farm (#30) in Stellenbosch also made it to the list of the 30 most beautiful vineyards in the world! Congratulations!

Sieh dir diesen Beitrag auf Instagram an

Ein Beitrag geteilt von Boschendal (@boschendal)

To reveal the world’s most beautiful vineyards, CV Villas sourced a thorough list of 200 wineries from reputable sources and analysed the number of associated hashtags each one currently has on live Instagram posts. The number of hashtags was then sorted from highest to lowest. Those with the most hashtags were named the most beautiful. 

Cape Town: Lion's Head footpath closes temporarily! [update]

update (02 June 2023): The maintenance team has successfully installed a new ladder at Lion's Head. The chains and the second ladder will be replaced before the end of June 2023. The footpath reopens today, 02 June 2023. 

South African National Parks (SANParks) has announced that the Lion's Head footpath in Cape Town's Table Mountain National Park will be closed for ladder maintenance from 01 - 02 June 2023. Kindly note that no access will be permitted to the visitors to the top of Lion's Head however, the contour footpath will remain open. 

Lion's Head is a mountain between Table Mountain and Signal Hill in Cape Town. It peaks at 669 metres above sea level. Lion's Head is known for its views of both the city and the Atlantic Seaboard, and the hour-long walk to the top is particularly popular during full moon.

Kruger National Park Calendar - July!

Weather:

• warm to cool days
• cold nights & chilly mornings
• occasional winds
• occasional patches of hot weather
• almost no rain

Temperatures:

• between 9°C - 26°C (Fahrenheit: e.g. 28°C = [(28x9)]/5 + 32 = 82.4°F)
• visit our webcam page for live footage from Kruger National Park!

Landscape:

• water becomes scarce throughout the park
• bush is very dry; almost no leaf cover
• strange-smelling "potato bush" begins flowering

Animal Activity:

• game increasingly concentrated around water
• game spotting usually very good in the South of the park
• north of the park dominated by elephants
• resident raptors breeding
• many weaker aninmals taken by predators

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Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park: Park shops with changed opening hours due to stocktaking!

The Regional Communications Manager: Arid Parks at South African National Parks (SANParks), Genevieve Maasdorp, announced in the SANParks - Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park facebook group that stocktaking needs to be performed at all shops in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. The operating hours of the shops at Nossob Rest Camp, Mata-Mata Rest Camp and Twee Rivieren Rest Camp will therefore change between 29 May 2023 and 31 May 2023 as follows:

• Nossob Rest Camp: Shop will be open from 07:30 - 09:00 and again from 15:00 - 18:15 on 29 May 2023
• Mata-Mata Rest Camp: Shop will be open from 07:30 - 09:00 and again from 15:00 - 18:15 on 30 May 2023
• Twee Rivieren Rest Camp: Shop will be open from 15:00 - 18:15 on 31 May 2023

Ranking: South Africa is one of the most gay-friendly travel destinations worldwide!

According to a recent study by MyDatingAdviser.com, an online dating advice platform, South Africa is one of the most gay-friendly travel destinations worldwide. The country got ranked 11th with a LGBTQ+ travel index score of 86.2 out of 100 points. In order to determine the most gay-friendly destinations, MyDatingAdviser.com compared 34 countries around the globe and took into account the following eight factors: society acceptance towards homosexuality, sexual activity rights, civil union rights, marriage rights, adoption rights, military service rights, anti-discimination and gender identity laws.
The most gay-friendly destination in the world is Sweden, followed by the Netherlands, Spain, France and the UK. No other African country besides South Africa made it to the Top 20 gay-friendly destinations worldwide.

South Africa:

• LGBTQ+ Travel Index Score: 86.2
• Society Acceptance: 54%
• Sexual Activity Rights: Male legal since 1998. Female always legal. + UN decl. sign.
• Civil Union Rights: Limited recognition of unregistered partnerships since 1998; same-sex marriage since 2006.
• Marriage Rights: Legal since 2006.
• Adoption Rights: Legal since 2002.
• Military Service Rights: Since 1998.
• Anti-Discrimination Laws: Constitution bans all anti-gay discrimination.
• Gender Identity Laws:  Anti-discrimination laws are interpreted to include gender identity; legal gender may be changed after surgical or medical treatment.
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Zambia: Zambia Airways launches flights to South Africa!

The national airline of the Republic of Zambia, Zambia Airways, is set to launch scheduled flights to South Africa. The airline has announced that it will introduce direct flights between Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (LUN) in Lusaka and OR Tambo International Airport (JNB) in Johannesburg. Effective 01 June 2023, Zambia Airways will operate five return flights per week (Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri, Sat) to Johannesburg, using a Boeing 737-700 in a two-class configuration, business and economy class. Flights will become daily return flights from 01 July 2023.

• Lusaka 07:00 > 09:00 Johannesburg
• Johannesburg 09:45 > 11:45 Lusaka

Zambia Airways commenced operations on 01 December 2021. The airline currently connects Lusaka with the tourist heart of Zambia, Livingstone, Ndola in the Copperbelt Province, Solwezi in Zambia's North-Western Province as well as Harare in Zimbabwe.

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Agulhas National Park: A new art sculpture has been unveiled at the Southernmost Tip of Africa!

A new art sculpture has been unveiled at the Southernmost Tip of Africa in the Agulhas National Park in South Africa's Western Cape. "The Lesser Spotted Cape Creature" is a €15 000 project which is funded by Agence Française de Développement (AFD) through the Metis Fund and supported by South African National Parks (SANParks). It was conceptualised to create a unique opportunity for the area’s youth to connect on, share and express their concerns about the climate crisis through art. 

“The sculpture is symbolic as it is located in the southernmost tip of Africa. As climate change intensifies, women and men, species are progressively migrating to the poles in search of cooler climates. The location of the sculpture is symbolic, as the Agulhas National Park will eventually become the place where all species meet and are unable to go further. We hope that the sculpture will continue to serve as a reminder for us all, including tourists, to take action to tackle climate change." (Audrey Rojkoff, AFD Regional Director for Southern Africa and Country Director for South Africa)

Guided by artist Hannelie Coetzee, a three-day immersive workshop was conducted to inspire young people to become environmental leaders and to promote sustainable development in the region, through the Overberg Eco-Rangers programme, a SANParks youth outreach initiative. The sculpture was then created by Coetzee and symbolizes the intersection between art and science.

South Africa: Seasonal rainfall & temperature outlook (May - September 2023)!

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has released the Seasonal Climate Watch for the period May 2023 to September 2023. According to the seasonal outlook, the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is currently in a neutral state. Forecasts indicate that it will likely remain in a neutral state during winter, with predictions indicating a higher probability to switch to an El Niño state during late-spring (July - September). However, the impact of ENSO is limited for the coming seasons until the next summer season which may be impacted by an l Niño state if early predictions are correct.

The multi-model rainfall forecast indicates above-normal rainfall for most of South Africa during early winter. Of importance for the next two seasons, mid-winter (June -August) and late-winter (July - September), there is below-normal rainfall expected for the south-western part of the country and above-normal rainfall for the southern coastal areas of South Africa. As most of the rainfall during winter is expected in South Africa's far south-west, the below-normal rainfall conditions in those areas are expected to have a significant impact.
Minimum and maximum temperatures are expected to be mostly above-normal in the whole of South Africa for the forecast period (May 2023 to September 2023).

South African National Parks: Karoo National Park goes cash free!

South African National Parks (SANParks) has announced that Karoo National Park in South Africa's Western Cape will be going cash free. It is one of a handful of National Parks in the country which is implementing this approach during a second phase after the initial roll-out to others in September 2021. Effective 01 June 2023,  cash will no longer be accepted as a method of payment in Karoo National Park. Instead, visitors are urged to make use of the speed point payment systems. All trade and tourism activities, such as entrance/conservation fees, activity fees and accommodation fees, will be cash free and therefore cash will not be accepted. However, the independently owned and run shop and restaurant in the Karoo National Park  will continue to take cash as a form of payment.

Angola: TAAG increases flights between Luanda <> São Paulo!

The state-owned flag carrier of Angola, TAAG Angola Airlines, is set to introduce an additional frequency to its schedule between Angola and Brazil. The airline, which recently signed a codeshare agreement with Brazilian low-cost airline GOL Linhas Aéreas, will increase its flights between Quatro de Fevereiro International Airport (LAD) in Luanda and São Paulo/Guarulhos – Governor André Franco Montoro International Airport (GRU) in São Paulo from currently five weekly operations to six from 02 August 2023. The new frequency will be added on Wednesdays.

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Cape Town: Upgrade of the Sea Point promenade and Granger Bay parking area!

The City of Cape Town has informed the public that the Sea Point promenade and Granger Bay parking area project will commence on 15 May 2023. The 12-month long project will bring about new and upgraded walkways, public art, coastal structures, a play park, parking area, lawn and coastal vegetation areas. The Granger Bay parking area will be upgraded and will be closed for public use for the duration of the construction period. Provisions for temporary traffic and pedestrian accommodation have been made and signage will be placed in affected areas.

The scheduled work for the Sea Point promenade and Granger Bay parking area project is as follows:

• Upgrading of Granger Bay parking area
• Construction of a rock revetment
• New Fort Road play park
• Additional walkways
• Additional coastal vegetation and lawn planting
• Installation of interpretive signage to give heritage information
• Public art in the Sea Point Library

South Africa: Cases of Malaria on the rise! [update]

update (16 May 2023): The provincial Department of Health in Limpopo is raising alarm over massive surge in malaria cases. According to Thilivhali Muavha, spokesperson for Limpopo MEC for Health, Dr Phophi Ramathuba, the surge in the province is reported mainly in the malaria epidemic-prone areas of Vhembe (northern and eastern lowveld areas) and the eastern part of the Mopani region.

The South African National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) announced on 10 May 2023 that it is currently seeing a significant increase in malaria cases in South Africa, particular in the endemic provinces and Gauteng. The disease is endemic in some parts of Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal. The NICD is urging people with fever or "flu-like" illness, who reside in a malaria-risk area or have travelled to a malaria-risk area (irrespective of malaria season, transmission intensity or chemoprophylaxis use), in the past six weeks, to test using a blood smear microscopy or malaria rapid diagnostic test.

Source: NICD; click on map to enlarge

Malaria transmission in South Africa is usually seasonal, with malaria cases starting to rise in October, peaking in January and February, and waning towards May.
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious and potentially life-threatening disease. It causes "flu-like" symptoms that typically include fever (>37.5 °C), headaches, sore throat, dizziness, cold shivers or hot sweats, joint or muscle pains, tiredness, and diarrhoea, nausea or vomiting.

South Africa: These two hiking trails in the Western Cape are among the 35 Best Hikes in the World (that anyone can do)

British travel adventure company Explore! recently named the 35 Best Hikes in the World (that anyone can do) and two hiking trails in South Africa's Western Cape made it to the list. The two hiking trails are the Robberg Hiking Trail (#27) along the Robberg peninsula in Plettenberg Bay (#27) and a hike to the Cecilia Waterfall via Cecilia Forest (#29) in Cape Town's Table Mountain National Park. Congratulations!

Photo by Sudarshan Bhat on Unsplash

 
The 35 Best Hikes in the World (that anyone can do) on Explore! list were evaluated according to their length (distance), elevation, duration, wether and instagrammability. The hiking trails in the ranking were taken from top trail recommendations from users on AllTrails, Komoot and authoritative travel blogs. The best trail in the world according to Explore!'s list was the Perito Moreno Glacier Trail in El Calafate, Santa Cruz (Argentina), followed by the Aoraki/Mount Cook Loop in Canterbury (New Zealand) and the Scenic Drive in the Zion National Park in Springdale, Utah (USA).

Zimbabwe has lifted all Covid-19 restrictive measures!

Zimbabwe has lifted all restrictive measures that it had put in place to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic with effected from 09 May 2023. Travellers are no longer required to produce Covid-19 vaccination certificates at ports of entry or at tourist resorts around the country. All border measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have also been lifted. The same applies to the mandatory wearing of face masks indoors in Zimbabwe.
The decision to lift all Covid-19 measures by the Zimbabwean government follows a World Health Organization (WHO) announcement that Covid-19 is now an established and ongoing health issue which no longer constitutes a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC).

South Africa: South African Airways announces fleet expansion to relaunch international routes! [update]

update (12 May 2023): According to German online publication fvw | TravelTalk, South African Airways (SAA) is planning to resume flights between Johannesburg and Frankfurt Airport (FRA) in Frankfurt, Germany, in autumn 2024!

The national carrier of South Africa, South African Airways (SAA), has announced in a statement issued on 05 May 2023 that it has been given the green light for a significant expansion of its fleet to pave the way for the relaunch international routes and increase seat capacity for its regional and domestic destinations. According to SAA's interim CEO, Professor John Lamola, the airline’s plan to lease six new aircraft has been approved by the South African Minister of Finance and the Minister of Public Enterprises. “The aircraft will be delivered before the end of this calendar year, and the planes include a wide-body aircraft as well as five narrow-body aircraft - all of them Airbus equipment,” Lamola said.
Lamola further stated that a Request for Proposals (RFP) is out for four Airbus A320 narrow-body aircraft. The other two - an Airbus A330 and Airbus A320 have already been secured from the lessor community on the same terms as the ones issued in the RFP. The four aircraft that SAA is ordering will all be deployed by September 2023.
South African Airways will announce the relaunch of its first international route since coming out of business rescue and since the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in the coming few weeks. We'll keep you posted!

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Mossel Bay: The St Blaize Hiking Trail has been reopened!

The Mossel Bay Municipality has announced that following repair work done to a section of the popular St Blaize Hiking Trail at the Cape St. Blaize Lighthouse and cave, the trail has been declared save for use and has been reopened. Hikers can thus once again access the trail undeterred from the lighthouse and cave at The Point in Mossel Bay.

The St Blaize Hiking Trail is a popular 13.5 km hike between Mossel Bay and Dana Bay that follows the 30 meter contour along the cliffs westwards from the Cape St. Blaize Lighthouse. The hike takes about six hours to complete and is moderately challenging. The St. Blaize Trail begins at the cave below the Cape St. Blaize Lighthouse, and ends at Dana Bay (you can walk it in either direction), and is marked with the sign of the Oystercatcher. Parking is available at both the St. Blaize Cave in Mossel Bay and in Dana Bay.

South Africa: Reserve Bank launches new banknotes and coins

The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) has unveiled South Africa’s upgraded banknotes and coin on 03 May 2023. The new denominations are available from today (04 May 2023) and will be introduced incrementally. The upgraded banknotes and coin series will co-circulate with the current series and retain the same value per denomination. The security upgrade is in line with international best practice to ensure we stay ahead of counterfeiters.

The upgraded banknotes continue to pay homage to South Africa’s first democratically elected president, Nelson Mandela, with his portrait featured on the front of all five denominations while the Big Five animals are depicted as a family. The new (fourth decimal) coin series is based on the theme of deep ecology, which celebrates the interconnectedness of humans and other living organisms as an integral part of the environment.

• R5 depicts the southern right whale along with a school of galjoen - South Africa’s national fish.
• R2 features the springbok family along with its habitat.
• R1 depicts the king protea.
• 50c depicts the Knysna turaco.
• 20c shows the bitter aloe.
• 10c depicts the Cape honey bee.

Iziko Museums of South Africa: Free entry to selected museums on International Museum Day!

On Wednesday, 18 May 2023, Iziko Museums of South Africa will be joining the International Museum community in celebrating International Museum Day (IMD), with free entry to selected Iziko museums sites in Cape Town. The Iziko Planetarium and Digital Dome, the Castle of Good Hope and Groot Constantia will not take part. The Old Town House (Michaelis Collection) and the Maritime Centre are currently closed to the public due to renovations.

Iziko Museums of South Africa operates 11 national museums in Cape Town as well as collection-specific libraries, a world-class Social History Archive and the most advanced digital Planetarium and Digital Dome on the African Continent.

The International Museum Day (IMD) is celebrated by museums worldwide on 18 May. Instituted by the International Council of Museums (ICOM) in 1977, IMD provides museums with the opportunity to showcase the importance, value and significance of museums in society.

Zambia: Proflight Zambia to launch flights between Lusaka <> Cape Town! [update]

update (02 May 2023): Proflight Zambia's new service between Lusaka and Cape Town starts on 01 July 2023.

Zambian airline Proflight Zambia is set to launch the first ever direct flights between Lusaka and Cape Town in South Africa. The airline will initially operate two weekly return flights on Tuesdays and Saturdays using its 50-seater Bombardier CRJ to Cape Town International Airport (CPT) in Cape Town. On other days passengers can continue to Cape Town via Proflight Zambia’s three-times-a-day service between Lusaka and Johannesburg and then onwards with its partner airlines Safair, Cemair and South African Airways.
The service between Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (LUN) in Lusaka and Cape Town is the airline's fourth South African route, adding to its Lusaka <> Johannesburg, Ndola <> Johannesburg and Lusaka <> Durban flights.

• Lusaka 08:00 > 11:30 Cape Town
• Cape Town 12:15 > 15:35 Lusaka

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Kruger National Park Calendar - June!

Weather:

• days usually warm, sometimes hot
• generally wind free
• cold evenings
• rarely rain falls

Temperatures:

• between 9°C - 26°C (Fahrenheit: e.g. 28°C = [(28x9)]/5 + 32 = 82.4°F)
• visit our webcam page for live footage from Kruger National Park!

Landscape:

• most pans and vleis dry up
• bush thins out
• grasslands begin receding
• umbrella acacia pods twirl out

Animal Activity:

• large elephant populations in northern Kruger
• animals concentrate around reliable water sources
• predators very active around reliable water sources

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Namibia: Water levels in the Fish River Canyon lower than expected!

The Namibian Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) has recenetly conducted an assessment of the Fish River Canyon. According to the findings of the assessment, the water levels in the canyon are currently lower than expected due to the low rainfall season in the south of Namibia. In light of this, Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR), the state-owned enterprise mandated to run the tourism facilities within the protected areas of Namibia, has annouced that water marshalls will be deployed in the Fish River Canyon to assist hikers during the hiking season (01 May 2023 - 15 September 2023?). The water marshalls will make sure that hikers have access to safe drinking water and will monitor water usage in the canyon.
NWR is further advising hikers to carry water purifying tablets during their hike to ensure that they have access to clean water all the times.

The Fish River Canyon forms part of the |Ai-|Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park, a peace park straddling the border between South Africa and Namibia. It is the largest canyon in Africa and the second largest canyon in the world after the Grand Cayon in the Fish River Canyon hiking trail is a 4-5 day guided or unguided hike with a total length of 86 km

Kruger National Park: Gate quotas to be implemented for day visitors during the long weekend (Freedom Day & Workers Day)!

South African National Parks (SANParks) has announced that daily quotas will once again apply at the entrance gates of Kruger National Park during the long weekend ahead (Freedom Day on 27 April 2023 and Workers Day on 01 May 2023) as an increased number of visitors is expected. Three time slots have been introduced, of which day visitos can choose from. Visitors are urged to make pre-bookings for their visits prior to their arrival. The times slots below will apply: 

• Time slot 1: 06.00 to 08:00
• Time slot 2: 08:00 to 10:00
• Time slot 3: 10:00 onwards

There are still gravel roads that are closed in the South of Kruger National Park due to flooding. Repairs are underway on the main road between Skukuza and Lower Sabie which was extensively damaged and remain closed. READ MORE

South Africa: Airlink to connect Kruger National Park with Victoria Falls!

South African regional carrier Airlink is set to launch a direct service between Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (MQP) in Mbombela (Nelspruit) and Victoria Falls International Airport (VFA) in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. Effective 28 November 2023, the airline will operate three weekly flights between the two destinations on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (MQP) is the major gateway for tourists travelling by air to South Africa's famous Kruger National Park.

• Mbombela 11:35 > 13:25 Victoria Falls
• Victoria Falls 14:00 > 15:40 Mbombela

To facilitate the new service, Airlink will adjust its alreday existing service between Mbombela (Nelspruit) and Harry Mwanga Nkumbula International Airport (LVI) in Livingstone to four weekly flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

• Mbombela 11:35 > 13:30 Livingstone
• Livingstone 14:00 > 15:40 Mbombela

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Iziko Museums of South Africa: Free entry to selected museums on Freedom Day!

Iziko Museums of South Africa has announced that it will be offering free entry to selected museums in Cape Town on Freedom Day (27 April 2023). This includes Bo-Kaap Museum (71 Wale Street), Slave Lodge (Corner Adderley and Wale Streets), Rust en Vreugd (78 Buitenkant Street), Bertram House (Hiddingh Campus, Orange Street), Koopman's de Wet House (35 Strand Street), the South African Museum (25 Queen Victoria Street) and the South African National Gallery (Government Avenue).

• Bo-Kaap Museum
  Mondays to Saturdays from 09:00 – 17:00
• Slave Lodge
  Monday to Saturday 09:00 – 17:00
• Rust en Vreugd
  Thursday and Friday 09:00 - 16:00
• Bertram House
  Thursday and Friday 09:00 - 16:00
• Koopman's de Wet House
  Thursday and Friday 09:00 - 16:00
• South African Museum
  Monday to Sunday 09:00 – 17:00
• South African National Gallery
  Monday to Sunday 09:00 – 17:00

Iziko Museums of South Africa operates 11 national museums in Cape Town as well as collection-specific libraries, a world-class Social History Archive and the most advanced digital Planetarium and Digital Dome on the African Continent.

Zambia: Proflight Zambia adds leased Boeing 737-500 to fleet! [update]

update (30 May 2023): Proflight Zambia has announced the arrival of its first 126-seat Boeing 737-500. The aircraft will be the third Jet added to the airline's fleet since emerging from the Covid-19 pandemic in 2022. Proflight Zambia's fleet with the addition of the Boeing 737 will now consist of eight aircraft: including three 50-seater Bombardier CRJ-100/200 jets, three 29-seater Jetstream 41 aircraft, and one 18-seater Jetstream 32 aircraft.

Zambian airline Proflight Zambia has increased the number of return flights from Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (LUN) in Lusaka to OR Tambo International Airport (JNB) in Johannesburg, resulting in the route between the two cities having more Zambian operated flights than South African ones. The airline is now operating three daily flights seven days a week on board its three 50-seater Bombardier Aerospace aircraft and is introducing a 126-seat Boeing 737-500 aircraft - leased from African Charter Airline of Johannesburg - to its fleet from June 2023 to meet demand. The aircraft will be on an initial six-month ACMI (aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance) contract, with an option to extend, the lessor and Proflight Zambia confirmed.
The Airbus A737-500 will signficantly increase Proflight Zambia's capacity for the 2023 season - using nine aircraft: the 126-seater Boeing 737-500, three 50-seater Bombardier jet (one CRJ100LR and two CRJ200LRs), four 29-seater Jetstream 41, and one 18-seater Jetstream 32, to service 10 destinations supported by 210 employees.

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Cape Town: The Table Mountain Aerial Cableway has announced the dates of the 2023 annual maintenance shutdown!

Cape Town's Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company (TMACC) has announced the dates of the annual 2023 maintenance shutdown. From 24 July 2023 until 06 August 2023, the Cableway will be closed for maintenance. Weather permitting, it will be re-open on the 07 August 2023. The Table Mountain Aerial Cableway will be opening according to August operational times, which are:

• First car up: 08:30
• Last car up: 16:00
• Last car down: 17:00
• Cafe: 08:30 - 16:30
• WiFi Lounge: 08:30 - 17:00

The operational times are changing to summer hours on 01 September 2023 (until 15 December 2023).

The Table Mountain Aerial Cableway is a cable car transportation system offering visitors a five-minute ride to the top of Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa. Since 04 October 1929, it has have been providing visitors with a world-class cableway experience when accessing the famous mountain overlooking the Mother City.

Cape Town: Tygerberg Nature Reserve temporarily closed to the public! [update]

update (02 May 2023): The Tygerberg Nature Reserve in Cape Town is open again to visitors with its water supply now fully restored. The operating hours are from 07:30 - 18:00, Monday to Friday, and 07:30 to 19:00 on weekends and public holidays.

The City of Cape Town has announced that the Tygerberg Nature Reserve is temporarily closed to the public until further notice due to a water supply disruption. The Nature Reserve, located in the northern suburbs of Cape Town, has been experiencing intermittent water supply since 14 April 2023 due to a faulty pump supplying potable water to our reserve facilities. A professional team from the City of Cape Town's Water and Sanitation Directorate is attending to the matter.

Photo by Amy Harrison on Unsplash

The Tygerberg Nature Reserve covers an area of 388 hectares and boasts 562 different plant species. Of these, 23 are threatened, 8 are endemic to Cape Town, and 3 are endemic to Tygerberg itself. It is also home to some 24 different mammal species, 137 bird species, 22 different reptiles, 7 types of frogs, and numerous different butterfly species.

Rwanda: Rwandair has launched flights between Kigali <> Paris!

The flag carrier airline of Rwanda, Rwandair, has introduced direct flights to Paris in France on 17 April 2023. The new flights to the French capital operate three times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Flights depart Kigali International Airport (KGL) in Kigali at 00:30, arriving at Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) in Paris at 09:00 the same morning. The returning flights leave Paris at 21:30 arriving in Kigali at 06:00 the following morning. Paris is the 25th destination on Rwandair's route map.

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Kruger National Park: Update on the upgrading & refurbishment infrastructure programme!

South African National Parks (SANParks) has released an update on the upgrading and refurbishment infrastructure programme that is currently taking place in Kruger National Park. The project was announced in May 2022, began in July last year and is set to run for three years. Funds for the upgrading and refurbishment infrastructure programme include payments from insurers, contributions from the National Department of Tourism but are predominantly from an Infrastructure Development Programme allocation to SANParks from the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment.

Almost a year later, progress which is measurable has been achieved in several projects as listed below.

• Rebuilding of the burnt Letaba Shop is 60% complete and the shop is scheduled to be operational by July 2023.
• Lower Sabie Petrol Station is 90% complete and is scheduled to be operational by May 2023
• Phalaborwa Wildlife Activity Hub (Phase 1) is 65% complete and is expected to be complete by the end of July 2023
• Upgrading of staff accommodation at Skukuza, Lower Sabie, Satara and Olifants Rest Camps as well as Phabeni K9 has commenced whilst the construction and upgrading of 20 staff housing at Skukuza is nearly completed
• Construction of the Shingwedzi Main Building Roof is at 40% complete, several challenges and delays were experienced, the project is to complete by end July 2023.
• Shangoni Gate Development (Phase I) which includes the Shangoni Reception facility is at 65% construction including civil works, the Picnic and Camping Site have been delayed due to an amendment in the Environmental Authorization.
• Repair and upgrading of the viewing deck at Skukuza Rest camp which was impacted by termites is completed and in use already.
• Repair and upgrading of restaurant viewing deck at Olifants camp impacted by termites is also completed and already in use.
• Several tourism units have gone through refurbishment and are completed at Crocodile Bridge Rest Camp, Biyamiti and Bateleur Bush Camps.
• Repairing of the leaking and damaged thatch roofs at Shingwedzi and Mopani Rest camps is in progress.
• The construction and upgrading of Punda Maria luxury tents and Sweni trails camp will commence in June 2023. Delays on these projects were caused by the designs and late appointment of the contractors.
• Management is looking at appointing contractors for resurfacing and re-graveling of the roads.

According to Kruger National Park Managing Executive, Oscar Mthimkhulu, SANParks is on course to meet the deadlines which were set out at the beginning of the project. Mr. Mthimkhulu further gave an update on the roads damaged by the heavy rains and floods that took place in and around Kruger National Park in February and early March 2023. Most gravel roads that were damaged and temporarily closed have now re-opened although a few remain closed. The main road between Skukuza and Lower-Sabie is going to be a long-term project because of the extensive damage caused.

Addo Elephant National Park: Eight new double family chalets to build within the next 12 month!

South African National Parks (SANParks) has announced that the construction of eight new double family chalets and accompanying infrastructure will soon commence in Addo Elephant National Park in South Africa's Eastern Cape. The new facilities will be located in Addo Main Rest Camp. According to SANParks, these types of units have been in high demand for many years. The construction site will be located closest to Cottages 44 to 51. Work is expected to start later this week and will be finished in about 12 month. We'll keep you posted!

South Africa: Seasonal rainfall & temperature outlook (April - August 2023)!

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has released the Seasonal Climate Watch for the period April 2023 to August 2023. According to the seasonal outlook, the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is currently in a La Niña state, and forecasts indicate that it will likely return to a neutral state by autumn (March to May 2023). ENSO’s impact is limited for the coming seasons until the next summer season which may be impacted by an El Nino state if early predictions are correct.

The multi-model rainfall forecast indicates above-normal rainfall for the north-east of South Africa and below-normal rainfall for the south-west of the country during all predicted seasons. As most of the rainfall during winter is expected in the far south-west of South Africa, the below-normal rainfall conditions in those areas are expected to have a significant impact. Minimum and maximum temperatures in South Africa are expected to be mostly above-normal countrywide for the forecast period.