South Africa: South African Airways resumes flights to Victoria Falls!

South African Airways (SAA) has announced the resumption of flights between OR Tambo International Airport (JNB) in Johannesburg and Victoria Falls International Airport (VFA) in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. The airline will operate six weekly flights, except for Saturdays, from 14 December 2022. With effect from 01 December, SAA will add three weekly flights between Johannesburg and RG Mugabe International Airport (HRE) in Harare, Zimbabwe. Effective 15 December 2022, South African Airways will operate daily flights between Johannesburg and Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport (MRU) on Mauritius, the main island of Republic of Mauritius.
According to South African Airways, more routes will be added to its network in the coming weeks. We'll keep you posted!

• Johannesburg 10:50 > 12:55 Victoria Falls (Sun - Fri)
• Victoria Falls 13:10 > 14:50 Johannesburg (Sun - Fri)

• Johannesburg 09:45 > 15:45 Mauritius (daily)
• Mauritius 16:35 > 18:55 Johannesburg (daily)

• Johannesburg 20:10 > 21:45 Harare (Tue, Thu, Sun)
• Harare 07:20 > 09:00 Johannesburg (Mon, Wed, Fri)

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South Africa: iSimangaliso Wetland Park in KwaZulu-Natal to increase gate & activity permit fees!

The iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority has announced the annual price increase of gate tariffs and activity permits. Effective 01 December 2022, the entry tariffs for iSimangaliso Wetland Park will increase by approximately 8%. New fees for international visitors will also be introduced as of 01 December 2022. Based on prevailing market conditions, fees for activity permits will also be increased as of 01 December 2022. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which resulted in the slow growth of South Africa's domestic and global economy particularly after and the ban on international travel due to the lockdown, iSimangaliso Wetland Park has not increased its tariffs since 2020.

Increase in activity permits effective 01 December 2022:

• Deep Sea Charter Fishing Permits
• R 2000.00/day
• Scuba Diving Permit  
• R 2000.00/day
• Spear Fishing
• R 1500.00/day
• Eastern Shores / Cape Vidal Game Drives
• R 1000.00/day
• uMkhuze Game Drives
• R 1000.00/day
• Western Shores Game Drives
• R 1000.00/day
• Bike rides guided–False Bay
• R 100.00/day
• Snorkeling
• R 600.00/day
• Boat cruise - Kosi Bay
• R 400.00/day

Increase in gate tariffs effective 01 December 2022:

 

Overnight Accommodation – A charge of R 12.00 applies per person per night.
Tour Operators – A daily permit is required to conduct tours within iSimangaliso Wetland Park. This permit can be purchased at the gates.
Community Conservation Levy – A levy of R 7.00 per person is payable. This levy goes towards our many social and conservation programmes. 

The iSimangaliso Wetland Park is situated on the east coast of KwaZulu-Natal. It is South Africa's third-largest protected area, spanning about 280 km of coastline, from the the border with Mozambique in the north to Mapelane south of the Lake St. Lucia estuary.

South African National Parks (SANParks) beefs up security at Kruger National Park this festive season!

South African National Parks (SANParks) has announced that it is increasing surveillance at Kruger National Park entry gates as part of the festive season 2022/23 anti-crime prevention. There will also be increased spot checks of vehicles inside Kruger National Park. SANParks will also implement vehicle number plate recognition, remote vehicle monitoring, radar surveillance as well as night flying with specialised infrared cameras.

“In addition to the normal ranger and security services patrols as well as the dedicated dog units with tracking hounds being deployed on poacher tracks, these will be enhanced during the festive season,” said Acting Kruger National Park Managing Executive, Dr Danny Govender.

The SANParks Environmental Investigative Unit (ECI), which has been successful in operations outside of Kruger National Park, will be joining hands with other law enforcement agencies in tackling criminals in adjoining villages. These operations will be targeted at those supplying rifles, ammunition,and recruiting poachers to commit crime. These are also the next level of poachers who transport and sell onward to their buyers. The operations are assisted by community members who often give good tip-offs to authorities which lead to arrests and convictions. In addition, ongoing collaboration with the Mozambican authorities will continue.
According to SANPArks, these measures are necessitated by the recent spike in poaching, especially snaring and poisoning, inside Kruger National Park which is indiscriminate and kills any animal that gets in contact with those elements.

eSwatini srcaps all Covid-19 entry requirements!

The Government of the Kingdom of eSwatini has announced that it has suspended all Covid-19 entry restrictions. Effective immediately, travellers intending to visit the country no longer require to produce a proof of full vaccination and a Covid-19 negative PCR test result at all ports of entry. According to Acting Prime Minister Themba Masuku, the relaxation of the Covid-19 restrictions came after low numbers of infections with the coronavirus were observed over a period of time in eSwatini.

"Government wishes to highlight that the COVID-19 pandemic is not yet over in the country and around the world. Therefore, the Nation is urged to continue to be vigilant and to apply preventive measures to remain safe", said Acting Prime Minister Themba Masuku.

Mpumalanga: Temporary closure of provincial nature reserves due to strike action!

The Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) has announced that its staff went on strike over wage demands at all its offices and 15 provincial nature reserves throughout Mpumalanga. In a press statement on Wednesday (09 November 2022), the provincial tourism authority said that its management is in discussions with the leadership of the National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union (NEHAWU) to resolve the dispute over the salary increments for the 2022/2023 financial year. According to the MTPA, both parties will continue to engage to reach a consensus and further ensure that operations at all offices and nature reserves in Mpumalanga can resume. We'll keep you posted!

South Africa: Lift to launch flights between Cape Town <> Durban!

South African airline Lift is set to launch its third domestic route in South Africa. Effective 25 November 2022, the airline will introduce scheduled flights between Cape Town International Airport (CPT) in Cape Town and King Shaka International Airport (DUR) in Durban. Lift will operate two daily return flights from Cape Town to Durban - an early morning flight and one in the afternoon/early evening. The early morning flight will depart Cape Town at 06:00 and arrive in Durban at 08:05, while the return flight will depart Durban at 09:00 and arrive in Cape Town at 11:15. The afternoon flight will depart Cape Town at 15:00 and arrive in Durban at 17:05, while the return flight will depart Durban at 18:05 and arrive in Cape Town at 20:20. Flights are open for bookings!

Lift launched operations in South Africa on 10 December 2020. The airline is a joint venture between former Kulula.com CEO Gidon Novick, former Uber executive Jonathan Ayache, and aircraft leasing company Global Airways, a South African-based ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, and Insurance) specialist. 

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South Africa's Blue Flag beaches, boats & marinas 2022/23!

A total of 51 beaches in South Africa, along with four marinas and two tourism boats and four marinas have been awarded full Blue Flag status by the 2022/23 International Blue Flag Jury. The Western Cape has achieved the highest number of Blue Flag sites, with 33 beaches, both tourism boats and three of the four Blue Flag marinas. The Eastern Cape has been awarded one Blue Flag marina site, as well as nine Blue Flag beaches. KwaZulu-Natal has been awarded nine Blue Flag beaches.
The Blue Flag programme also allows for potential Blue Flag sites to participate in the Pilot Programme. Twenty pilot sites in South Africa were recognised this year for working towards meeting the minimum requirements for Blue Flag status. There were also three beaches who received certificates for being awarded Blue Flag for 10 consecutive years: Preekstoel Beach in Still Bay (Hessequa Municipality), De Bakke in Mossel Bay and Kings Beach in Nelson Mandela Bay. The Hessequa Municipality in the Western Cape received a special certificate for being the only municipality in South Africa in which all designated swimming beaches have Blue Flag status!

Photo by Quaid Lagan on Unsplash

Western Cape Blue Flag beaches:

1. Cape Town - Silwerstroomstrand  
2. Cape Town - Clifton 4th  
3. Cape Town - Camps Bay  
4. Cape Town - Llandudno  
5. Cape Town - Muizenberg  
6. Cape Town - Bikini
7. Cape Town - Melkbosstrand
8. Cape Town - Fishhoek  
9. Kleinmond (Overstrand Municipality) - Kleinmond  
10. Hermanus (Overstrand Municipality) - Hawston  
11. Hermanus (Overstrand Municipality) - Grotto
12. Hermanus (Overstand Municipality) - Onrus
13. Pearly Beach (Overstrand Municipality) - Castle Beach
14. Struisbaai (Cape Agulhas Municipality) - Struisbaai
15. Still Bay (Hessequa Municipality) - Lappiesbaai   
16. Still Bay (Hessequa Municipality) - Preekstoel
17. Still Bay (Hessequa Municipality) - Stilbaai Wes
18. Still Bay (Hessequa Municipality) - Jongensfontein
19. Witsand (Hessequa Municipality) - Witsand  
20. Gouritsmond (Hessequa Municipality) - Gouritsmond
21. Mossel Bay - Santos  
22. Mossel Bay - De Bakke
23. Mossel Bay - Hartenbos   
24. Mossel Bay - Klein Brak
25. Mossel Bay - Glentana
26. Wilderness (Garden Route District & George Municipality) - Wilderness
27. Herold's Bay (Garden Route District Municipality) - Herold's Bay
    
28. Keurboomstrand (Bitou Municipality) - The Waves
29. Keurboomstrand (Bitou Municipality) - The Dunes  
30. Natures Valley (Bitou Municipality) - Nature's Valley
31. Plettenberg Bay (Bitou Municipality) - Lookout  
32. Plettenberg Bay (Bitou Municipality) - Singing Kettle
33. Plettenberg Bay (Bitou Municipality) - Robberg 5 

Western Cape Blue Flag marinas:

1. Knysna - Thesen Islands (Home Owners)   
2. Knysna - Thesen Islands (Thesen Harbour Town)   
3. Cape Town - V&A Waterfront

Western Cape Blue Flag boats:

1. Plettenberg Bay (Offshore Adventures) - Robberg Express
2. Plettenberg Bay (Offshore Adventures) - Oceanic Express

Eastern Cape Blue Flag beaches:

1. Jeffreys Bay (Kouga Municipality) - Dolphin
2. Cape St Francis (Kouga Municipality) - Cape St Francis 
3. Marina Martinique (Kouga Municipality) - Marina Martinique
   
4. Gqeberha/Port Elizabeth (Nelson Mandela Municipality) - Humewood
5. Gqeberha/Port Elizabeth (Nelson Mandela Municipality) - King's
6. Gqeberha/Port Elizabeth (Nelson Mandela Municipality) - Hobie
7. Kenton-on-Sea (Ndlambe Municipality) - Kariega
8. Port Alfred (Ndlambe Municipality) - Kelly's
9. Kenton-on-Sea (Ndlambe Municipality) - Middle Kenton-on-Sea 

Eastern Cape Blue Flag Marina:

1. Port Alfred (Ndlambe Municipality) - Royal Alfred  

KwaZulu Natal Blue Flag beaches:

1. Hibiscus Coast (Ray Nkonyeni Municipality) - Marina  
2. Hibiscus Coast (Ray Nkonyeni Municipality) - Trafalgar
3. Hibiscus Coast (Ray Nkonyeni Municipality) - Southport
4. Hibiscus Coast (Ray Nkonyeni Municipality) - Umzumbe
5. Hibiscus Coast (Ray Nkonyeni Municipality) - Hiberdene
6. Hibiscus Coast (Ray Nkonyeni Municipality) - Ramsgate
7. Ballito (KwaDukuza Municipality) - Thompson's Bay
8. Ballito (KwaDukuza Municipality) - Willard
9. Blythedale Beach (KwaDukuza Municipality) - Blythedale Beach

Blue Flag is a certification issued by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) that a beach or marina meets its stringent standards. The main criterias include standards for water quality, safety, environmental education and information, the provision of services and general environmental management criteria. Blue Flag is sought for beaches and marinas as an indication of their high environmental and quality standards. In South Africa, the first country outside Europe to be granted Blue Flag accreditation for its beaches, the Blue Flag programme is managed by WESSA (Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa) in partnership with participating coastal municipalities.