Kirstenbosch: Centenary Tree Canopy Walkway voted "Most Beautiful Object in South Africa"!

The Centenary Tree Canopy Walkway at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens in Cape Town has been voted the Most Beautiful Object in South Africa (MBOISA) at Design Indaba Expo 2015. The walkway, designed by Mark Thomas and Henry Fagan, was the public's choice among the 12 nominated works in this year's competition.
The 130 m long walkway is commonly known as the Boomslang. It takes the visitor from the forest floor into and through the trees and bursts out above the canopy, giving spectacular panoramic vistas of the surrounding mountains, the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens and Cape Flats. There is no additional fee to walk on the Boomslang, other than the normal Garden entry fee.

The Centenary Tree Canopy Walkway was built in 2013-14 to celebrate the centenary of the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens in 2013, and opened to the public on 17 May 2014.

Tanzania introduces fees on wood carvings bought by travellers in the country!

update (08 April 2015): The government of Tanzania has withdrawn its decision of charging inspection fees and certificates for all wood carvings bought by tourists and travellers during their stay in the country for the best interests of tourism industry.

According to East Africa specialist Wolfgang H. Thome, the Government of Tanzania has announced the introduction of so-called inspection fees and certificates for all wood carvings bought by tourists and travellers during their stay in the country. The fee is payable on departure from Tanzania.

Inspection certificate items value under:

• value: $300.00
• rate: $16.00

Inspection certificate items value over:

• value: $300.00
• rate: $70.00

Royality per 1kg - $2.50

Export permit certificate value under:

• value: $300.00
• rate: $21.00

Export permit certificate value over:

• value: $300.00
• rate: $70.00

The top 25 small towns in South Africa!

The visa experts of SAvisas.com have recently compiled a list of South Africa’s most beautiful towns. Here are their Top 25 small towns in South Africa, in alphabetical order:

1. Clanwilliam
2. Clarens
3. Coffee Bay
4. Dullstroom
5. Franschhoek
6. Gariepdam
7. Graaff-Reinet
8. Greyton
9. Hogsback
10. Kakamas
11. Montagu
12. Nieu-Bethesda
13. Nieuwoudtville
14. Nottingham Road
15. Pilgrim's Rest
16. Port St. Johns
17. Prince Albert
18. Riebeek-Kasteel
19. Sabie
20. St. Lucia
21. Sutherland
22. Tulbagh
23. Underberg
24. Villiersdorp
25. Wilderness

flydubai increases the frequency between Dubai <> Zanzibar (Tanzania)

Dubai-based low-cost airline flydubai is set to increase the frequency of flights between Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (ZNZ) on Zanzibar. From 29 March 2015, the airline will operate four flights per week instead of the current two flights per week between the two destinations.
flydubai will also increase the number of flights to Juba (South Sudan) from five flights to a daily service (29 March 2015), to Bujumbura (Burundi) from two to three flights per week (29 March 2015) and to Alexandria in Egypt from two flights per day to three flights per day (June 2015).

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Zimbabwe: Victoria Falls Airport opens in September 2015!

update (12 May 2016): I didn't follow the story anymore, so I learned only just now that the opening of Victoria Falls International Airport (VFA) has again been delayed. The new opening date is... at the end of the year! According to Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ), the opening of the new international airport will be determined by the current works on the old terminal. Well... we'll try to keep you posted!

update (09 Dec 2015): Victoria Falls International Airport (VFA) terminal was opened to passengers on 02 December 2015. The official opening of the airport will take place on 13 December 2015.

update (02 Oct 2015): According to Zimbabwean newspaper Financial Gazette (online edition 01 Oct 2015), the facelift and expansion of the Victoria Falls International Airport (VFA) is due to be completed at the end of October 2015.

update (14 Sept 2015): The completion of the Victoria Falls International Airport (VFA) expansion project initially set for the end of September 2015 has been extended to 31 December 2015, the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) has confirmed.

update (11 Sept 2015): According to Zimbabwean news website The Source, Victoria Falls International Airport (VFA) in Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe) will miss the September 2015 completion deadline. However, the government of Zimbabwe remains hopeful that it can still be commissioned in 2015. We'll keep you posted!

update (09 July 2015): Despite reports that the construction work at Victoria Falls International Airport (VFA) will only be complete by December 2015, Zimbabwe's Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister, Walter Mzembi, revealed that the new look multi-million airport will be commissioned in September 2015.

update (29 April 2015): The new international passenger terminal of the Victoria Falls International Airport (VFA) is expected to have a handling capacity of 1.5 million passengers per annum; the existing terminal building will be converted into a fully-fledged domestic terminal.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ), the new look multi-million dollar Victoria Falls International Airport (VFA) in Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe) will be ready for commissioning in by the end of September 2015. The airport's runway is currently 90% complete (ready by July 2015) and the new terminal is at 65%; the tower is set to be complete by July 2015.
Victoria Falls International Airport (VFA), located about 18km south of the town of Victoria Falls, is undergoing a massive expansion project since April 2013.

Zimbabwe: The Victoria Falls International Airport expansion project >>

Recipes from Southern Africa: Cape Malay Fish Curry

Cape Town's Cape Malay cuisine is uniquely South African. The destinctive flavour of the dishes is a careful blend of aromatic spices, such as cardamom, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, garlic, tamarind and chillies. The strong flavours of the Cape Malay cuisine are a mix of mainly Asian elements, but there are also plenty of African and European nuances too. Enjoy a Cape Malay Fish Curry! Kudos LekkerFoodCookBook!



Ingredients:

• 600 g rockling, hake or other firm white fish fillets, skin removed
• salt, to season, plus 1 tsp, approximately, extra
• pepper, to season
• 60 ml cooking oil
• 1 tsp of fennel seeds
• 1 tsp of cumin seeds
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 tsp crushed garlic
• 1 fresh red birdseye chilli, halved lengthways
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground fennel
• ½ tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tbsp hot masala, or to taste
• 1 tsp medium masala
• 3 tomatoes, peeled, grated
• 1 tsp tamarind pulp, mixed with 60 ml boiling water and strained
• 1 tbsp brown sugar, or to taste
• 10 fresh curry leaves, bruised
• ½ cup chopped coriander leaves
• yellow rice, to serve

South Africa's most punctual domestic airlines in February 2015

Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) has published the on-time performance results of domestic airlines’ flying out of OR Tambo in Johannesburg, Cape Town International Airport, and Durban's King Shaka International Airport in February 2015.
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.

OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg - 15 Min on Time Performance February 2015 (airport target 87%)

1. FlySafair - 96.80% (January 93.75%)
2. British Airways Domestic - 94.04% (January 89.91%)
3. Airlink - 93.81% (January 92.50%) 
4. South African Airways - 93.09% (January 88.85%)
5. Kulula.com - 90.12% (January 85.90%) 
6. Mango - 84.30% (January 89.50%)
7. SA Express - 80.83% (January 80.90%)

Cape Town International Airport - 15 Min on Time Performance February 2015 (airport target 90%)

1. FlySafair - 98.32% (January 94.51%)
2. Airlink - 95.86% (January 98.42%) 
3. South African Airways - 95.12% (January 91.24%)
4. British Airways Domestic - 95.05% (January 91.71%)
5. Kulula.com - 94.11% (January 91.15%)
6. SA Express - 92.32% (January 95.26%)  
7. Mango - 91.16% (January 91.30%)

King Shaka International Airport, Durban - 15 Min on Time Performance February 2015 (airport target 91%)

1. South African Airways - 95.38% (January 91.25%)
2. Airlink - 91.73% (January 90.87%) 
3. Kulula.com - 90.48% (January 83.31%) 
4. British Airways Domestic - 90.47% (January 89.42%) 
5. SA Express - 89.10% (January 92.79%)
6. Mango - 85.27% (January 88.05%)  

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