Covid-19: South Africa returns to stricter lockdown!

In an effort to counter the increase in the number of Covid-19 infections in South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced that the country will be placed on Adjusted Alert Level 2 with effect from today (31 May 2021). The President announced in a national address on 30 May 2021, that the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Covid-19 has recommended that South Africa urgently implement further restrictions. The new restrictions include:

• An evening curfew between 23:00 – 04:00
• Non-essential establishments such as restaurants and bars must close at 22:00 to allow staff to travel before curfew
• All gatherings are limited to 100 people indoors and 250 people outdoors
• Where a venue is too small to accommodate these people, then no more than 50% of the venue capacity can be used
• Funerals remain restricted to 100 people, while after-funeral gatherings remain prohibited.
• Night vigils, after- funeral gatherings and ‘after-tears’ gatherings are not allowed.
• It remains mandatory for every person to wear a face mask that covers their nose and mouth at all times when in public spaces. It is a criminal offence not to do so.

Zambia: Proflight Zambia postpones the launch of its direct service between Livingstone <> Johannesburg!

Zambian regional carrier Proflight Zambia has announced that it will postpone its new service between Harry Mwanga Nkumbula International Airport (LVI) in Livingstone and OR Tambo International Airport (JNB) in Johannesburg until further notice. The new service was scheduled to commence on 01 June 2021. According to the airline, this is due to Zambia's new entry requirements that place South Africa on a High Risk list and the uncertainty surrounding the airport testing and quarantine procedures. All direct flights between Livingstone and Johannesburg have been closed for sale and passengers holding tickets for these flights will be rebooked via Lusaka. Proflight Zambia will continue to offer connections from Johannesburg to Livingstone via Lusaka on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and from Livingstone to Johannesburg via Lusaka on Fridays and Sundays. The Lusaka <> Johannesburg schedule of 9 weekly flights will be maintained. We'll keep you posted!

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Covid-19: Antigen Rapid Diagnostic Tests will no longer be accepted for entry into Namibia! [update]

update (04 June 2021): According to International Air Transport Association's (IATA) Covid-19 Travel Regulations Map, which is powered by Timatic*, the following entry regulations are in place for travellers intending to visit Namibia (as of 03 June 2021):

1. Passengers must have a negative Covid-19 PCR test taken at most 7 days before departure from the first embarkation point
   This does not apply to:
   - nationals and residents of Namibia
   - passengers who are 5 years or younger
2. Passengers must present a completed Travel Health Questionnaire upon arrival. The form can be otained at https://namibiatourism.com.na/uploads/file_uploads/HEALTH%20QUESTIONNAIRE%20FOR%20TOURISM%20REVIVAL%20INITIATIVE%20TRAVELERS.pdf
3. Travellers must have travel insurance to cover Covid-19 expenses
4. Passengers are subject to medical screening
5. Nationals and residents of Namibia could be subject to qurantine 

*Timatic is a database containing documentation requirements for passengers traveling internationally via air. It is managed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Namibia's Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr. Kalumbi Shangula, announced on the occasion of the 28th Covid-19 briefing on the national response measures on 28 May 2021 that the mitigation measures to combat Covid-19 in Namibia remain in force. According to the Minister, the new amended public health measures will come into effect at 00:00 on 01 June 2021 and will lapse at midnight on 30 June 2021.
The most important change - at least from a traveller's point of view - is that Antigen Rapid Diagnostic Tests will no longer be accepted for entry into Namibia at any Port of Entry. All travellers entering Namibia are required to produce a SARS CoV-2 PCR negative test result, which is valid for 7 days from the date of speciment collection. Travellers coming from or transisting through hotspot regions such as India are required to repeat the SARS CoV-2 PCR test seven days after arrival in Namibia. Travellers returning to Namibia within seven days will not be required to present a negative SARS CoV-2 PCR test result from the country of departure.

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

Kruger National Park tours >>
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Kruger National Park: SANParks to set up security checkpoints in Kruger National Park!

South African National Parks (SANParks) is currently in the process of developing effective management strategies to protect the rhino population and more effectively manage wildlife crime and conservation in Kruger National Park in general. As part of this initiative, SANParks and the South African National Defence Force (SANDF)– Military Police will be setting up various security checkpoints in the Southern Section of Kruger National Park. These checkpoints aim to improve area integrity and will be conducted with minimum disturbance to the guests and visitors of Kruger National Park.

Covid-19: Zambia has introduced new entry restrictions! [update]

update (28 May 2021): According to International Air Transport Association's (IATA) Covid-19 Travel Regulations Map, which is powered by Timatic*, the following entry regulations are in place for travellers intending to visit Zambia (as of 26 May 2021):

1. Passengers must have a negative Covid-19 PCR test taken at most 72 hours before departure from the first embarkation point. (This does not apply to passengers younger than 5 years.)
2. A completed "Traveller Health Questionnaire" must be presented upon arrival.
3. Passengers and airline crew are subject to medical screening upon arrival.
4. Passengers could be subject to a Covid-19 test upon arrival at their own expense.
5. Passengers could be subject to self-isolation for 14 days. (This does not apply to passengers with a Covid-19 vaccination certificate.)
   

*Timatic is a database containing documentation requirements for passengers traveling internationally via air. It is managed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

update (28 May 2021): The information is not confirmed yet, but the document ("Revised guidelines for strengthening surveillance at Points of Enty (PoE)", see below) might have been inadvertantly posted on Facebook and is in fact a draft set of proposals and had no official standing. We'll keep you posted!

The Government of Zambia has introduced new guidelines for all travellers visiting the country. The new travel restrictions became effective on 24 May 2021. All travelers entering Zambia must now produce evidence of a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)-based SARS-CoV-2 negative test conducted within 72 hours prior to departure from the country of origin. All travelers from countries that are deemed to be at high risk of Covid-19 by the Ministry of Health/Zambia National Public Health Institute (ZNPHI) [see below] are subjected to SARS CoV2 testing at the tarvellers cost at the Points of Entry - even if they have a negative PCR test certificate. Specimens are collected on arrival or within 48 hours of entry into Zambia. Mandatory self-isolation at home will be instituted for all travellers coming from countries classified as "high risk”  [see below] irrespective of SARS CoV2 PCR negative test results. Where the home environment is deemed unsuitable, self-quarantine will take place in a designated institution at the traveller's cost. All persons under self-isolation are expected to be compliant and will be monitored on a daily basis by health care workers, physically or remotely.

Travellers from the following countries are getting re-swabbed for SARS CoV2 on arrival at Zambian Points of Entry and have to undergo 14-day quarantine:

1. India
2. Iran
3. Turkey
4. France
5. Germany
6. Russia
7. Brazil
8. Argentina
9. South Africa
10. Egypt
11. Tunisia
12. Ethiopia
13. Kenya
14. Italy
15. Tanzania
    

The list of “high risk” countries wiill be reviewed and updated regulary.

Zimbabwe: A new hop-on-hop-off bus service for Victoria Falls! [update]

update (11 November 2021): Bamba Bus just announced on facebook that it will be launching its Victoria Falls hop-on hop-off service on 01 December 2021.

update (30 September 2021): According to posting on Instagram, the Bamba Bus is now launching on 01 November 2021.

update (18 August 2021): According to a posting on their Facebook page, the Bamba Bus is "coming very soon to Vic Falls".

The town of Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe will soon get a hop-on-hop-off bus service. The Bamba Bus will provide an all day services around Victoria Falls covering key leisure areas from the mighty Victoria Falls themselves, to local shopping areas and curio markets, to restaurants and bars, to lodges in the suburbs. The all day ticket will initially cost USD10 for adults and USD5 for children. Tickets are sold on board the Bamba Bus. 

The Bamba Bus will offer two different routes - "The Daily Run" (07:00 - 18:00), which covers mainly lodges, shopping areas and curio markets and the Victoria Falls, as well as "The Restaurant Run" (18:00 to midnight), which covers mainly the restaurants in Victoria Falls.