guest article: Welcome to South Africa!

Guest article: Welcome to South Africa!

First Time Traveler Information

This country is certainly one of the most culturally and geographically diverse places on the planet. Known as the ‘Rainbow Nation’, South Africa has 11 official languages and its multicultural people are influenced by many mixes of different cultures. Discover incredible traditional cuisine, inspiring art scenes, vibrant nightlife and the beautiful beaches of Cape Town and the Wild Coast; enjoy a local braai (barbecue); visit the world famous Soweto township (Where you can find Vilakazi Street -It’s the only street in the world to have produced two Nobel Prize winners in Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu); browse the lively Indian markets in Durban; or sample some of the world’s finest wines at the scenic wine estates of the Cape Winelands.

Some historical attractions to explore include the Zululand battlefields of KwaZulu-Natal, the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg and Robben Island, just off the coast of Cape Town. Its remarkably wilderness with its astonishing range of wildlife roaming freely across massive unfenced game reserves such as the world-famous Kruger National Park. With all of this variety on offer, it comes with no surprise why South Africa has fast become Africa’s most popular tourist destination.

South Africa has well rounded weather all year and with so much to see and do each month. The Summer months are from November – March and are the most popular months to visit and can get warm and extremely warm in certain regions. This makes Cape Town and the Western Cape extremely popular as the raining season is in Winter and the sunsets very late into the evening during summer. The winter months are from June-August and during these months the Kruger National Park is popular as the weather is more bearably during the day in terms of dealing with the heat, but can get cold in the early morning and evening.

Covid-19 Situation and Travel Information

South Africa is open for International travel. Only one land border post and three international airports – OR Tambo, King Shaka and Cape Town – have reopened to international travellers.

Open for international travel

Health screening & COVID-19 protocols on arrival

Provide a valid certificate of a negative COVID-19 PCR test, obtained not more than 72 hours (3 days) from the time of departure for South Africa. The test must be conducted by a certified medical practitioner and the certificate must have the name and signature of the practitioner who conducted the test.
Undergo screening for any COVID-19 symptoms and/or for contact with people who have been infected with the virus.
Download the COVID Alert South Africa mobile app – more information here.
All foreign national visitors must have travel insurance that covers the cost of any testing or quarantine.

Mandatory quarantine

Not required unless:

Arriving passengers fail to present a valid and negative COVID-19 PCR test. This will require quarantine at own cost.
Travellers display any symptoms of COVID-19 or have been in contact with an infected person. A mandatory COVID-19 test will be required at their own cost. If this test result is positive, travellers will be subjected to a 10-day quarantine at a designated site, at their own cost.

Countries allowed to travel to the destination

Airlines flying into the destination