South Africans will be able to go on holidays abroad and inbound tourists will be welcome again from 1 October, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Wednesday night.
South African missions abroad will be opening for visa applications, he said.“We are ready to open our doors again to the world and invite travellers to enjoy our mountains, our beaches, our vibrant cities, and our wildlife game parks in safety and confidence.”
Only three airports will be open to foreign travellers: Johannesburg’s OR Tambo, Cape Town International, and King Shaka outside Durban. Overland travellers will be restricted to one of the few border posts that remained open during lockdown.
Travel to and from some countries may be restricted, Ramaphosa said, “based on the latest scientific data we can get on those countries”. He did not provide details of the metrics South Africa may use for such red-listing.
Travellers will have to present, on arrival, the result of a negative coronavirus test less than 72 hours old. If they can not do so, they “will be required to remain in mandatory quarantine at their own cost”.
Everyone arriving will be screened, and those who show any symptoms of Covid-19 will also be required to stay in quarantine until they test negative for the virus again.
Travellers “will be asked” to install the South African government contact alert app, Ramaphosa said.
(Compiled by Phillip de Wet) – BusinessInsiderSA
