Ditto

Considering the current trajectory and models for ZA, I have little doubt that by September the US and the UK will be much "safer" than ZA.

captainmargaret

I’ll take it. My partner lives in JNB, I live in the UK. We haven’t seen each other since February.

I appreciate the return of international flights will be complex and not much fun, but SA is hardly going to be unique in that regard. I’ll jump through whatever hoops are provided in order to return, as will others.

It looks like the peak for SA is going to be much later than elsewhere in the word, but I’d be hopeful for an October/November return that balances risk with the need to support the tourism season.

johan rebel

I hope for you that those hoops are provided sooner rather than later, but I suspect that a lot of people are not inclined to jump through them. Personally I have no problem with flying anywhere, as long as it is reasonably practical, but the politics of fear that have been setting the narritive for many months now have done nothing to reassure the naturally anxious and fearful. The airlines are no doubt chomping at the bit, but lifting restrictions only goes so far. There also has to be enough demand to operate flights without bleeding money. The airlines' current policy of turning their planes into winged infectious diseases wards in order to reassure passengers and entice them back, comes at the risk of backfiring. People in your position may perhaps not be put off, but those just looking for a relaxing vacation may well be.

Johan

T8191

Well, if flights do resume by December, we’re willing to put up with 12 hours of minimal food, no booze and wearing a mask. What does matter is what sort of Western Cape we will find when we get there. If hotels, restaurants and bars are still crippled by restrictions, there’s not a lot of point in spending several thousand GBP on 2 weeks of severely diminished experiences.

This will (hopefully) be our 5th successive annual trip. We’ve seen the sights, and just want again to enjoy wonderful hospitality, food and drink. If that’s not going to be there, we don’t actually need to go at all! 😕

The_Bouncer

Well, I will certainly be looking for an airline which doesn't require masks - I'm certain that at least some will have broken ranks by then.

As regards the destination, I feel very similarly. I have been to South Africa many times and very much like the country.

However, like you, I have seen the tourist sights and the reason I go is to enjoy good food and wine on sunny seaside restaurant terraces in the middle of the European Winter.

If that is not going to happen, I'll be looking at alternatives, such as Mexico or South America. I'm actually also considering just forgetting about long haul next season. If things are still restricted in a lot of places, I may well just drive down to Cádiz and hop on a ferry to one of the nicer Canary Islands.

mattp1987

I've never been and have already had to postpone my trip once. I'm inclined to make the trip even if restaurants and such aren't completely open. We currently only have two nights of safari booked, but I could change the trip to focus more on that. The lodge we're booked at is pretty full for Oct/Nov, but I'm not opposed to moving to a different area of Kruger. We could also adjust our Western Cape plans to spend less time in Cape Town and do more of the Garden Route. Thoughts?

T8191

Well, we certainly clipped our time in C.T. after the first couple of visits. We’re not great fans of ‘touristy’ locations, and associated crowds. Been there, done that, and now we head straight from CPT to the Winelands! Alcoholics? No, but the pace of life in Hermanus, Franschhoek and Stellenbosch suits us better ... in addition to the wonderful people, food and wine. Safari has never been on our bucket list, I will admit.

My last Trip Report has links to our earlier simple wanderings in the Western Cape, They might influence, or at least shade, your thinking.

T8191

A half-heard item on BBC Radio 4 news 30 minutes ago ... SA intensive care units imminently maxed out, worst in the south and especially Eastern Cape.

The truth will out, eventually.

Ditto

It was never a secret, SA have very little ICU beds in the public sector, with the current "optimistic" model expecting as much as 25K ICU beds needed, and only 3500 exists with the majority of them in the private sector.

HGOLI

Me too, I am willing to fly again, and put up with everything it will inevitably be. I accept it probably won't be a comfortable trip... For me, it's my trips to KNP that I miss, for various reasons. The most difficult part for me is not being able to travel. I am not referring to the European destinations (Spain, etc), it's the African bush - it's food for the soul, and in my case, a big part of my life; my 'go to' place to recuperate, as it were, from the mad world we live in.

On another note, and thinking out loud, I am genuinely interested in why SA seems to be taking longer than other countries to peak. Is there a particular reason for this? (a genuine Q).

johan rebel

That's roughly one bed per 16,000 people, assumming a population of some 58m. In the affluent welfare state of Sweden, they had one bed per 20,000 back in March.

Johan

T8191

And that’s where the African poor fall though every crack, every day.

While the UK’s National Health Service costs everyone significant personal contributions, and the Government even more, at least it keeps people safe (most of the time). Curiously, here in Jersey, all Medical and Dental is Private ... until you step through the door of the Hospital, at which point it’s all free.

johan rebel

I could not agree more. I've been to (South) Africa well over 100 times now, where I spend 99% of my time in the bush. Friends run several APNR safari lodges, which gives me an alternative to the KNP. Much as I like the latter, it has just become too busy, and many visitors and (especially) staff behave badly on the road.

When tourism starts to recover it might just be the ideal time to visit the KNP before the masses return in full force. Given that it is mainly a domestic destination, that may happen very quickly, so the window of opportunity is likely to be short. Kruger was at its best just after the 2000 floods, when the main roads were cut and visitors very few. After the 2012 floods it was also pretty good.

I fly J longhaul, and I expect a good product for the money I pay. If I have no choice I'll put with a limited amount of nonsense, but I trust that there will soon be airlines flying to SA that provide good service.

Johan

Ditto

But the majority is in the private sector, for example in the WC it's about 150 in the public sector vs. 600 in the private sector, assuming similar ratio in the rest of the country and less than 20% with private medical aid, that's around 700 beds for 47M people, or 1 bed per 67,000...

thijsseh

I completely agree and can add a real life data reference.
Background: Mrs t and myself are based in SA as well as the UK. Started off 100% SA, but now over 2/3 UK. We have 'settled status' (EU passports) and own property in both counties. We were in SA from end Feb and planned to return 29 March, after my mother's 95th birthday. Relatively suddenly the country got 'locked' on 27 March. But we have a life in the UK, mrs t has work here. And for the last 10 years we have escaped CPT winter.
The UK government laid on 'repatriation flights', mainly for British Citizens who were stranded, but as bona fide British residents (proof of address etc) we were eligible albeit we would be taken on a space available basis and not as a priority. Fair enough!
So we put our names down (upfront payment - expensive! - required, full refund promised if you were not accommodated in the end). Last Monday we received an email to say we were accepted on the final flight on 4 June, which we took. Flight operated by a BA 747, fully loaded, no spare seats. You get allocated a seat based on 'vulnerably', I guess our age (I'm 65+), got us Premium economy seats. Some people with poor mobility got J, F was used for crew only. Face masks compulsory throughout the flight (except when eating / drinking). Catering was one sandwich plus two packets of small snacks half an hour after take off (11:30 am) and a warm wrap plus two more small snack packets half an hour before landing at LHR. Tea, coffee, water and juices available with the two services and also on request. Now we usually fly EK in J with the occasional upgrade to F. So this was not the sort of trip one would normally look forward to. And no Chauffeur Drive to take us home as we are used to, but a very expensive taxi ride after 22:30PM.
But (to us) it was worth the discomfort of the face masks, the 'light' catering and the aches and pains of 11 hours sitting up to be back in the UK.
All perfectly organised by the UK High Commission in South Africa, with the high commissioner personally in attendance for every one of the 7 flights out of CPT (there were an additional 3 out of JNB). And we missed the compulsory quarantaine of 14 days for UK arrivals by 4 days .

It feels quite insecure knowing that there is no way to get back when I have a 95 year old mother there. My sister is holding the fort and I'm talking to both of them every day. Can't win them all...... So I'll be relieved when there is some window open again in the other direction, although I'm under no illusion that it will be anytime before September (and I'm in no hurry to take that opportunity if I don't have to).