South Africa’s Minister of Tourism, Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane, announced during a virtual media briefing on tourism-related activities in alert level three of the country’s risk-adjusted strategy to manage the spread of COVID-19 on 30 July 2020 that accommodation facilities will soon get the permission to open for leisure purposes. However, no more than two people may share a room, with the exception of a “nuclear family”. Short-term rental sharing, such as Airbnb, will remain closed.
Intra-provincial (within a province) leisure travel will be allowed, while inter-provincial (between provinces) leisure travel remains prohibited. Tour operators will be allowed to provide guided tours in open-top vehicles. South Africa’s Government will publish an official gazette detailing these changes and the official implementation date shortly. We’ll keep you posted!