Ask any American who's been to the U.K., South Korea, or even Thailand recently. Now, it's South Africa's turn to jump on the bandwagon.
Starting this fall, Americans will no longer be able to land in the popular African country passport-in-hand only, unless they have been pre-approved for travel; they shouldn't even bother getting to the airport in the first place, as they will be denied boarding.
ETAs Will Be Mandatory For Americans Visiting South Africa From The Fall
It's a tricky world to navigate as an American.
If you think the era of travel restrictions and complicated border rules is past us, now that COVID is half a decade old, think again: ETAs are on the rise, and they seem to be here to stay.
First introduced by nations like Australia and New Zealand to strengthen their border control and ensure a stricter screening of foreign arrivals.
It has since then expanded to countries like the United Kingdom, South Korea, Thailand, and Sri Lanka, and soon enough, it will be introduced in Japan, and become widespread across much of Europe once the European Union's own version of an ETA, the long-delayed ETIAS, rolls out.
Americans wouldn't actually know unless they're very travel savvy, but even the United States and Canada have Electronic Travel Authorization systems in place—but then again, you're exempt from both as a U.S. passport holder.
The point is that ETAs have been sneakily becoming the norm rather than the exception for many years now, so it was only a matter of time before South Africa brought them in.
Easier Entry Into South Africa?
As confirmed by the South African Minister of Home Affairs, Leon Schreiber, the South African ETA will go live in September 2025. It will apply to all current visa-exempt travelers, including Americans, who have been able to enter South Africa visa-free or with an e-visa up until now.
In Mr Schreiber's words, the South African ETA is designed to reduce long waiting times at the border, document fraud, alleviate ‘administrative burdens', and ‘digitize' visa and entry/exit processes.
Similar to the visa-waiver agreement signed between the United States and South Africa, the ETA will authorize Americans to stay for up to 90 days and become a mandatory requirement.
Unless you have applied for an ETA and hold a valid travel permit, you will no longer be authorized to embark a South Africa-bound flight or cross the South African border.
How Will The South African ETA Work?
During their application for a South African ETA, Americans will be expected to fill out an online questionnaire, upload their passport information, and answer a series of questions about their personal lives and travel details.
ETA forms typically take 5-10 minutes to complete, and you're usually required to pay a processing fee at the end.
They are then processed online, and in most cases, you will receive approval directly from the email address you provided when applying.
Regrettably, at this stage, we have no information regarding the process itself, as the platform has not been released, nor processing fees, though ETAs typically cost between $5 and $23, depending on the country.
The question of validity has not been addressed, either: will the South African ETA be valid for a single entry? Will it be valid for multiple entries over a period of 2–5 years, like other ETAs currently available in the market?
We will be sure to report back as soon as those details are known.
Will It Replace The Current e-Visa?
South African authorities have yet to clarify whether the new system will completely replace the current e-Visa system, open to citizens of 30 countries (excluding the United States).
It is unclear whether the current e-Visa, introduced back in 2019, and the soon-to-be-launched ETA will be merged, or whether they'll stay separate, with distinct application processes and fees.
As the minister has confirmed, we do know that it will be fully issued digitally and can be stored in an applicant's smartphone wallet, right next to their bank cards and flight tickets.
As he described, it will include a QR code that can be easily flashed for verification by both check-in staff at airport counters, and later by border officers upon landing at one of South Africa's international airports.
Traveling abroad in the near future? Don't let these ever-changing entry requirements catch you by surprise: check out our new TOP Checker, with real-time updates for visa policies traveling to every country in the world.
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South Africa’s rapid increase in COVID-19 cases attributed to the new omicron variant is resulting in mostly mild symptoms, doctors say.
“We’ve seen a sharp increase in cases for the past 10 days. So far they have mostly been very mild cases, with patients having flu-like symptoms: dry coughs, fever, night sweats, a lot of body pains,” said Dr. Unben Pillay, a general practitioner in Gauteng province where 81% of the new cases have been reported.
“Most of these patients have been treated at home,” Pillay told an online press briefing Monday. “Vaccinated people tend to do much better. We have not seen a vast increase in hospitalizations, but this is still early days. Hospitalizations often come several days after a rise in confirmed cases.”
Most of the new cases in South Africa have been among people in their 20s and 30s, and doctors note that age group generally has milder symptoms of COVID-19 in any case. They warn that older people infected by the new variant could have more severe symptoms.
Learning more about the omicron variant is important as nations around the world sought Monday to keep the new variant at bay with travel bans and further restrictions, even as it remains unclear what the variant means for the COVID-19 pandemic.
Japan announced it would suspend entry for all foreign visitors, while new cases of the variant identified days ago by researchers in southern Africa appeared as far away as Hong Kong, Australia and Portugal. Portuguese authorities were investigating whether some infections there could be among the first reported cases of local transmission of the variant outside of southern Africa.
South Africa has seen its seven-day average of new cases over the past two weeks surge from about 200 per day to more than 2,000.
Omicron appears to be more transmissible than previous variants and the surge in South Africa could bring the daily number of new cases to 10,000 by the end of the week, infectious diseases specialist Salim Abdool Karim, told the briefing.
“Our biggest challenge will be to stop super-spreading events, particularly indoors,” he said, suggesting that it might be necessary to restrict indoor gatherings to those who are vaccinated.
The hotspot for the new surge is Gauteng’s Tshwane metropolitan area, incorporating the capital, Pretoria. The “vast majority” of those hospitalized there have been unvaccinated people, said Waasila Jassat of the National Institute for Communicable Diseases.
“Of recent hospitalizations 87% have been unvaccinated, 13% have been vaccinated,” Jassat said of the 455 hospital admissions in the Tshwane area in the past two weeks.
Vaccination appears to have also helped people avoid infection, she said.
Of South Africa’s 60 million people, 16.5 million are vaccinated and the number of fully vaccinated who are testing positive is very small, said Nicholas Crisp, the acting director general of the department of health. “It is a very small number of those people who tested positive. It’s minute in comparison to unvaccinated people.”
To combat the surge of COVID-19 cases attributed to the omicron variant, South Africa is urging vaccinations and is weighing making vaccines mandatory to enter indoor areas, the minister of health said Monday.
The government is not planning to impose centralized vaccine mandates, but will support businesses and organizations that seek proof of vaccination to enter indoor areas, Minister of Health Joe Phaahla told reporters.
The government is considering requiring vaccines for health workers, including those who work at state hospitals, he said.
“We are looking at concrete proposals on how to deal with vaccine mandates in workplaces and health care workplaces,” Phaahla said.
A few African countries, including Angola, Egypt, Mauritius and Rwanda, have joined the slew of nations that have placed travel restrictions on South Africa and other countries in southern Africa.
“It’s quite regrettable, very unfortunate and I’ll even say sad to be talking about travel restrictions imposed by a fellow African country,” said Clayson Monyela, spokesman for the Department of International Affairs and Cooperation. He called the decisions “unwarranted and unjustified because it’s not based on science,”
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South Africa’s resurgence of COVID-19 is setting record numbers of new daily cases, centered in Johannesburg and driven by the delta variant, health officials said Sunday.
More than 26,000 new cases were reported on Saturday, up from 24,000 the previous day, according to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, surpassing the highest number of new cases in previous waves and quickly bringing many hospitals to capacity. More than 13,800 COVID-19 patients are currently in South African hospitals where some facilities are canceling elective surgeries to free up beds and health care workers.
South Africa’s official death toll has risen above 63,000, although statistics on excess deaths suggest the country’s actual number of virus fatalities may be more than 170,000.
South Africa’s 2 million cases account for more than 30% of the cases reported by Africa’s 54 countries, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
President Cyril Ramaphosa last week increased restrictions to try to reduce the spread of the virus, including extending a nighttime curfew, banning the sale of alcohol, closing many schools and stopping travel into and out of Gauteng, the country’s most populous province that includes Johannesburg and the capital, Pretoria. Gauteng accounts for more than 60% of the new cases and officials fear other provinces and cities will soon follow.
After a slow start, South Africa’s vaccination drive is picking up pace but is still far behind developed nations. To date, more than 3.3 million of South Africa’s 60 million people have received at least one jab of the Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson vaccines. The inoculation campaign started with health care workers, those aged 60 and over and schoolteachers. On Monday police can get a jab and soon those 50 and over can too.
The nation’s Health Products Regulatory Authority on Saturday authorized the vaccine manufactured by China’s Sinovac, providing that it submits final results of ongoing clinical studies.
Neighboring southern African countries including Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe are also struggling to cope with a surge of infections.
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — In an effort to revive its tourism industry, South Africa has opened up international travel to visitors from all countries, President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced.
South Africa will now admit foreign visitors providing they produce negative COVID-19 test results, Ramaphosa said in a broadcast address Wednesday night.
This step, making South Africa one of the world’s countries most open to international travel, comes as cases of the disease are slowly increasing in the country. Ramaphosa said his government will closely monitor any signs that international visitors increase transmission rates.
“By using rapid tests and strict monitoring we intend to limit the spread of the infection through importation,” said Ramaphosa. “We expect that these measures will greatly assist businesses in the tourism and hospitality sectors.”
After closing its borders as part of one of the world’s strictest lockdowns imposed at the end of March, South Africa has gradually reopened, resuming international flights on Oct. 1 but not admitting travelers from countries with high infection levels. Now that restriction has been removed, Ramaphosa said.
With a cumulative total of more than 740,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including just over 20,000 deaths, South Africa has nearly 40% of Africa’s total number of more than 1.9 million reported cases, including 46,272 deaths, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. South Africa, with a population of 60 million people, has reported a disproportionately high level of cases for the continent of 1.3 billion in 54 countries.
At its first peak of COVID-19 in late July, most of South Africa’s hospitals succeeded in coping with patients. Hospitalizations and deaths dropped in August and September but in recent weeks, cases have begun to climb.
The 7-day rolling average of daily new cases in South Africa has risen over the past two weeks from 2.74 new cases per 100,000 people on Oct. 28 to 2.85 new cases per 100,000 people on Nov. 11. The 7-day rolling average of daily deaths in South Africa has risen over the past two weeks from 0.09 deaths per 100,000 people on Oct. 28 to 0.10 deaths per 100,000 people on Nov. 11.
South Africa’s upward creep is part of an increase across the continent. Africa’s top public health official said the continent has seen an average 8% rise in new coronavirus cases over the past month.
“We expected it to happen,” John Nkengasong, director of the Africa CDC said Thursday, warning that when the virus comes back for a second wave, “it seems to come back with a lot of full force.”
The African continent is “at a critical point in the response,” he said, again urging governments and citizens to follow public health measures. Testing across Africa remains a challenge, with 19 million tests conducted so far. Countries with the highest increase of cases in the past week include Congo at 37%, Kenya at 34% and Nigeria at 17%.
In South Africa, Ramaphosa warned that citizens must remain vigilant to try to prevent a fresh resurgence of the disease, warning that the Eastern Cape province is experiencing a worrying increase. The number of new cases in the province has risen 50% in the past week and the total number of new cases in the last 14 days is around 145% higher than the previous 14 days, said Ramaphosa.
The president announced that South Africa has extended the country’s current COVID-19 restrictions, requiring people to wear masks in all public places, businesses and stores to keep people distanced and a nighttime curfew from midnight to 4 a.m. In one relaxation, liquor sales can now resume to ordinary trading hours.
Ramaphosa said that the country was looking to secure a significant supply of COVID-19 vaccines when tests show they are effective and safe.
“South Africa is collaborating with several multinational pharmaceutical companies to obtain a safe and effective vaccine for our people and is contributing towards the availability of the vaccine in the rest of the continent,” said Ramaphosa. “We are working through the African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention to acquire and fund a vaccine for the African continent. It is estimated that Africa will need around $12 billion and 750 million doses of an effective vaccine.”
Last week, South African pharmaceutical firm Aspen Pharmacare announced a deal with the U.S. firm Johnson & Johnson to manufacture its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, if it is approved in South Africa and internationally. Aspen said that it would have a capacity to produce 300 million doses of the vaccine.
The COVID-19 outbreak has taken a toll on South Africa’s economy since the lockdown was imposed in March. South Africa lost up to 2.2 million jobs in the second quarter of the year, taking the unemployment rate to a record high of 42%, according to official statistics.
Africa’s most developed country slipped further into recession in the second quarter of the year, contracting by 51%. Its economy is expected to shrink by up to 8.2% in 2020, its central bank announced last month.
South Africa’s state-owned airline has suspended all its operations as it struggles to raise a bailout of more than 10 billion rands ($591 million).
South African Airways, one of the country’s state-owned enterprises face allegations of corruption and mismanagement, filed for liquidation and bankruptcy protection in December last year.
The business rescue team assigned to manage the company has announced it has failed to raise the money needed to implement a rescue plan for the airline. The suspension of operations may be lifted if the government comes through funds it has promised.
All scheduled cargo and repatriation flights will be undertaken but no new ones will be accepted during the suspension, said the company.
The move will also affect at least three of the airline’s subsidiaries, including the low-cost airline Mango.
South Africa’s tourism industry has been very hard hit industries by the country’s COVID-19 lockdown, but South African Airways’ financial problems existed well before the outbreak of the coronavirus. The suspension comes just as South Africa is to reopen the country to international flights on Thursday.
Workers unions have warned that the failure to rescue the airline will result in significant job losses in an economy that is expected to shrink by more than 7.2% this year. South Africa’s economy was already in recession before COVID-19 and the country’s strict lockdown in April and May caused further contraction of the economy. Unemployment has risen dramatically to 42%, according to statistics released this week.
The airline is currently the subject of a state investigation into wide-ranging allegations of corruption, fraud and mismanagement during former President Jacob Zuma’s time in office.
Tourists traveling to Cape Town these days may have to select between experiencing one of the most beautiful towns in the world or taking a shower.
Forget pools, sauna, steam rooms, and please don’t take a bath. The day Cape Town, South Africa will run out of water is imminent.
The measures follow almost three years of water shortages, Cape Town’s rainfall dams are sitting at 27 percent full.
In a statement on the situation, South African Tourism said: “South African Tourism would like to thank the many tourists and tourism businesses that have heeded the call to reduce their water usage over the festive season – while urging them to not lose steam.”
South African Tourism CEO Sisa Ntshona added: “We are pleased that we have not received any reports of any tourism attractions and services interrupted by the water shortage and we appeal to tourists, and tourism businesses to continue being good responsible tourism citizens and continue being water-wise, even as the peak holiday season in South Africa winds down.”
A BBC reporter puts it the way it is:
My wife does not use the shower anymore. Instead, she boils about 1.5 liters of water and mixes it with about a liter of tap water to have her daily wash while the rest of us catch the slow running water in a bucket for re-use in the toilet cistern.
As for flushing, which in the past would have used around six liters at a time, we have adopted the popular slogan: “If it’s yellow let it mellow and if it’s brown flush it down.”
The South African government just made it a bit easier to gather those documents needed when a minor is traveling to its country.
The South African Department of Home Affairs recently announced changes to South African entry requirement for minors born in the country who have a current South African passport.
According to Tim Clyde-Smith, South African Airway’s Country Manager for Australasia, people under 18 who are South African citizens and hold a valid passport will no longer require birth certificates which contain parental details to enter the country.
“This new arrangement, effective immediately, applies only to minors who have SA citizenship travelling from other countries (including Australia and New Zealand) to South Africa and who will not need the additional paperwork required until now,” Tim said.
“Those travelling and travel agents and partners should note that all other current arrangements for minors travelling remain in place and must be complied with in accordance with South African laws. If in doubt they should contact the South African High Commission in Canberra on 61 2 6272 7300 for further information,” Tim said.
Projects Abroad encourages everyone to stay active and give back throughout the holiday season by volunteering abroad
Projects Abroad Care & Community volunteers distribute Christmas gifts for disadvantaged children in Jamaica
The days are getting colder and longer, and summer is giving way to the fiery red foliage of fall. Winter break is fast approaching and instead of snuggling up indoors over the holidays, start looking for opportunities to use your time to help and support others.
To keep the productivity flowing and encourage altruism during this time of year, Projects Abroad offers a range of Winter Break Trips. These short-term group volunteer trips run from 1-4 weeks and are designed to give volunteers the means to make as great an impact as possible in a short period of time. They are ideal for those who want to keep the momentum going over the holidays and give back through childcare or building work or gain practical experience on a medicine program.
Each Winter Break Trip gets you out of the house and takes you to a community where you can contribute to ongoing development efforts, meet new people, and explore a different country and culture. Projects Abroad welcomes volunteers of all ages and skill levels on these trips, including vacationers interested in a different experience, students looking to add to their skill sets, and professionals wanting to get away from the office. Volunteers can sign-up on their own or join with friends, family, or a partner.
The programs offered by Projects Abroad each have their own schedules for volunteering and sightseeing, and volunteers choose where they want to go. No prior experience is needed to join, says Monica Alarcon, a Program Advisor for Projects Abroad USA. "On your first day, you will be taught everything you need to know about your placement and the culture of the country you are working in. This is valuable for each volunteer, from those who are new to volunteering to those who have previous experience."
Rebecca K, who joined the Medicine Project in Sri Lanka last winter, enjoyed the experience of volunteering over winter break immensely: "I learned a lot while abroad, I got to help people in need, and I had a lot of fun. I would recommend to those traveling to arrive with an open mind and an open heart, and to not let your fear of the unknown limit the learning experience waiting for you."
Joining a Winter Break Trip is a wonderful way to give back over the holiday season by adding value to both the community and yourself. This year, the following programs are available between December 2016 and January 2017:
Projects Abroad was founded in 1992 by Dr. Peter Slowe, a geography professor, as a program for students to travel and work while on break from full-time study. The program had its genesis in post-USSR Romania, where students were given the chance to teach conversational English. After a few years just sending volunteers to Eastern Europe for teaching, the company expanded to sending volunteers of all ages around the world on a wide range of projects.
Projects Abroad is a global leader in short-term international volunteer programs with projects in 30 countries and recruitment offices in the UK, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Holland, Hong Kong, Norway, Poland, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden and the United States.
For details on volunteering abroad, visit Projects Abroad’s web site at www.projects-abroad.org.
5-Day Sale for Summer Travel Starting at $1,299.00*
(restrictions apply)
South
African Airways (SAA), Africa's most awarded airline, is celebrating South
Africa's Freedom Day with a 5-day sale offering special fares from New York-JFK
and Washington, DC-Dulles to Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth
and East London. The Freedom Day Fares start at just $1,299.00*
(restrictions apply) from Washington, DC-Dulles to Johannesburg and $1,399.00*
(restrictions apply) from New York-York to Johannesburg for travel during the
peak summer season. The Freedom Day Fares are available for sale through April
30, 2016, for travel June 1 through August 10, 2016. To celebrate Freedom
Day with SAA and take advantage of these special fares, customers can visit www.flysaa.com or call SAA
Reservations at 1-(800) 722-9675, or their professional travel consultant.
"The Freedom Day holiday celebrates the first
democratically-held elections in South Africa back in 1994," said Marc
Cavaliere, executive vice president, the Americas for South African
Airways. "On this holiday, South Africans honor the strides that
have been made to ensure a democratic South Africa and a better life for all.
As the national flag carrier of South Africa, we're incredibly proud of this
achievement and salute the country's achievements by inviting our customers to
visit South Africa this summer with these special fares."
South Africa's first democratically-held elections took place on
April 27, 1994, when Nelson Mandela was voted as president of the newly
democratic republic. For the past 22 years, South Africans celebrate Freedom
Day on April 27th, as a day to commemorate the sacrifices that were
made to achieve equality, to strengthen democratic ideals and to reflect on the
country's successes in fostering a free and equal South Africa.
South African Airways is one of the world's most awarded airlines,
having been honored as "Best Airline in Africa" for 13 consecutive
years by Skytrax. On-board, SAA provides an inflight experience designed
for pure comfort for long-haul travel. Our customers enjoy fully-flat seats in
Premium Business Class, industry-leading legroom in Economy Class, gourmet
cuisine and a selection of complimentary spirits and award-winning South
African wines and generous checked baggage allowance. Also included are
individual audio / visual entertainment systems that deliver an extensive menu
of first-run movies and music choices. Via our Johannesburg hub, SAA
links the world to dozens of cities and destinations across Southern Africa and
the Indian Ocean islands.
About South African Airways
South African Airways (SAA), South Africa's national flag carrier
and the continent's most awarded airline, serves over 75 destinations worldwide
in partnership with SA Express, Airlink and its low cost carrier Mango. In
North America, SAA operates daily nonstop flights from New York-JFK and direct
flights from Washington D.C.-IAD (via Accra, Ghana and Dakar, Senegal) to
Johannesburg. SAA has code share agreements with United Airlines, Air Canada
and JetBlue Airways, which offer convenient connections from more than 30 cities
to SAA's flights. SAA is a Star Alliance member and the recipient of the
Skytrax 4-Star rating for 14 consecutive years.
Like South African Airways here.
Follow South African Airways here.
Terms & Conditions
*Restrictions: Fares are per person and valid for round-trip
travel and include government and airline imposed taxes and fees. Valid
for travel between 6/1/2016-8/10/2016. The $1,299.00* fare is valid for travel
from Washington, DC-Dulles Airport (IAD) to Johannesburg, South Africa.
The $1,399.00* fare is valid from New York-JFK Airport (JFK) to
Johannesburg, South Africa. Minimum stay: Must stay over one Sunday for fares
to apply. Tickets must be purchased within 72 hours of reservation being
made or by April 30, 2016. Seats at these fares are limited and may not
be available on all flights or dates. Cancellations before / after
departure: fares and fuel surcharge (YR / YQ / Q) are
non-refundable. Date change fee: $300.00, plus any applicable fare
difference. Administrative fees may also apply. Baggage and optional
services fees may apply. Reservations made 7 days or more prior to
scheduled departure may be cancelled without penalty up to 24 hours after the
reservations is made.
Maverick winemakers are making it easier than ever to plot great appellations on the map. Here are this year’s must-visit wine regions for grape-lovers and aficionados. BY MIKE MACEACHERAN
Walla Walla Valley, Washington/Oregon, USA
The days when wines from the Pacific Coast of North America were the preserve of oenophile jokes has long gone, not least around the greater Columbia Valley, which straddles these two fresh-faced wine-producing states. Settled by the Hudson Trading Company as a trading outpost in the 1840s, the area has bloomed into a series of tree-lined farming communities where wheat fields and rolling hills fringe the horizon.
Famed for its diverse terroir – the valley lurches from desert-dry to dewy and cool – the Walla Walla appellation has given rise to more than 120 bumper-to-bumper, manicured vineyards. Cult wineries to look out for include the famous five, original practitioners like Leonetti Cellar, Waterbrook, L’Ecole No 41, Woodward Canyon and Seven Hills, as well as younger upstarts like Gramercy Cellars, Figgins, Sleight of Hand and Kontos Cellars. All told, they’re giving winemakers in Sonoma and Napa in California serious food for thought.
Franciacorta, Italy
Champagne has long been a reason to visit the north-east province of France, while cava teases wine lovers in search of light, aromatic bubbles over the border to Catalonia in Spain. But who plans a wine-tasting around La Strada del Vino Franciacorta? Not many, but soon the secret will be out about this sparking wine-producing region on the pillowy hills between the southern shores of Lake Iseo and Brescia near Milan.
The key is mineral-rich growing conditions and a longer bottle-gestation period, imbuing a creaminess and tenacious complexity not found in tank-fermented Italian Prosecco. Unlike non-vintage Champagne, often in contact with yeast for 15 months, Franciacorta can only be harvested a minimum of 25 months later. With a strategy like this, the global spotlight beckons – but only with the Italians’ blessing; they have a knack for keeping the good things to themselves.
Swartland, South Africa
Once overlooked for the more fashionable wine-producing areas of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek in the Cape Winelands, Swartland’s maverick winemakers, based around 50km north near Malmesbury and Darling, have decided to change the philosophy of South African wine from the ground up.
To do so they’ve created dynamic, indigenous flavours – otherwise known as “bush wine” – despite blistering-hot, drier summers, and a landscape riddled with rock-strewn soil. A surprise to many, varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc are yielding velvety bumper harvests of citrusy Chenin Blanc and out-there, zingy grape blends. Remember, it’s a burgeoning wine area, so tastings are often by appointment only: a handful to try are Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines, Sadie Family Wines and AA Badenhorst Family Wines.
Chisinau, Moldova
The bucolic Rose Valley slips south of the capital through fruit orchards and fields, before stopping abruptly at the showpiece fortress crenellations and gates of Milestii Mici, the biggest wine cellar in the world. Hidden underground, beneath a crease of rolling hills, it’s a cavernous warren of 200km-long limestone tunnels, filled by the barrel-load with more than two million vats and fruity bottles of aged Cordu and robust, plummy Merlot and Cabernet.
In truth, the record-breaker is more an underground wine city: the tunnels are so big the vintners only make use of 55km and have room for a further one million additional bottles. After a quick tour – by car, of course – tastings are set up in a mediaeval, tapestry-hung banquet hall fit for a monarch. Appropriately, Queen Elizabeth II has ordered bottles for the past quarter century and – so the story goes – Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin got so inebriated in the 1960s he couldn’t find his way out until two days later.
Tasmania, Australia
There is no secret ingredient behind the growing success of Tasmanian wines. The Clare and Barossa Valleys outside Adelaide in South Australia, and the Hunter Valley in New South Wales, produce the lion’s share of deep-bodied Shiraz and lemony Riesling, allowing the 160-plus different producers across the Bass Strait to go unnoticed.
Such good fortune has suited them just fine. Soils produce deep reds and subtly textured whites, all with a region-specific root. To the north, in the river canyons of the Tamur Valley – the oldest and largest wine growing area on the island – viniculturists specialise in crisp Sauvignon Blanc and oak-scented Chardonnay. To the south, fanning out around Hobart, are the glorious wine-producing valleys of Derwent, Coal River and the European-style wineries situated on the shores of the D’Entrecasteaux Channel. If you describe it as honest wine, then you know it’s already won you over.
Istria, Croatia/Slovenia
This tooth-shaped Adriatic peninsula has all the same climatic and geographic perks as Italy – hot sun, rich soils, salty air, bountiful fruit orchards – but far less demand for their bouncy Mediterranean reds and Malvasia Istarska, a strange fruit, yet the most-widely planted grape in Istria.
Realising they were missing a trick, winemakers pared back their once scruffy vineyards, making vines work harder than ever to survive. It’s a strategy that has paid off, creating perhaps Europe’s most underrated wine tour: picturesque hilltop towns, pine-wooded hills, olive grove-strangled farmsteads, and culinary festivals where citrus-ripe whites flow long through the night and into the next day. What are you waiting for?
Source: https://www.silverkris.com, the travel magazine for Singapore Airlines
Warm front … Durban’s subtropical beaches, forming the Golden Mile, are the city’s playground. All photographs: Siya Mkhasibe
Our alt South Africa city guide zooms in on the surfers’ beaches, homegrown ‘gqom’ dance music and the restaurants and fashion popular with locals in this subtropical metropolis
On the Indian Ocean coast of South Africa, 350 miles south-east of Johannesburg, Durban is a tourist destination that chimes with the subtropical overtures of Mozambique to the north: warm water, hot summers and a laid-back beachy ambience. Yet culturally it’s very much a South African city, albeit one often pigeonholed as the less sophisticated, beach-bum cousin to the tourist mecca of Cape Town.
The whole of KwaZulu-Natal province certainly has glorious beaches. You can surf your heart out along Durban’s Golden Mile – in water that won’t make your feet go numb within seconds, unlike the icy swells in Cape Town. But these days, beyond the sand and waves, the more comparisons that are made with its Western Cape sister city, the more substance Durban has.
It’s got a thriving craft food, beer and spirits scene, an internationally respected annual film festival, and a new homegrown musical movement (gqom – pronounced qwom) that has one aim: getting people on the dance floor. So infectious is the lo-fi sound of Durban’s underground that arecent UK compilation of gqom tracks has made its way into the playlists of hip Westerners hungry for a different beat. There are also attempts at cutting-edge city renewal: with the development of the Rivertown Precinct, Surf City is starting to rival Johannesburg’s urban regeneration thunder, too. Add in the steamy climate – with an average of 320 days’ sunshine a year – and it’s clear why some people are now looking east.
Speak to Durbanites about their city and you get a distinct sense of polarisation. The lively harbour feels like the headiest cultural mix, with a downtown edge, but other worlds are not far away. Culturally, Durban still divides itself into pockets. Northern suburbs such as Umhlanga are fairly white, with sedate cafes and beachfront hotels; areas like Chatsworth, Phoenix and Tongaat will offer authentic curries and sari shops as part of a massive Indian community, dating from the British use of indentured labour from the subcontinent in the 19th century to work on sugar cane plantations; and vast – mainly black – townships like KwaMashu and Umlazi are often avoided by tourists who believe too much of the hype of the Western media. But downtown, the vibe feels more mixed and an adventurous explorer can sample all of these flavours – from some of the best curries outside the Indian subcontinent, to barbecued meat and house music in KwaMashu, and café culture or fine dining in the northern suburbs.
All of which might be a bit bewildering for a short stay. But Durbanites’ lack of pretension and dedication to lighting up the night means there’s always a party somewhere to even things out. As local gqom superstar DJ Target says: “People in Durban, they don’t want to sleep …”
People in Durban love dancing, drinking and partying. They don’t like to sleep. We call the parties “morning bangs”.
I was a dancer, and used to dance to electro – I loved the fast-step music. I always wanted to make that sort of music, but mix it with South African house. I started to play in taverns and they used different words to describe it – but gqom (meaning “drum” in Zulu, “noise” in youth culture) – that was the name that people loved. Gqom is South African electro, fast music. When you’re playing it, people dance. And gqom is special to Durban.
The main club I play in is called Chill Action Bar Point, which is on Dr Pixley Kaseme Street, in the Belmont Shopping Arcade, right next to South Beach. Every weekend, people come in huge numbers. On its two dance floors people will be bouncing to gqom, but they also have slot machines for those feeling lucky – or tired.
There are good clubs all over the city, such as Club101, on Samora Machel St in Central, which is a favourite for gqom lovers, and where the dance floors are packed until dawn. Another in Central isHavana Music Lounge, on Monty Naicker Road, a small club that’s always full. During the day, it’s an upmarket bar where people can have a drink while listening to music, but at night it throws great parties.
Away from the city centre, there is Eyadini in Umlazi township, which has cheap drinks and appeals to a mixed crowd, aged between 20 and 40, who party to DJs and bands in an open-air space. In my home town of KwaMashu, north of Durban, there’s Enhlanhleni Tavern, and in Inanda, a township in eastern KwaZulu-Natal,Under the Moon has regular DJs and a spacious outside dance floor. For people who follow a softer type of music Egagasini in South Beach plays deep house and R&B.
Each of these Durban hotspots has a different crowd, from a who’s who of Durban politicians and celebrities, to tourists wanting to experience the city like locals.
Food and drink
By Andrew Rall, master distiller and founder of Distillery 031
The early mornings are the best time of day in Durban during the summer, and the Circus Circus beach cafe in Central (it has five branches in and around Durban), offers about as close as you can get to breakfast on the sand. Watch the sun rise and enjoy breakfast options from scrambled eggs to a full farmhouse breakfast for 64 rand (about £3).
Durban is rightly famous for its curries, and Little India in Musgrave serves a wonderful selection. I particularly like the red and yellow potato curries on its veg mains menu for under £2, and traditional dishes such as breyani (biryani elsewhere), rogan josh and madras in a quintessentially Indian setting. Sunrise Chip ‘n Ranch (Cape Town branch on Facebook) in Sparks Road is known locally as Johnnies and serves legendary roti rolls all night long.
For drinks, Panorama Bar at the luxurious Elangeni Hotel is the best place to watch the surf while enjoying a sundowner, with great views of the Bay of Plenty. Simple but stylish Umhlanga (north Durban) venue Lucky Shaker is the brainchild of renowned mixologist Michael Stephenson. His knowledge and passion for cocktails is unmatched, down to the ice cubes that he makes on site to achieve the perfect mix. Try his Nectar of the Gods – gin with fresh nectarine, raspberry liqueur, lychee and freshly pressed apple.
Opened to the public in November 2015, Distillery 031 produces spirits made with local ingredients, including vodka, gin, cachaça and absinthe. Its selection of gourmet street food has a legion of loyal followers – signature dishes include a beef and oxtail burger with bacon and pineapple jam, lamb jalfrezi burger and truffled biltong mac’n’chini (its take on arancini rice balls)
Heading 14 miles into Durban’s western hinterland, next to Pinetown taxi rank isRainbow Restaurant, an institution that has hosted top jazz artists for more than 20 years, and comes alive on Sundays with live jazz, flame-cooked fatty chicken and beers served by the quart.
Hlabisa Shisa Nyama on Timoni Rd in KwaMashu is township-style shisa nyama(which literally means “hot meat”). Buy your meat by the kilo from Hlabisa’s butchery and enjoy a cold beer while it is expertly braai’d (barbecued). If you’re nervous about navigating KwaMashu township on your own, ask Street Scene Tours to take you there.
In terms of art, Durban is weird. It goes in cycles. It’s prolific and then there’s a downturn of two, three years before the next crop comes through, as artists rebel in small waves against the more commercial, mainstream side. There are often group shows at Artspace, in a light industry zone in Windermere, two miles north of Central. It’s a cool, small gallery started 12 years ago by Karen and Claus Bradtke, that constantly has shows by new young artists.
The Bat Centre, off the Victoria Embankment (Esplanade), has been going for 50 years – Hugo Bartel, an eccentric Austrian entrepreneur and adventurer, left millions of rand in his will to establish an arts trust. Its mission is “to celebrate the arts and culture of Durban, Kwa-Zulu Natal and South Africa by promoting local talent”, and to that end the centre teaches locals sculpture and painting, for example, as well putting on workshops that turn into exhibitions. Situated in the harbour, it’s a great place to view art and chill out.
I used to shoot digital collages a few years ago, and I would create landscapes inspired by the beachfront, where I’ve lived for so long. The beachfront scenarios change. The actual Golden Mile, running from South Beach up to the Suncoast Casino towards the Moses Mabhida Stadium, is simple and chilled, but the further north you go, the more beautiful it gets. On the other side of the harbour, there’s the Bluff, where there are mangrove swamps.
There’s a lot of heritage in places like Tongaat – Indian communities that I’ve shot a lot. The expansive sugar cane fields there have created backgrounds for my collages. You can go through the fields and find communities living among the sugar cane.
The North Beach sand installations are really fun to view – from traditional massive sand castles to life-like rhinos and horses. But my favourite was a six-foot skeleton lounging on a couch. And if you’re into graffiti, the skate park at Bay of Plenty is cool. In Cape Town, street art is banned, but here in Durban, there are legal walls where people can paint without getting hassled. Street Scene Tours(£27pp for four-five hours including burger and beer) offers specific walks based on seeing urban art. They visit little-known urban graffiti galleries as well as more established graffiti hubs like the suburb of Glenwood and Rivertown Precinct, and tours feature artists such as Mook Lion and Ewok. You can also go to the townships and visit taverns and shacks which some of the local street artists have painted.
Compared with Johannesburg, Durban is very relaxed, but it’s also a bit conservative. In Joburg it’s easy to sport, say, blue braids, which might be frowned upon in some areas here. But a group of young designers in Durban are into experimenting and challenging the conservative view. Top of the list to check out would be the boutiques at 8 Morrison Street, part of the urban regeneration project in the Rivertown Precinct, South Beach. They offer a wide variety of styles, from edgy streetwear by Spine, Swaggerwear and Rooispace to high-fashion pieces by young designers like Jacqui Emanuel and Brett Robson, who produces very interesting, funky clothing, and who blogs prolifically about fashion. As well as fashion outlets, 8 Morrison Street also has really cool little galleries like Artisan (Arts in South Africa Now) – which has local hand-painted fabrics, prints and ceramics – and decor shop Mi Africa.
Studios and boutiques at the Rivertown Precinct, Morrison Street.
The Space Pavilion in the suburb of Westville is great if you are looking for on-trend quality and South African-made clothing. You can find designers likeAmanda Laird Cherry, whose style is classic with a twist, in an amazing array of fabrics. Colleen Eitzen produces pieces in which you can dress up or down depending on occasion or mood. My own clothing range is plus-sized ladies’ wear, because there is a market in Durban for women who want to look stylish but can only find conservative clothes in the shops. It’s very feminine – bold, ethnic prints given an update by pairing them with modern silhouettes and everyday patterns. My studio is on Matthews Meyiwa Rd in Morningside (three miles north of Central), in the middle of Durban’s trendiest area.
The I Heart Market – a platform for local foodies and designers to showcase their products on the first Saturday of the month at the Moses Mabhida Stadium – offers a unique range of quality handmade African clothing and accessories. You’ll find the quirky, the edgy and more sophisticated items, including African beaded jewellery, handmade bags from recycled material, and sterling silver jewellery. There’s also a guy called Sanele Cele, and his very cool streetwear brand, Tempracha. I love the way he’s not afraid to experiment with clothes. He’s one to watch, and has a studio on Umgeni Road in Morningside. For something vintage and unique, areas like Victoria Street in the CBD have the most gorgeous vintage clothing and coats sold on the street at bargain prices.
I’m from Port St John originally, in the Transkei, and this is my second year in Durban. I moved because of surfing: to try and get in the water more and get exposure. I surf all day pretty much, and the best surf in Durban for me is New Pier, which is next to South Beach. You can surf pretty much anywhere along the Golden Mile, but if the waves are really crazy, South Beach is the place to be. My friend and I also try and surf a lot of other spots outside the city – all the way down to places like Green Point (40 minutes’ drive south of Durban). But sometimes, you’ll go to Cave Rock, on the foreshore of Durban Bluff, and it will be absolutely cooking. February is the best time of the year for surfing in Durban, when the waves are absolutely pumping.
I’m always hanging out on the beach when I’m not surfing, usually by New Pier. It’s the way I live my life, and where I spend most of my time. The beach culture here is still very alive and that helps the lifesaving clubs, which run their own superb restaurants. The Marine Surf Lifesaving Club at Addington beach is a friendly environment for visitors and cooks up some good food, and there’s alsoDurban Surf Lifesaving Club on North Beach. I like to grab a bite at Afro’s chicken shop on South Beach and Surf Riders Food Shack, again on Addington, is a Durban promenade institution that serves breakfast, burgers and pizzas.
Surfboard makers are outstanding in Durban – this is where legends Max Whetteland and Baron Stander began shaping Safari Surfboards in a small workshop in 1964. And the surf community mingles daily in and out of the water – guys like Spider Murphy, Hugh Thomson, Graham Smith and Kevin Colby. I’m not too brand loyal, but I get cool stuff from 42 Surf Shop at the back of Victoria Park, and Piranha Surf Galleria in uShaka Centre, which stocks all the major brands. There are also guys like Ocean Ventures, at uShaka Marine World, for touristy activities in the water, like surfing lessons, stand-up paddleboarding and boat trips.
When I’m not surfing I do a little bit of skateboarding. There’s a beach skate park on Snell Parade, the next beach up from North Beach, right on the promenade. That’s where everyone in Durban goes to skate.
Whale and dolphin watchingThe coast just to the north of Durban, from Ballito to Shaka’s Rock and further, offers nature lovers the most spectacular Indian Ocean experiences. If you visit in the colder months, August-October, you’ll be sure to spot whales and dolphins just off the shore. Visit the Salt Rock hotel for Sunday lunch, or oysters (no worries if you just pop up from the beach in a bikini/bathing suit). Further north, there is the St Lucia river estuary where one can see hippos and other amazing wildlife. I love this part of South Africa, lovely people, lovely climate – and affordable too. ID6425306
Stuck in Durban and enjoying itWe are Canadian sailors onboard our yacht waiting here in Durban marina for good weather to sail to Cape Town. We have been exploring the Durban neighbourhoods by walking and taxi. Our first foray was to the Glenwood neighbourhood, for the Phansi Museumwith its huge collection of African arts and crafts at 500 Esther Roberts Road. Exceptional. We were guided through by the assistant curator. Then, down the hill to the artisanal Glenwood Bakery, where we spotted the Tartine Bakery (San Francisco) cookbook on their shelf. Devoured the best bread after a year of next to no bread while sailing the Indian Ocean. Next door we ate lunch at the Parc cafe – wholesome, great coffee and iced rooibos tea. We walked further to Bulwer Road and explored the KZNSA gallery. Ended the day at Checkers grocery store on Helen Josephs Road to buy fresh veggies and boerwors for supper on the boat. Another day we discovered the affordable People Mover bus which we took to the shoreline where we walked a few miles along this outstanding people-watching beach. Another taxi took us to the Florida Road neighbourhood, in Windermere, to visit the tourist information centre and the African Art Gallery just a few steps away. We had a tasty lunch at the Spiga Cafe before walking to the Windermere shopping centre to once again buy groceries for an onboard feast. Food is definitely the theme. We have also filled in our forced wait with a visit to the botanical garden in Musgrave, a city guided walking tour, the huge Gateway Mall and of course, a visit to one of the city’s marine chandleries. The best thing has been finding neighbourhoods like Glenwood, sitting in cafes and watching Durban street life pass us by. mccann09
I worked in Durban for three months, and a colleague told me about a group of locals who play volleyball on the beach every Friday. A warm, welcoming group, who become lifelong friends. It would continue rain or sunshine. Everyone from any background was welcome. We would alll go for a drink to a local bar afterwards. Nadia Ahmed
Grandma’s amazing voyageA good few years ago, while talking to my wife’s grandma about her sea voyage to India from Liverpool in 1940, she mentioned that they had stopped in Durban. As we were trying to find out all about this amazing war-time odyssey, we asked her about her impressions of the places she had stopped off at. When it got to Durban, she paused for a moment, reflecting on her distant memories and said: “Durban … it had a lovely Woolworths!” Damning with faint praise or just comparing with something familiar? We shall never know. phoneinsick
What a find this place was. Ike’s is an amazing second hand book shop at 48a Florida Road I found on my last trip to Durban. The interior is everything a second hand book shop should be – calm, atmospheric, and inspiring, making you want to grab books off the shelf and read them. The original owner was an anti-apartheid activist, and a local hero, with much of the shop dedicated to his story. The rest is given over to a vast collection of books. If you have an interest in Africana stuff, or African literature this is the place. Other shouts in Durban are the Chairman (146 Mahatma Gandhi Rd), which has a great harbourside setting, for some jazz and drinks, and Afro’s on the beach front [see above] for chicken burgers. OneEyedRat
