It was announced last week that South Africa has repealed all covid related restrictions, including its mask mandate and all vaccination and testing requirements for entry.
This is very good news indeed for libertarian travellers seeking to escape the northern hemisphere Winter, as South Africa is a beautiful, varied and very economical country to visit.
On the flip side, however, it must be remembered that South Africa’s lockdowns were among the most brutal in the world. All social contact was forbidden for months and there was even a long lasting ban on any sales of alcohol or tobacco. Citizens were forced to wear masks indoors and out for nearly two years.
With this in mind, I have to greet this news with caution. With that said, all of the signs are positive. The government seems to be making all of the right noises about falling hospitalisation numbers and learning to live with the virus. This step has also been taken close to the middle of the South African Winter and outside of the main tourist season. I believe this bodes well for the upcoming Summer season from November to March.
I will be monitoring the situation closely in the coming weeks and months before I make any firm bookings, but I very much hope to be publishing a few articles on Johannesburg, Cape Town and the Garden Route this Winter.
