If you haven’t yet taken the plunge and hopped on a plane to Africa since the dawn of COVID, there is no better time than now. Our guide on updated travel restrictions to South Africa will set your mind at ease.

With travel restrictions easing around the world, your African bucket list destinations are once again accessible and, more importantly, safe.

Here are the latest travel requirements for South Africa along with a few choice recommendations from our consultants about where to go this summer.

COVID travel requirements for South Africa

South Africa is open for international travel via all airports and some land borders.

Our three main airports – OR Tambo in Johannesburg, King Shaka in Durban and Cape Town International – are all part of the Airport Health Accreditation Programme which provides the industry with guidelines and best practice recommendations.

COVID Protocols in South Africa – September 2022

Arrival

Health screening on arrival including vaccination certificates and/or a negative PCR test: Not required

Mandatory quarantine: Not required

Masks: Not required either indoors or outdoors anywhere in South Africa

Departure

Health screening on departure including vaccination certificates and/or a negative PCR test: Not required at South African airports. May be required by your airline and/or your next destination.

Masks: May be required by your airline

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Where to go in Africa for summer 2022

To use the great British understatement, summer in the UK and Europe has been “just a bit hot!” Right now you might be breathlessly waiting for plummeting temperatures and icy snowfalls for some frosty relief, but come December you’ll be itching to leave for more temperate climates.

South Africa

As travellers can now move freely around SA, our Cape Town, Garden Route and Safari tour bookings are picking up nicely. This is a great option if you’re still a little nervous about COVID, as a large chunk of it is self-driven.

Our accommodation picks are intimate yet spacious guest houses with only a few fellow guests. Remember, you can always request private self-catering accommodation if you prefer.

The safari element in a private Kruger safari lodge is also tailored for a small group, minimising contact with other guests. We’re happy to arrange private game drives if you’d prefer not to be part of a group.

If you want to get your proverbial feet wet and test the waters with a shorter trip, we offer a Fly-In Kruger Safari to prestigious private reserves such as Sabi Sand. Your charter flight will drop you on the doorstep of your chosen reserve where you can spend as many or as few nights as you like at your exclusive lodge. You’ll have an intimate safari experience away from the crowds with such delights as private decks and plunge pools, outdoor star baths, pampering spas and bedecked tree houses.

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East Africa

If you’re busy planning your safari trip for 2023, East Africa is where it’s at.

Head to the unspoiled wilderness of Tanzania on our Classic Tanzania Safari and cover the big three: the mighty Serengeti National Park, the Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire National Park. If you’re a beach bum, combine this immense safari journey with a few nights in Zanzibar to get some R&R before heading back home.

If you’re after that Out Of Africa experience, head to the unofficial, international safari capital of the world on our Kenya Escapes Safari. Make your own movie with visits to the Maasai Mara Reserve, the Great Rift Valley and the lush Samburu National Reserve, topped off by an optional stay at Diani Beach on the Kenyan coast.

You can also combine Tanzania and Kenya for the Great Migration tour as you track millions of wildebeest, zebra and plains buck as they follow the rains and the green grasses across borders and hundreds of miles.

Travel with confidence

At Portfolio Journeys, we are committed not only to ensuring your safety and comfort on your African trip, but we will also take care of every tiny detail to make it the most delightful experience of your life.

We love Africa and we love what we do. We are also proud to say we’re really good at it. Make an enquiry today and let’s get planning. We can’t wait to welcome you back to Africa.