SAA Airways have just declared that it will be spreading its services across the rest of the continent of Africa and even further out internationally. This is the latest result of its long awaited restructuring project for the airline and its flights.
The South African Airlines growth strategy is to start focusing on flights that give this African carrier a much better ‘global reach’ and will include new development plans to renovate Johannesburg airport into a huge international airport and a hub for international flights.

These are major developments for the airport and airline and are set to include flights to the destination of Douala in Cameroon and further onward flights from Cameroon to Dakar in Senegal all through the new South African Airline route network proposed for next year.

Additional flights have been added to their agenda and two times a week there will be flights scheduled from Johannesburg to Buenos Aires in Argentina, this is set to start on 8th April 2009, and will be followed by another weekly flight in July 2009.

The airline also plans to increase capacity on their key major international flight routes these being Perth in Australia, where a flight will be added that means you can now travel directly to New York.

The airlines CEO Khaya Ngqula said:

“At a time when many other airlines are consolidating or reducing their flights, the success of SAA’s restructuring programme has left the airline well placed to explore growth plans for the future. We are well on our way to achieving the goals set in the restructuring programme, and the airline is well positioned, both financially and operationally, for the future.”

The airline already carries over 7.4 million tourists and family holidays passengers on its international flights each year.

Those Top Gear fans looking for luxury holidays next year may want to consider taking their holiday a little earlier and taking a trip to Johannesburg to see Jeremy Clarkson hosting a car show in one of South Africa’s most famous cities.

The car show, the MPH – Live Motoring Theatre, is to be held in the city’s Coca Cola Dome and is set to be a massive event including live-action sequences, stunts and car performances.

Both Jeremy Clarkson and his fellow Top Gear presenter, Richard Hammond, will be taking to the stage to present this huge event, which will take place from the 29th to the 31st January inclusive, according to Whatsonwhen.com.

In addition to the spectacular shows, there will also be car exhibitions to browse, various makes and models to test drive and a wide variety of food and drink stalls with local delicacies to experience.

Jeremy Clarkson said of the event: ‘It’s still the only show that gets it. It embraces all that’s good about cars. It’s the only motoring event that I’d go to.’

As well as the car show to attract visitors, January is actually a great time to pay a visit to South Africa as this is the middle of the country’s summer.

Cape Town’s city council has created an official working group with the aim of tapping into the international cruise industry market.  The council hopes to make Cape Town a high profile destination within the cruise industry.

According to the city council, the cruise industry is one of the fastest-growing tourism sectors in the world now, and considering the well placed location of Cape Town on the southern tip of Africa, the city is in an advantageous position to take advantage of any expansion in this market.

There are several planned initiatives to help boost the status of Cape Town, including establishing a new multi-use liner terminal as well as various marketing drives to increase interest in Cape Town itself.

In addition to setting up the new focus group to develop cruise tourism in the city, the council is also considering working with other port cities to develop joint developments.

Simon Grindrod, mayoral committee member for tourism, said:

“Globally, the number of cruise liner passengers has grown from about 4m in 1990 to 13.6m in 2005.  This high-level service industry has enormous job creation potential, sustaining over half a million jobs each year.”

In 2010, South Africa will be looking forward to some global exposure as it plays host to the Fifa World Cup.

Those planning luxury holidays to Cape Town, Johannesburg or other popular holiday destinations in South Africa will be interested to know of a pilot project recently launched in Africa to curb illegal tour guides.

The scheme has been launched by the South African Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism in Pretoria.

Several methods will be used to curb illegal tour guiding, such as the increased registration of tour guides, site inspections for those businesses that conduct guided tours and better education programmes.

A spokesperson for the department stated that the quality of tour guides in the country is  a critical factor for the South African travel and tourism industry.

Sindiswa Nhlumayo, deputy director general of the environmental affairs and tourism department, said:

“Tourist guides constitute a vital link between the tourists and our country’s attraction sites.  In so doing, tourist guides serve as ambassadors of the tourism sector.”

The pilot project is launched in Gauteng, a small province in South Africa that boasts several tourist attractions such as a lion and rhino nature reserve and the Apartheid Museum.

South Africa picked up quite a few prestigious tourism awards this month and the nation’s credentials have subsequently been praised as a tourist destination.

South Africa picked up the Best International Adventure Tourism Destination of 2008 award from the second annual Today’s Traveller Diamond & Platinum Awards.

The nation has much to offer, especially to adventure holidaymakers, including the world’s largest bungee jump and of course the well known safari trips where tourists can have the chance to view a range of game animals in the wild.

The country also picked up the Best National Tourism Organization 2008 as well.

The acting country head for South African tourism, Ms Medha Sampat, was there to pick up the hospitality award for her country whilst the regional director of Asia and Australasia for South African tourism, Ms Zolelwa Mukhozo, picked up the adventure destination award.

According to the Lonely Planet, they refer to South Africa as an ‘exhilarating’ nation, boasting:

“an unmistakable “abundance of energy and sense of progress”

adding:

“Travellers are returning to a remarkable land that has been off the trail for way too long”

For those looking for luxury holidays, South Africa offers a great opportunity.

On August 16th this year, the Persia to Paarl Festival will be held in South Africa’s Cape Winelands.  Wine lovers will be flocking to the festival, taking full advantage of the opportunity to indulge in their passion.

The festival is to be held at the Nederburgh wine estate, located just outside the Boland town called Paarl, which is north east of Cape Town.  The festival will recrate the essence of Persia and is themed around the Shiraz grape, which wine lovers will be familiar with.

The Shiraz grape originated in Iran almost 7,000 years ago and is now one of the wine industry’s most famous grapes.

Festival attendees will get a free wine glass when they arrived, plus the chance to watch ancient Persian art and crafts demonstrations.

Chief executive of the company running the Persia to Paarl festival, Sandra Lotz, said:

“We annually celebrate the Shiraz cultivar because of the special affinity Shiraz vines have for the Paarl terroir, thus gracing wine drinkers with world-class wines.”

There are many wine shows and festivals worldwide worthy of a visit by wine lovers, such as the Johnstown Film and Wine Festival, Pennysylvania, held in July, and Primavera, a wine festival held in Queensland, Australia during the spring.

Tourists on a luxury holiday in South Africa were rather surprised recently when a hippo turned up in the waves near the holiday town of Barrito.  The hippo even came onto the beach for a while before returning to the sea.

Locals believe the animal may have strayed from his freshwater natural habitat at nearby Richards Bay.  The animal had been tracked over the last two months as it moved south, by the conservation group KZN Wildlife.

A representative for KZN Wildlife, Lionel van Schoor of KwaZulu-Natal, said that the hippo had been searching for food on local beaches and swimming in the sea but they are concerned that the hippo seemed to be travelling too far south.

Hippos are considered dangerous animals and one of Africa’s most dangerous animals.  As the hippo approaches Durban, he is likely to come across more humans and food will still be in short supply.  Van Schoor also said that darting the hippo was not a viable option because hippos react badly to tranquilisers so the best hope for the hippo is for him to turn north and go back to his natural habitat.

We’ve seen some strange holiday deals around but a holiday to see a surfing hippo is definitely a new one!

Cape Town’s marketing organisation, which also covers the Western Cape, has announced that it expects the region to be the ‘place to be’ in 2010, which is when South Africa hosts the World Cup.

Cape Peninsula University of Technology conducted research, commissioned by Cape Town Routes Unlimited (CTRU).  The research showed that the destination should market itself and all it has to offer to everyone, not just focus on football tourists.

In July 2010, around 700,000 people will visit South Africa.  Cape Town itself will host eight of the World Cup matches, including a semi-final.

The chief exex of CTRU, Calcyn Gilfellan, said that the city was preparing itself to be able to offer much more than just the football matches.  He said:

‘The destination is known as one of the most beautiful places in the world; one that’s not only boasting a diverse range of tourism experiences, but also…maturing into a true lifestyle destination – a place where one can enjoy the good life.  Cape Town and the Western Cape wants to be the centre of attraction for participants, media and spectators: the place to be in 2010.’

For a luxury holiday destination, the Garden Route of South Africa is truly enchanting. In the spring time flowers adorn the hills and valleys with a myriad riot of colours and the 200 km route dips to the beaches to meet up with the Indian Ocean.

Cape Town, the beautiful city with the Table Mountain

Start at Cape Town, the beautiful city with the Table Mountain on one side and the languid waterfront on the other. A mini-train takes you up to the mountain for a bird’s eye view of the city.

Cape Town is ideal for a stroll on the marina, handicraft shopping and a boat ride to Robben Island, known as the hellhole of apartheid brutality.

Knysna and further

Knysna, the quaint seaside town with a beautiful marina is ideal for lazy walks at the waterfront, a boat ride to the deadly Heads or a romantic dinner on a paddleboat.

Oudtshoorn of the ostrich farms and Cango Caves is a delightful stop. At ostrich farms just outside Oudtshroon, meet, feed and ride ostriches and handle their beautiful feathers! The underground Cango Caves have mesmerizing towering stalactites, stalagmites and limestone helictites caverns. The town boasts of some fine restaurants and art nouveau style homes built by the feather barons.
Scenic Route to Stellenbosch

Wind up the tour by driving down the scenic Route 62 onto Stellenbosch, the wine capital of South Africa and its second oldest town.

A stay at one of the vineyards will introduce you to the wine making process and wine tasting.