TRAVELLING TO SOUTH AFRICA UNDER COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS
As of 21 September 2024, most normal
activity can resume with precautions and health guidelines in place.
In accordance
with the regulatory stipulations of the South African Department of Health that
allows tour operators to operate in the tourism and hospitality industry in
South Africa under Covid-19 restrictions, The Kruger Safari Co has instituted
the following measures to be Covid-19 compliant:
· education and training on
Covid-19 compliance
• vehicle capacity restrictions
(shuttle bus at 50% capacity)
• temperature and health checks
• mandatory masks (no mask/no
travel rule strictly applied)
• regulatory-approved alcohol
sanitiser for clients
• regular hand washing
• newly-washed and ironed work
clothes every day
• cleaning vehicles inside and
out each day and sprayed with regulatory surface sanitiser
• isolation plan in place
• contract tracing plan in place
• working-from-home policy in
place
Covid-19 regulations for international travellers
The following regulations apply to international and transit travellers for a holiday or business trip to South Africa post the 2024 Covid-19 travel ban and lockdown period.
On arrival in South Africa:
· you need to present a negative PCR test that was taken no longer than 72 hours before arriving in South Africa
· you will be required to go through a health screening and if you show any of the recognized symptoms of Covid-19, you will sent for extra testing and requested to self-quarantine
· if you can’t provide a negative PCR test on arrival in South Africa, you will be required to quarantine for 10-14 days at your own cost
· you will be requested to download the official Covid-19 contact-notification and alert app for South Africa which is available on Google and Apply Play.
Mandatory protocols in South Africa:
· it is compulsory to wear a mask in ALL public spaces, except when undertaking vigorous exercise
· every person is confined to his or her place of residence from 00h01 until 04h00, except for emergencies or if granted permission as an essential services person
· people must practice social distancing in all public places, where you keep a space of at least one and a half metres from each other
· gatherings are restricted to no more than 250 people or 50% of the capacity of the venue, excluding funerals and religious gatherings which are limited to 100 and 250 persons, respectively
· visiting gyms, restaurants and bars as well as hotels, lodges and B&Bs are subject to post-Covid-19 operation regulations (night clubs remain closed under Level 1)
· the sale of liquor for off-site consumption is permitted from 09h00 to 17h00 from Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays
For more information on Covid-19 regulations from the Department of Transport: READ MORE
Airports that are open in South Africa
The following airports are fully
operational under Level 1 (from 01st October 2024):
O.R. Tambo International Airport –
international & domestic flights
Cape Town International Airport –
international & domestic flights
King Shaka International Airport –
international & domestic flights
Bram Fischer International Airport –
domestic flights only
East London Airport –
domestic flights only
George Airport –
domestic flights only
Kimberley Airport –
domestic flights only
Port Elizabeth International Airport –
domestic flights only
Upington International Airport –
domestic flights only
COVID-19 COMPLIANCE
The Kruger Safari Co is committed to your health and
well-being
In accordance with the ongoing regulatory stipulations of the South African Department of Health that allows us to operate in the tourism and hospitality industry in South Africa, The Kruger Safari Co has instituted the following measures to be Covid-19 compliant:
Education and
training
All office and
field staff working for The Kruger Safari Co have received extensive training
on how to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus. Training on how to meet the
Covid-19 regulatory requirements is ongoing, and new regulations will be
timeously adopted as and when is required.
Display posters issued by the Department of Health on handwashing, use of sanitiser and wearing masks are prominently displayed at our offices and in our tour vehicles.
Capacity
restrictions
As per the
Covid-19 regulations stipulated for the transport industry, The Kruger Safari
Co adheres to the following capacity restrictions:
· tour buses at 70% capacity
· shuttle bus at 50% capacity
Temperature and
health checks
As per
regulatory requirement, temperatures of staff, guides and clients are taken at
appropriate times
· for clients, this is before
they get on the tour vehicle
· for staff and guides, this is
at the start of the day before they come into contact with clients
Staff, guides
and clients with a temperature of 37.3°C or more
will be asked to immediately leave the premises or will not be permitted to
join the tour. They will be advised to self-isolate or seek medical attention.
Any staff member who has symptoms associated with the Covid-19 virus will be required to stay at home and self-isolate. This includes a cough, runny nose or flu-like fever symptoms. Any client with the same symptoms will not be allowed to join a tour and will be advised to self-isolate.
Masks
Guides and
clients are required to wear appropriate masks for the duration of the tour.
No mask/no
travel rule is strictly applied.
Each guide has been issued with 3 masks which are to be alternated between ‘wear and wash’ throughout the week.
Alcohol-rub sanitiser
Regulatory-approved
sanitiser is provided on all tour and safari vehicles and must be applied
throughout the tour by guides and clients.
Hand-rub sanitiser dispensers are available in prominent places in our offices and where our guides and clients convene before and after tours.
Washing hands
Our guides have received extensive training on how to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus. This involves regularly washing their hands and general good hygiene care. A good supply of soap and sanitiser is supplied to our office staff and guides.
Cleaning
clothes
Our staff and guides are provided with a good supply of work shirts. As a rule, our team is required to wear newly-washed and ironed work clothes every day. The Kruger Safari Co has adopted a laundry protocol as per the Covid-19 regulations. This is strictly monitored by our management team.
Cleaning
vehicles
Our vehicles are washed down inside and out at the end of each day and sprayed with a regulatory surface sanitiser. A good supply of cleaning products is provided and replenished regularly.
Isolation
plan
We have put in
place an isolation plan as per the recommendations of the Department of Health.
This includes a room or area where someone who is not feeling well or has
symptoms of the Covid-19 virus can be safely isolated before being transferred
to a medical facility for testing.
Office staff and guides have been thoroughly briefed on the screening and isolation protocol for The Kruger Safari Co. Regular updates on latest health warnings and Covid-19 regulations are communicated to all staff members at the office and remote locations.
Contact
tracing
The Kruger Safari Co keeps a meticulous record of all participants on every tour. These will be made available to the health authorities to help with contact tracing in the event that one of our staff members, guides or clients contract the Covid-19 virus.
Working from
home
The Kruger Safari Co adopted a ‘work from home’ policy for the duration of the Covid-19 lockdown in South Africa. Where possible, our staff will continue to work from home and only essential staff required to ‘meet and greet’ clients will be working from our office.
ANY
QUESTIONS?
The health and
well-being of our staff and clients are a priority for The Kruger Safari Co. If
you have any questions or concerns that relate to our Covid-19 compliance,
please don’t hesitate to call us.
Owner
Anthony Colia: +27 (0)82 506 9641
TOURISM INDUSTRY STANDARD PROTOCOLS FOR TOUR OPERATIONS DURING COVID-19
Persons with higher risk of contracting Covid-19
Age and co-morbidity history may affect whether you
can travel to South Africa and join a tour in the country. The Kruger Safari Co
is required to request your age and medical history at the time of making a
tour booking.
· High-risk people and those with
co-morbidities may not be allowed to travel to South Africa.
· 65 years plus: not allowed under current Covid-19
restrictions
· 60 to 65 allowed under certain conditions
Staff and public transport
The Kruger Safari Co is required to reduce or stop the
use of public transport by our staff by either:
· letting staff live-in on the company
property
· using company cars to transfer staff
to and from their homes
Interprovincial travel
The Kruger Safari Co requires all guests to present
proof of their accommodation bookings for overnight stays. Documents need to be
presented at the time guests are collected by our driver.
The Kruger Safari Co will travel with booking documents for day tours.
Tracing protocol
Tracing people that may have come into contact with a
staff member or client who has tested positive for Covid-19 is managed through
our staff roster and client booking documents.
Guests will be asked to provide a copy of their travel itinerary to facilitate the tracking process. This includes details of places they are visiting and hotels or lodges where they are staying.
Medical and Travel Declaration Form
All staff and clients will be required to complete a
Medical and Travel Declaration Form provided by the Department of Health. It
will be completed prior to departing for a tour.
The declaration form covers:
· general health
· chronic and other conditions,
including medication
· physical impairments
· symptoms 30-days prior to departure
· smoker status and fitness level
· Covid-19 history
· Covid-19 status disclosure sign-off
· comprehensive holiday itinerary for
tracing
· recent travel history conducted one
month prior to arriving in South Africa
· contact details for next of kin or
contact person not travelling with the client
· nationality
· ID or passport number
· proof of travel and medical
insurance for international clients
Temperature monitoring
The Kruger Safari Co is required to take the temperature of guides and clients prior to departure for a tour. The Department of Health specifies that a temperature higher than 37.5° is a warning sign of a possible Covid-19 case. Any guide or client with a high temperature or presenting typical Covid-19 symptoms will not be allowed to depart with the rest of the tour group.
Safety protocol
Daily sanitisation of tour vehicles using a regulation
fumigator, including:
· vehicle keys
· steering wheels & gear knobs
· dashboard & controls
· armrests & backs of seats/chairs
· seatbelts & seatbelt buckles
· window controls and windowsills
· air-conditioning controls &
vents
· storage boot and trailer
· glove compartment
· door compartments
· all handles, including folded
handles
· spare wheel compartment and spare
wheel tools
· oil and water dipsticks
· petrol cap
Other Covid-19 protection protocols include:
· regulation hand sanitiser provided
on mounted units in the vehicle for both clients and guides
· sanitisation of luggage and
sanitisation of luggage handler’s hands
· compulsory wearing of mask, except
when eating and drinking
· 3 masks provided per staff member to
accommodate washing requirements
· guests required to use the same seat
for the duration of the tour
Tour buses and coaches
The Kruger Safari Co is required to abide by the
regulation of 70% capacity in tour buses and coaches.
Clients are required to have an empty seat between
them to accommodate social distancing rules.
The Kruger Safari Co will adopt international
guidelines for tour buses and coaches as advised.
Where possible, a perspex shield is installed between the driver and clients in tour vehicles
Private shuttle cars
Clients are required to sit on the back passenger
seat. No client my sit in the front seat next to the driver.
Maximum of two people in a private car with a social distancing space between them.
Specialised safari vehicles
Same sanitisation and capacity requirements will be
applied. This includes:
· wipe down roll bars and handles with
regulation disinfectant after each stop
· binoculars cannot be shared and need
to be wiped frequently by guests with sanitiser wipes provided
· portable food and drink containers
cleaned with surface disinfectant after each use and thoroughly cleaned at the
end of each safari tour
· guides and clients provided with
their own rain poncho for each safari tour; regularly wiped down and industrial
cleaned at the end of the safari tour
· apply standard food service regulations (Section 12) for the disposal of utensils and crockery throughout the safari tour and deep sanitise non-disposable items at the end of the tour
