Weekly Travel News Recap, 31 May: FlySafair under investigation, BMW 3 Series update, and more

Catch up on all the latest travel news with Drive South Africa.

Each week, our team scours the web for the most interesting, trending, and unusual travel news, conservation news, and motoring news stories. Here are this week’s biggest scoops.

Travel News

• FlySafair ownership under investigation for allegedly breaching aviation licensing conditions. Several FlySafair competitors allege that the airline’s majority ownership by foreign shareholders breaches the Air Services Licensing Act and gives the carrier competitive advantage.

• OR Tambo International is Africa’s busiest airport. According to data from flightsfrom.com, Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport is the busiest in Africa, with an average of 252 daily scheduled departures. It’s the 97th busiest airport in the world overall.

• World Economic Forum praises Tanzania and Egypt tourism growth. The WEF 2024 Travel and Tourism Development Index says the nations are among the most improved countries in terms of enabling tourism and travel development. Tanzania climbed eight spots in the index to 81st, while Egypt climbed five spots to 61st.

Conservation News

• International Union for Conservation of Nature launches new wildlife conservation training facility in Zambia. The IUCN’s Eastern and Southern African Regional Office (ESARO) has launched the Training Facility for Wildlife Rangers and TFCA Managers in partnership with the German government, aiming to “provide needs-driven, workplace-related training for wildlife rangers and TFCA managers in specific conservation areas focused on transboundary conservation management”.

• Western Cape Environmental Education Friends launches competition for grade 6 to 9 learners. The Big Biodiversity Challenge aims to “inspire and empower the next generation of environmental leaders to protect biodiversity”, according to SANParks. Learners must submit projects that offer solutions to threats facing biodiversity in the form of scientific projects, creative arts, or social projects.

Motoring News

• Electric car sales rise in South Africa. According to the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa’s quarterly review, new energy vehicle (NEV) sales grew by 83% year-on-year. It says 3,042 NEVs were sold between January and March 2024, compared to 1,665 vehicles sold during the same period last year.

• South Africans pay over 100% more for fuel on average now than they did four years ago. According to analysis by BusinessTech, the price of unleaded 93 petrol increased by 119% between May 2020 and May 2024. Meanwhile, the price of diesel increased by just under 100% over the same period.

• BMW South Africa releases details of new 3 Series range. The manufacturer says the new G20 3 Series will shortly receive a second facelift in two years, featuring new paint colour options and wheel designs, as well as chassis updates that promise a “notable increase in comfort across all driving situations”. The BMW M3 Touring has also been confirmed for the SA market.

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