Weekly Travel News Recap, 5 April: SAA here to stay, new Kruger National Park gate, 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

A South African Airways aircraft

• Interim CEO says “SAA really is here to stay”. Interim CEO of SAA, Professor John Lamola, says the national airline has doubled its routes since September 2021 and will be taking delivery of four Airbus aircraft in the coming weeks. He adds that the “new economic profile of SAA has unlocked funding opportunities” that were not available three years ago.

• ILTM Africa 2024 set to take place from 7 to 9 April in Cape Town. The latest International Luxury Travel Market African event will gather travel agents from around the world at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, featuring B2B networking opportunities, numerous exhibits, and the Luxury Golf Africa event.

• South Africa is the most popular wedding destination in Africa for US couples. According to News24, jewellery business GoldBand conducted a study of over 2,000 online search terms in the US market, finding that South Africa is the most desired wedding destination in Africa, followed by Ghana and Nigeria.

• Winners of inaugural Jonsson Workwear Luxe Travel Awards announced. The awards recognise “unparalleled hotel experiences” in South Africa. Winners include Tintswalo Atlantic (People’s Choice Award), Mala Mala Game Reserve (Private Game Reserve of the Year), and Kruger Shalati (Train Experience of the Year).

• Virgin Atlantic and Kenya Airways enter codeshare partnership to improve connectivity in East Africa. The partnership enables Virgin Atlantic customers to book flights on Kenya Airways’ London-Nairobi route directly. Kenya remains popular with UK travellers, who no longer need a traditional visa to enter.

• Travellers from more than 75 countries no longer need a visa to visit Malawi. The Malawian government has waived entry visa fees for travellers from numerous countries, including the USA. It hopes to develop more intercontinental flight routes to cater to the growing number of US travellers.

• Ethiopian Airlines makes Maun its second Bostwana destination. The airline announced the launch of a service between Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Maun, Botswana. The route will facilitate more international access to the Okavango Delta.

• KLM Royal Dutch Airlines found guilty of “greenwashing”. A Dutch court has ruled that the airline “misled” customers with its Fly Responsibly advertising campaign, accusing it of failing to make “honest and concrete” claims around its sustainability initiatives.

Conservation News

A rhinoceros mother with her calf in Kruger National Park

• SANParks announces plans for new Kruger National Park gate. The Shangoni Gate is set to be built near Mtititi village in the north of the park, creating a new entry point for safari-goers between the existing Punda Maria and Phalaborwa gates.

• WATCH: Conservation organisation becomes first in Australia to release captive-bred cheetah back into the African wild. The Wild Cat Conservation Centre in New South Wales, Australia has successfully released a captive-born cheetah, Edie, into the wild in South Africa. It adds that the cat has “undergone a phased return to the wild”, including fitness development, diet changes, and “support while she honed her predatory skills”.

• SA government plans to develop national biodiversity goals by 2036. According to MoneyWeb, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment wants to implement biodiversity goals similar to its climate-friendly energy goals. Plans include increased production and sale of game meat.

• Scientists discover largest African frog species in over 100 years. A North-West University team has discovered a new species of African bullfrog in northeastern Namibia, southern Angola, southwestern Zambia and northwestern Botswana. Pyxicephalus beytelli is bright yellow-green and has relatively large, recurved teeth that it uses to hunt “mice, small birds, snakes, insects and even other frogs”.

• National Parks Trust of SA and World Wide Fund for Nature help to expand four South African national parks. The NPTSA and WWF SA have helped to expand four national parks by a total of 20,206 ha, including Namaqua National Park, Mokala National Park, Karoo National Park, and Agulhas National Park. The aim is to contribute to South Africa’s commitment to the Global Biodiversity Framework.

• UN investigates alleged North Korean rhino and elephant trafficking in Africa. UN experts are investigating claims that North Korean are ramping up rhino horn and elephant ivory smuggling in several African countries, including Botswana, Mozambique, and South Africa.

• Scientists propose new South East Africa Montane Archipelago ecoregion in Malawi and Mozambique. In a paper published in Nature, scientists say that “the discovery and description of many species new to science” warrants an entirely new ecoregion. They add that the area is experiencing one of the highest deforestation rates in Africa.

• Marine biologists say great white shark conservation “now a matter of urgency” in South Africa. Several concerned biologists including Dr Enrico Gennari, director of the Oceans Research Institute, say that despite a recent study suggesting South Africa’s white shark population has not decreased, the number of shark sightings in the Western Cape has declined to fewer than 10 per year. They acknowledge that while “orcas have likely influenced white shark numbers and behaviours”, we need to double down on conservation efforts.

Automotive News

The all-new Mercedes-Benz G-Class

• The Kia EV9 is the 2024 World Car of the Year. The 2024 World Car Awards were announced at the New York International Auto Show on 27 March. Other winners include the BMW 5 Series / i5 (World Luxury Car of the Year), the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N (World Performance Car of the Year), the Volvo EX30 (World Urban Car of the Year), and the Toyota Prius (World Car Design of the Year).

• Mercedes-Benz unveils all-new G-Class luxury SUV. The new “G-Wagon” retains its ladder-frame construction, mechanical diff-locks, and low-range transfer case. New features include the OFFROAD COCKPIT and a fully-electric model.

• Audi ends production of the R8 supercar after 18 years. The final Audi R8 rolled off of the Böllinger Höfe, Germany production line this month, marking the official end of production. Reports suggest that Audi will replace it with a fully-electric successor.

• Chinese-owned LDV set to launch T60 double cab bakkie in South Africa. Leyland DAF Vehicles was founded in the UK in 1896, but has since been bought by China’s SAIC Motor. According to CarMag, the bakkie will feature a 2.0-litre bi-turbo four-cylinder diesel engine with outputs of 160 kW and 500 Nm.

• WATCH: Nissan teases new Navara bakkie in latest YouTube video. The Japanese manufacturer released its “Nissan Business Plan” promotional video on YouTube, giving us a first glimpse at the next-generation Navara. The bakkie will feature new powertrain options, including electric and plug-in hybrid options.

Missed out on this week’s Drive South Africa blogs? Catch up on them here.

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Namibia Quick Guide: How to Plan a Self-Drive Honeymoon ❤️

Travel News Image Credits: Unsplash, Mercedes-Benz, iStock

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