UPDATE: As of November 11, 2020 South Africa is fully open to all international travelers. Visitors must present a negative PCR test result, not older than 72 hours before boarding their first flight.

South Africa re-opened for international safari tourism on October 1, 2020. All that is needed to enter is a negative Covid test taken within 72 hours of your departure.

Originally travelers from 60 countries were barred from visiting however within 3 weeks this was reduced to 22 countries.

Travelers wishing to transit through South Africa to another safari country may do so as long as they present a negative Covid test and remain airside at the airport.

The South African government will be re-assessing the list every 2 weeks and we expect over time South Africa will open fully as all other African safari countries have done – no lists of barred visitors, no quarantines… only the need for a negative Covid test to be shown upon arrival.

Our tourism industry friends on the ground in South Africa are saying they expect travelers arriving directly from all countries to be allowed into South Africa no later than December 20, 2020 however we have no South African government information / statements to back this up.

In the meantime travelers from barred countries (see list below) who wish to visit South Africa may do so if they have spent the previous 10 days in a country that is not on the barred list…  as an example you may fly via Johannesburg (in transit) to Zimbabwe or Zambia to see Victoria Falls before going on a week long safari in Zimbabwe, Zambia or Botswana. After the safari you may fly to Cape Town, South Africa taking in the sites there. Or you could fly via Johannesburg to Namibia or Mozambique, explore for 10 days, and then fly to South Africa for a Kruger / Sabi Sands safari.

As of late October 2020 travelers from the following countries are barred from visiting as tourists:

Argentina
Germany
Peru
Bangladesh
India
Philippines
Belgium
Indonesia
Russia
Brazil
Iran
Spain
Canada
Iraq
United Kingdom
Chile
Italy
USA
Colombia
Mexico
France
Netherlands

Stay well,

Ian Proctor
Ultimate Africa President
“I first visited Africa in the late 1980s. I came face to face with a wild elephant, and fell in love with being on safari! I made it my goal to create an African travel company that was all about authentic wildlife experiences. Many years later we are one of the top African travel companies in the Americas – known for arranging custom safaris to East and Southern Africa; personal trips, no cookie cutter stuff.”