Cape Town is open for travel and ready to welcome visitors. Here’s what you should know about South Africa’s arrival/exit requirements and vaccinations.
Arrival information
Visitors to South Africa need to produce a negative COVID-19 test obtained not more than 72 hours before the date of travel. Negative antigen tests will not be accepted. Travellers must also complete the Traveller Health Questionnaire up to 48 hours before travel or on arrival into the country. Download the entry and exit questionnaire at the links below:
Entry: https://sacoronavirus.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/ENTRY-SCREENING-THQ-2.pdf
Exit: https://sacoronavirus.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/EXIT-SCREENING-THQ-1.pdf
South African authorities reserve the right to verify the authenticity of certificates presented.
Are vaccinations mandatory for hospitality staff?
South Africa has not yet imposed a vaccine mandate. It is therefore not mandatory for hospitality staff to get vaccinated.
That said, hospitality staff at many of our large hotel groups, restaurant franchises, and other big hospitality organisations are fully vaccinated due to vaccinations being mandatory for all employees.
Many of these large hospitality organisations have leveraged their fully vaccinated status as a USP, while others have used attractive incentives and creative soft techniques to encourage their staff to be vaccinated.
International guests hesitant to visit due to vaccine policies should ask hotels and attractions whether their staff are fully vaccinated or not.
So, what hotels are fully vaccinated?
Newmark Hotel
The Newmark Hotel group announced that 100% of its employees in its luxury lodges, hotels, and residences are fully vaccinated.
Newmark introduced the ‘I Am Vaccinated’ campaign to encourage staff to get vaccinated during South Africa’s vaccine rollout last year.
Radisson Group
All Radisson hotels in South Africa reached a 100% vaccination rate. This does not include exempted staff.
The President Hotel
The staff at the President Hotel are also fully vaccinated.
Some hotel groups like Marriott International do not mandate staff to get vaccinated, however, they have implemented various initiatives to encourage staff to get vaccinated. These include providing transport to vaccination centres during working hours, inviting local healthcare professionals to address associates and installing temporary mobile vaccination facilities on property in other remote locations.
What about attractions that are not fully vaccinated?
As there is no mandatory vaccine mandate set by the South African government, many attractions are not enforcing it.
The V&A Waterfront, which boasts over 800 tenants, does not enforce a vaccine mandate. They ensure visitor safety by mask-wearing policies, social distancing and encouraging tenants to get vaccinated. The Cape Town attraction was among the first to earn a Safe Travels Stamp from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).
Robben Island encouraged staff to get vaccinated when the process rolled out last year. The attraction implements the strictest COVID-19 protocols on their boats and during tours to ensure visitors’ safety.
SANParks also motivated staff to vaccinate and confirm that protocols were in place to ensure traveller and staff safety. These include screenings for employees and visitors and hygiene protocols like mask-wearing, frequent sanitisation stations and social distancing.
For more information on COVID-19 and safety in Cape Town, visit: www.capetown.travel/travel-wise/