Last night, President Cyril Ramaphosa noted that the rate of Covid-19 infections are declining across South Africa. As a result, a number of lockdown restrictions have been lifted – a decision which has been widely welcomed by the hospitality sector.
Rosemary Anderson, FEDHASA (Federated Hospitality Association of South Africa) national chairperson (pictured), says, “We are thrilled with the announcement that the restrictions are being eased, which paves the way for hospitality businesses to be able to operate in a financially viable environment.
“We are thrilled with the announcement that the restrictions are being eased, which paves the way for hospitality businesses to be able to operate in a financially viable environment.”
“The lengthy curfew hours and ban on alcohol, restriction on numbers and closing of major tourist attractions, including beaches, meant it was simply no longer feasible for many businesses to continue to trade and this has led to so many businesses in the hospitality industry closing during these additional restrictions.”
This positive news has also coincided with the arrival of South Africa’s first batch of vaccines, providing another glimmer of hope for the local tourism industry.
As restaurants and accommodation start to get back to business, Anderson reminds the public that the Tourism Business Council of South Africa’s Travel Safe Eat Safe protocols provide a robust set of guidelines to ensure these businesses can operate safely. You can find out more about these standards here. As such, she encourages South Africans to support the these businesses but also urges compliance with these protocols, “so that our businesses can continue operating and we can secure the jobs that the industry supports as well as hopefully regain jobs that have been lost.”
You can access the amended lockdown regulations here.
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