Andrew Stegmann
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South Africa Has Published Its List of 60 Countries Banned From Leisure Travel

As of today, 1 October 2020, South Africa has opened its borders to international travelers. There are, however, numerous restrictions, including presenting a negative COVID-19 test, and visitors only being allowed to enter through select airports and land border posts. Furthermore, the South African Government has published a list of 60 countries that are banned from leisure travel to South Africa.

International Relations and cooperation minister Naledi Pandor said in a media briefing on Wednesday that the country’s infections rate has gone down and the country can return to a ‘more normal’ situation.

She said that the government has developed a list of high and low-risk countries which will be allowed to travel to and from the country based on World Health Organization guidelines over a seven-day period.

  • High risk travelers are those who come from countries with higher numbers of Covid-19 infections and reported deaths compared to South Africa.
  • Medium risk travelers are from countries with relatively equal number of infections and death toll to SA.
  • Low risk travelers obviously originate from countries with lesser number of infections of Covid-19 and death toll than SA.

This list will be updated on a regular basis, reviewed every two weeks, Pandor said.

Leisure travelers from high-risk countries will not be permitted. The exception will be business travelers with scarce and critical skills including diplomats, repatriated persons, investors and people participating in professional sporting and, events will undergo the same health protocol screenings. “Travelers that intend to visit the country will need to produce a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test not older than 72 hours from the time of departure from the country of origin,” Pandor said.

“The test must be conducted by a certified medical practitioner and must have the name and signature of the person who conducted the test.” Upon arrival, travelers will be screened for any Covid-19 symptom s and will also be screened for contract with people who have been in contact with others who could have had Covid-19.

Travelers will also need to provide proof of accommodation addresses in case they need to self-isolate. International travel around the world has been severely impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Those who are found to have Covid-19 after entering the country will be required to isolate for 10 days at their own cost. Travel insurance will be mandatory for all travelers. If the passport of the traveler from a high risk country indicates that they spent 10 days or more in a low risk country before departure, they will be considered to be arriving from a low risk country.

Banned countries are:

  1. Albania
  2. Argentina
  3.  Armenia
  4. Austria
  5. Bahrain
  6. Belgium
  7. Bolivia
  8. Bosnia and Herzegovina
  9. Brazil
  10. Chile
  11. Columbia
  12. Costa Rica
  13. Croatia
  14. Czech Republic
  15. Denmark
  16. Ecuador
  17. France
  18. Georgia
  19. Greece
  20. Guatemala
  21. Guyana
  22. Honduras
  23. Hungary
  24. Iceland
  25. India
  26. Iran
  27. Iraq
  28. Ireland
  29. Israel
  30. Jamaica
  31. Jordan
  32. Kuwait
  33. Lebanon
  34. Luxemburg
  35. Maldives
  36. Malta
  37. Mexico
  38. Moldova
  39. Montenegro
  40. Nepal
  41. Netherlands
  42. North Macedonia
  43. Oman
  44. Palestine
  45. Panama
  46. Paraguay
  47. Peru
  48. Portugal
  49. Puerto Rico
  50. Qatar
  51. Romania
  52. Russia
  53. Slovakia
  54. Suriname
  55. Switzerland
  56. Ukraine
  57. United Emirates
  58. United Kingdom
  59. USA
  60. Venezuela

To read Home Affairs’ full speech on the reopening of the borders for international travel, click here. And to read the SA Government Gazette changes, click here.

 

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2], [3]. Image sources: [1], [2].

Andrew Stegmann
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Heritage Day Check-in at the Relocation Africa Head Office

As the 24th of September marked another Heritage Day in South Africa – a day to remember our history and celebrate our cultures – we decided to use one of our Wacky Wednesday check-ins to bring items and stories to our head office, so that our team members could learn about each other’s heritage.

Our Head Office team has come to expect the unexpected during our Wacky Wednesday Check-ins and last week was no different. Keeping Heritage Day in mind, Joy, from our HR Department set the scene for a celebration and sharing of the diverse culture in our team.

We were all encouraged to participate in a “show and tell” story explaining the significance of the particular item we brought to the table or what we decided to wear. Have a look at our “show and tell” photos and see if you can guess which cultures are being represented on our team.

 

 

 

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].

Andrew Stegmann
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Historic Fountain of 1891 Restored and Returned to Rondebosch Community

The historic cast iron fountain which was handed over to the community of Rondebosch in Cape Town on September 25, 1891, has been restored and unveiled on Thursday, as South Africa celebrates Heritage Day.

In a statement released on Thursday, Mayco member for Community Services and Health, Zahid Badroodien said the fountain – a horse and dog watering trough with a lamp post – was donated by surveyor and railway pioneer George Pigot-Moodie to the community.

He said Pigot-Moodie sat on the Cape Legislature from 1889 to 1890 and was a resident at Wesbrooke, now known as Genandendal (which is also an official residence of the country’s president) until his passing in 1891, the same year he donated the foundation.

Badroodien said the original fountain is a provincial heritage site in terms of the National Heritage Resources Act (Act25 of 1999) and the fountain was badly damaged during a bad motor vehicle accident in 2015.

“The City of Cape Town recovered the remnants and held it in safe keeping. It was the City’s intention to repair and to restore the fountain to its former glory” Badroodien said.

“However, the fountain was so badly damaged, that it could not be repaired. It had previously been repaired and cobbled together over the many years that it stood in the heart of Rondebosch. As a result, the fountain which was destroyed, was not identical to the fountain which was unveiled 127 years ago.”

He said the new fountain was donated by the Simon van der Stel Foundation and Heritage Castings to the City and is as close to the specifications of the original fountain with minor details which differ.

The fountain is in its original colours and details are exact as when it reached the Cape from Scotland.

“I am so excited to see this iconic landmark back to its former state. The fountain has great historical value and was cherished by the Rondebosch residents. The replication and accession process took longer than we would have hoped as there were legal requirements that the City had to adhere to,” Badroodien said at the unveiling.

He said the City was indebted to the donors and an electricity connection will be done at a later stage so the fountain lights can be switched on.

 

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].

Andrew Stegmann
,

South African Grade 10 and 11 Final Exams Replaced with Controlled Tests

The Department of Basic Education has scrapped final examinations for Grade 10 and 11 learners and will instead replace them with controlled tests.

Department spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga told the SABC that the decision was made as a once-off measure, due to teaching time lost due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“It’s a once-off measure that we have put in place after we looked at everything that affected schooling this year and we felt it would not be fair to have a full-scale examination when schools were closed and reopened. With the trimmed curriculum we realised that we are not going to finish the syllabus,” he said.

“Grade 10 and 11 (students) learn the same thing, it is just the degree of difficulty of what they are learning. It is basically something that is not really new to them. So what we are going to do is create more time next year to ensure that all the work that was not covered is covered then.”

The weighting for the exams been reduced from 75% to 40%, while the weighting for the school-based assessment (SBA) has been increased from 25% to 60%.

A circular sent to schools and teachers presented the changed promotional requirements for Grade 10 and 11 in more detail.

On the test, the circular stated that grade 10 papers will be an hour-long, with grade 11 papers two hours long. According to the circular, controlled tests should be set only on content taught.

The controlled test must cover a substantial portion of the curriculum taught, preferably work covered in all terms, wherever possible.

The test, it said, must be administered under controlled conditions. The document said that fundamental subjects like languages, maths and maths literacy will offer the required number of papers with a reduced duration.

“All elective subjects to reduce the number of papers to one test per subject,” the department said.

Later start dates

Basic Education minister Angie Motshekga says to ensure that matriculants are not compromised by the late release of the Grade 12 results, Universities South Africa has agreed to extend the academic year to the end of February 2021.

Universities are expected to start their 2021 academic year in March or April next year. This, Motshekga said, will ensure that students will still be able to get admitted to institutions of higher learning on time.

The Minister said this when ministers in the Social Services Cluster responded to oral questions in the National Assembly on Wednesday.

“On 24 August this year, our Director-General (Mathanzima) Mweli met with Universities South Africa, which is the body that regulates admissions to higher education institutions, and they indicated that universities will be extending the 2020 academic year to the end of February next year.

“So while the opening of universities is not universal, we are certain that when we issue (matric) results on 23 February next year, we will not be disadvantaging learners because most universities will start their 2021 academic year in March or April next year,” she said.

This comes after the department announced last month that the 2020 Grade 12 examinations would be completed by 15 December, with marking being concluded on 22 January and the results released on 23 February 2021.

The new school year will commence on 25 January 2021 for teachers and learners a few days later.

 

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].