As South Africa marks Tourism Month, Cape Town Tourism (CTT) and Visit Stellenbosch are joining forces to encourage visitors to stay longer and experience both destinations as part of a connected Cape journey.

The two organisations have signed a Joint Marketing Agreement (JMA), bringing together two distinctive destinations that complement one another within the same journey, from Cape Town’s coastline, city energy and cultural attractions to Stellenbosch’s wine, food, heritage, art, nature, shopping and unique local experiences.

The partnership will see the two organisations develop joint itineraries, share content and run collaborative campaigns across their digital channels, supported by joint media and trade activity. The focus will include domestic visitors during key periods such as school holidays, long weekends and the festive season, while also creating reasons to visit year-round and supporting efforts to address seasonality.

The collaboration will encourage visitors to extend their stay in either destination by adding the other to their itinerary, showing how two distinct destinations can work together to create a richer, longer Cape experience.

Joint content will showcase the breadth of experiences available across both destinations, with campaigns, competitions and giveaways creating further opportunities for tourism businesses on both sides to participate in shared storytelling. Joint media and trade engagement will also highlight the combined offering to travel journalists, travel sellers and other industry audiences.

Where relevant, international media and trade activity will position Cape Town and Stellenbosch together as complementary destinations within a longer South African itinerary. Enver Duminy, CEO of Cape Town Tourism, says: “Cape Town is a destination that can easily fill a holiday, but it is also the gateway to so much more of the Cape. Stellenbosch adds another dimension to the Cape Town experience, and vice versa. There is a real opportunity to encourage visitors to stay longer, explore more and experience the diversity of our region. This partnership gives us a platform to make that connection more visible, particularly during key travel periods and throughout the year.”

The City of Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth, Alderman James Vos, adds: “Cape Town’s visitor economy is showing strong momentum, with 1.44 million international overnight visitors and 1.42 million domestic overnight trips recorded in 2025. The opportunity now is to turn that demand into longer stays, greater visitor spend and wider economic benefits. One of my fundamentals for tourism has always been that we must be soft on borders and strong on vision. Visitors don’t experience destinations by municipal boundaries, and neither should our tourism thinking. Our Tourism Framework recognises working with neighbouring destinations as an important way to improve geographic spread and grow the visitor economy. This partnership puts that into practice. By connecting Cape Town and Stellenbosch more deliberately, we can encourage visitors to stay another night, explore more and spend more. Every additional night creates opportunities across the tourism value chain, from accommodation and restaurants to attractions, guides, retailers and the many businesses and people who depend on tourism.” 

Annemie Liebenberg, CEO of Visit Stellenbosch, says: “Working with Cape Town Tourism allows us to connect two complementary destinations and create a stronger proposition for the region. It also has a very practical benefit for our tourism economy. Longer stays mean more visitor spend, more nights in accommodation and more opportunities for businesses across the tourism value chain to benefit. “Importantly, this partnership is also about addressing seasonality and creating reasons to visit across the year. When we work together to grow the overall tourism pie, there is greater opportunity for both destinations and for the businesses and communities that depend on tourism.” 

Stellenbosch recorded more than 1.35 million overnight visitors in 2025, contributing an estimated R13 billion in total economic impact. The partnership with Cape Town Tourism builds on the strength of both destinations while creating new opportunities to distribute visitor demand, increase length of stay and broaden participation in the tourism economy. For visitors, the message is simple: Cape Town and Stellenbosch. One more night. So much more to experience.

The acquisition increases the airline’s Jetstream 41 fleet from four to seven aircraft. For South African business and leisure travellers, the expanded fleet will support more dependable regional travel and smoother onward connections from Lusaka and Livingstone to key destinations across Zambia.

Proflight Zambia currently connects South Africa and Zambia through services between Johannesburg/Cape Town and Lusaka, and Cape Town and Livingstone. Once in Zambia, passengers can connect onwards to destinations including Mfuwe, home to South Luangwa National Park; Livingstone, gateway to Victoria Falls; Ndola in the Copperbelt; and other important commercial and leisure centres.

The additional aircraft will allow Proflight Zambia to increase frequency and capacity across its domestic network while supporting improved schedule reliability and passenger convenience. They also create the potential for new domestic and international routes next year.

Crucially, the larger fleet provides greater operational redundancy. This gives the airline more flexibility when aircraft undergo scheduled or unplanned maintenance, helping to protect flight schedules and reduce disruption for passengers travelling between South Africa and Zambia or connecting onwards within the country.

“Proflight Zambia welcomes the additional three BAE Jetstream 41 29-seat turboprop aircraft, which have now been flown home to Lusaka by our very own crew,” said Captain Josias Walubita, Proflight Zambia’s Director Government and Industry Affairs.

“The purchase of these aircraft will enable the airline to meet growing local demand and support our commitment to providing safe and reliable connectivity across Zambia, even as the country targets 20 per cent growth in domestic tourism in 2026. We are extremely proud of our flight and maintenance crew, who successfully ferried the three aircraft from North Lincolnshire in the UK to Lusaka, Zambia.”

As the Jetstream 41 is already an established part of Proflight Zambia’s fleet, the airline has the operational, maintenance and crew capability to integrate the additional aircraft smoothly into its existing operations. Before departing the UK, all three aircraft received the necessary regulatory approvals and were successfully placed on the Zambian register and issued their 9J registrations.

The investment comes as Zambia continues to attract South African visitors travelling for business, holidays, safari experiences and visits to friends and relatives. By strengthening its domestic operation, Proflight Zambia is making it easier for travellers to connect from South Africa and explore more of Zambia through a single airline network.

That shift in mindset – more value-conscious and more willing to ask whether the obvious choice is actually the best one – is exactly the right lens through which to look at Time Out’s 2026 Best Cities ranking. Built on the responses of more than 24,000 locals across 150 cities worldwide, it is the most resident-informed ranking of its kind. And what it reveals, for South African travellers open to looking beyond their usual itineraries, is a set of destinations that deliver extraordinary experiences at a fraction of the cost of the cities that typically dominate South African booking patterns.

Cape Town’s sixth-place ranking (above Tokyo, Seoul, Paris, and Singapore) is proof that South Africans already know what world-class looks like. The question is whether they’re finding it when they travel.

“Right now, South Africans are asking better questions before booking,” says Antoinette Turner, GM of Flight Centre South Africa. “They want to know that their money is really working for them – not just that a destination is popular, but that it will actually deliver value. The cities that come up again and again in that conversation are often not the ones people expected to be considering.”

Porto, ranked 17^th in the world, is one of them. 80% of its residents describe it as “welcoming” and “friendly”. 99% say it’s “cheap to grab a coffee”. Portugal remains one of the most affordable destinations in Western Europe, and the city rewards exactly the kind of unhurried, exploratory travel that South Africans are increasingly drawn to. It is also, for those who have already done Lisbon, a revelation: smaller and considerably more characterful.

Edinburgh, ranked 3^rd globally, is the city that consistently surprises South Africans who expected to love London more. It scored the joint-highest walkability rating of any city surveyed, a 94% approval rating for its food scene, and 91% of its residents report finding genuine joy in their everyday lives there. It is also accessible on existing routes through London or Amsterdam without adding significant travel time or cost.

Kraków, ranked 16^th, is the most compelling value proposition in Europe for South African travellers right now. Retaining its own currency (the Polish złoty) rather than using the Euro, it provides a high-standard, UNESCO-protected historic experience at a fraction of the cost of Western Europe or Eurozone hotspots. Plus, its 87% food scene approval rating and its extraordinary walkability make it a destination that delivers on every measure that matters.

Marrakech, ranked 24^th, is rated by 82% of its residents as a city with a strong sense of community and offers an exciting cultural shift without having to cross into a totally unfamiliar time zone. Just an hour behind South African time, it delivers the immersion of a genuinely different culture with almost no adjustment on arrival, making it a rewarding choice for anyone after a proper change of scene. Just plan ahead, because if you don’t hold one of the pre-qualifying visas (for example, US, UK, Schengen Area, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Japan, or the UAE) you will need to apply directly to the Embassy of Morocco in Pretoria.

None of these cities are obscure. They’re simply underleveraged, chosen less frequently than their quality and affordability warrants. In a year when South African travellers are being more intentional about every rand they spend on travel, that gap between what’s popular and what’s truly worth it is worth closing.

“When budgets are tighter and the world feels less predictable, the instinct is often to book what you know. But the real value in travel right now isn’t necessarily where it always used to be,” says Turner.

“The lesser-known cities on Time Out’s list are not consolation prizes for travellers who couldn’t afford somewhere better. They are, by the measure of the people who live in them, among the most rewarding places on earth. They simply require someone who knows that… and knows how to get you there,” she concludes.

Importantly, getting delegates there is no longer the logistical question it once was. Proflight Zambia, the country’s largest airline, operates scheduled services connecting Johannesburg and Cape Town directly to both Lusaka and Livingstone, and has opened various new regional routes in the past few years, including to Maun and Windhoek, removing one of the historic objections to Zambia as a conference destination before the conversation even begins.

But to understand why Zambia’s MICE (Meetings Incentives Conferences Events) moment is happening now, you need to understand what’s happening across the continent…

The market making this possible

Africa’s MICE sector is in the middle of a growth cycle that is outpacing every other region globally. Valued at $16.6 billion in 2023, the market is projected to reach $65.6 billion by 2032, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 17%, according to Business Traveller. Furthermore, business tourism demand across the continent is up roughly 40%, and more than 48% of multinational companies operating in the region have increased their event-related spending.

The incentive travel segment is growing the fastest of all, at 17.2% CAGR, and this is where Zambia’s geography becomes a notable competitive asset. Rather than looking for another hotel ballroom, incentive buyers are looking for transformative experiences that a top-performing sales team will still be talking about two years later. Victoria Falls, the Zambezi River, South Luangwa National Park, Lower Zambezi National Park – these are not consolation prizes for delegates who couldn’t get a room in Cape Town. They are, increasingly, the point.

But a booming market does not distribute itself evenly, and the race to capture Africa’s MICE windfall is already well underway.

The competitive landscape is shifting

For years, Africa’s MICE map has been drawn around a small number of established centres. South Africa leads the continent with 115 international association meetings recorded in ICCA’s Globewatch 2025 data, with Cape Town, Marrakech, and Kigali the only African cities to regularly feature in the global top 100 MICE destinations.

But the race for the next tier of African MICE destinations is wide open. Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Accra, and Lusaka are all being actively positioned. South Africa’s National Convention Bureau is pushing planners beyond Cape Town; Johannesburg, Durban, Stellenbosch, and Tshwane are all building their pipelines.

The distribution of Africa’s MICE boom is not yet settled. Destinations that move now, with the right infrastructure and the right connectivity, will capture disproportionate share. Those that wait will find the ground already taken.

Zambia has read the room, and it is building accordingly.

Zambia is building

The Livingstone/Victoria Falls corridor is being actively repositioned as a year-round business events destination – a deliberate diversification away from seasonal safari dependency that reflects both commercial pragmatism and growing international demand. The Zambia Tourism Expo, ZATEX 2026, ran in June at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka, drawing international buyers and trade partners to assess the country’s offer firsthand.

Behind the scenes, the professionalisation of Zambia’s hospitality sector is accelerating. The recent launch of a Hotel Managers Registration Council demonstrates that the country is aligning its standards with what international MICE organisers require before they will commit a conference bid.

The strategic opportunity now is to convert Zambia’s leisure familiarity into conference and incentive bookings. The destination sell is largely done. What has historically been missing is the infrastructure confidence – the certainty that delegates can get there reliably. 

Connectivity is the unlock

MICE destinations are made or broken by airlift. A destination can have world-class venues, compelling experiences, and competitive pricing, and still lose conference bids because planners can’t guarantee their delegates a reliable route in and out.

“Regional carriers like Proflight Zambia now operate scheduled services connecting Johannesburg and Cape Town directly to both Lusaka and Livingstone, with routes to Windhoek and Maun further extending Zambia’s regional connectivity. For a South African corporate travel manager who last assessed Zambia’s accessibility several years ago, the current network would look significantly different to the one they remember,” says Captain Josias Walubita, Proflight Zambia’s Director of Flight Operations.

“Air access is one of the most powerful enablers of tourism and business events growth,” he added – a position that aligns with the broader direction of Zambia’s Airlift Zambia Initiative, a strategic programme aimed at strengthening connectivity and attracting new international carriers to the country.

The initiative’s ambitions received significant external validation in June, with the announcement that Zambia will host AviaDev Africa 2027 – the continent’s leading air service development conference – with Zambia Airports Corporation confirmed as official host partner. Previous editions have been held in Windhoek, Zanzibar, and Botswana. Zambia’s selection reflects a growing consensus among airlines and aviation decision-makers that the country’s connectivity story is one worth investing in.

The window is now

Africa’s MICE boom will not wait. The destinations capturing share in 2026 and 2027 are the ones that will define the continent’s business events landscape for the decade that follows.

“Zambia has the venues, the experiences, the government backing, and, increasingly, the air access to compete seriously for that share,” concludes Walubita.

The question for South African corporates and conference planners is simple: how much longer will you keep booking the same rooms in the same cities, when one of Africa’s most extraordinary destinations is now reliably within reach? Zambia is ready, and the flights are there. The only thing missing is your delegates.

Kenya has long produced the best distance runners on earth. Eliud Kipchoge alone makes the case. But elite athletics is only one layer of what this dopamine-inducing destination offers.

“Let’s put it this way, it’s a good place for travellers who don’t want to sit still,” says Antoinette Turner, GM of Flight Centre South Africa. “Sure, you can run and hike there, but it has plenty more to offer outdoor enthusiasts across the board. What surprises most people is just how much is packed into one destination, and how accessible it all is.”

Here’s what makes Kenya a compelling destination for active South African travellers, according to Flight Centre’s team of Travel Experts.

Iten: Where the best runners train

Known as the Home of Champions, the town of Iten sits at 2,400 metres above sea level in the Rift Valley, offering the perfect elevation for endurance training. Unsurprisingly, it has produced more elite marathon runners than anywhere else on the planet. More and more serious amateur runners are heading there to train at altitude alongside Kenyan athletes, eat simply, sleep well, and come home in better shape than they left.

“Active travellers who go to Iten expecting a challenging training camp often come back talking about how peaceful it was,” Turner adds. “Morning runs on red dirt roads through highland mist. Afternoon rest. Nutritious, whole foods. No distractions.”

A testament to the earth’s raw sculpting forces, Kenya’s Great Rift Valley is flanked by sloping escarpments, lake shores, and volcanic terrain that get trail runners excited. Routes around Lake Naivasha and Hell’s Gate National Park offer technical, scenic running at altitudes that will test your fitness and reward your effort.

“Hell’s Gate is also one of the few parks in East Africa where you can move at nature’s pace on foot or by mountain bike without a fence between you and the local wildlife,” Turner says. For mountaineers seeking a new frontier, she nudges towards Mount Kenya, topping out at 5,199 metres.

Cycling the highlands

The road from Nairobi into the Aberdare Range delivers a high-altitude adventure through tea plantations (Kenya is the world’s largest exporter of black tea), spectacular waterfalls, and cedar forests.

According to Turner, Kenya’s highlands suit multi-day safari cycling well – there’s enough gradient to make it interesting and enough scenery to justify stopping often. “The roads here are far quieter than anything comparable in Europe, and guided cycling routes are particularly well-established,” she says.

Walking safaris in the Maasai Mara

A walking safari provides an immersive alternative to 4×4 safaris, with all senses engaged. You read animal scat and spoor and move at a slower pace, allowing you to notice things you might miss from a vehicle seat.

“Active travellers opting for walking safaris are often the ones who’ve already done a conventional safari and want something different and more intimate,” Turner says. “This experience requires your full attention combined with physical movement, which is exactly why active and adventurous travellers love it.”

Water sports and kitesurfing

Diani Beach, on Kenya’s south coast near Mombasa, is a world-class kitesurfing destination, promising reliable trade winds, protected coral reefs, deep-sea fishing, scuba diving, and more. It is also, frankly, a fine place to do absolutely nothing for a few days, according to Turner.

“Downtime near the ocean delivers what most of us need to reset,” she adds. “The beach delivers on both ends of the activity spectrum: wading through the shallows or deep-sea fishing, depending on what kind of day you’re after. It’s worth the flight to Mombasa via Nairobi from Johannesburg.”

Yes, Kenya. But why now?

The country welcomed about 2.7 million international visitors and 5.2 million intra-African travellers in 2025 (including South Africans, who can enter Kenya visa-free for a period of up to 90 days), demonstrating the depth and diversity of its travel market.

The exchange rate works in South Africans’ favour, too. R1 buys approximately 8.00* Kenyan shillings, so accommodation, guides, and experiences that would stretch a budget in Europe sit comfortably within reach in Kenya.

“Kenya is not a budget destination in the rough-travel sense,” Turner says. “But South Africans get genuine purchasing power there, and that changes what kind of trip is actually possible.”

In short, when it comes to booking a trip to Kenya, don’t walk. Run.

*According to the exchange rate on 15 June 2026

But here’s what the improving global picture hasn’t changed: Africa in July is exceptional. And South Africans who turn their attention to exploring the broader continent this winter will find themselves richly rewarded.

“The irony is that while everyone was watching Europe and waiting for the world to settle down, Africa was delivering some of the most extraordinary travel experiences on the planet,” says Antoinette Turner, GM of Flight Centre South Africa. “June–August is genuinely one of the best months to be on this continent. The wildlife viewing is at its peak, the skies are clear, and there are plenty of opportunities to create those cosy forever-memories with those you love most. Our Travel Experts have been saying this for years. The data is finally catching up.”

Regional African travel surged in 2025 and is a confirmed growth trend for 2026, according to Flight Centre’s Year in Travel 2025 report. Two thirds of South Africans travelled specifically for nature last year, 65% travelled to recharge and escape burnout, and 83% say travel is essential for their mental health. Africa, it turns out, is not a compromise destination. For an overwhelming majority of South Africans, it is precisely the kind of travel that matters most.

Where to go – and why winter is the perfect moment

Kafue National Park, Zambia

Kafue is Africa’s second-largest national park (roughly the size of Wales) and, remarkably, one of its least visited. In winter, the Busanga Plains in Kafue’s remote north flood with game, including lion prides, massive eland herds, and the elusive sitatunga.

“Kafue is the destination I find myself recommending more and more to travellers who’ve done the Kruger and who are ready for something that feels truly undiscovered,” comments Turner. “Clients who go invariably say it’s the trip that changed their benchmark for what a safari can be.”

One of the most compelling reasons to base a winter itinerary around Kafue is what becomes possible immediately afterwards. Proflight Zambia currently operates direct flights from both Lusaka and Livingstone to Maun (the primary gateway to Botswana’s Okavango Delta), running on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays through to the end of October, covering the entirety of peak season. In practical terms, that means a seamless two-country wilderness itinerary is not only possible; it’s straightforward.

Josias Walubita, Director of Flight Operations at Proflight Zambia, explains:

“The Lusaka–Maun and Livingstone–Maun routes open up an incredible opportunity for travellers who want to experience the very best of southern and central Africa in a single trip. Zambia and Botswana together offer a wilderness combination that is genuinely world-class, and having a reliable, scheduled connection between the two means travellers no longer have to choose between them. We’re proud to be making that journey easier during what is arguably the finest wildlife season on the continent.”

The Okavango Delta, Botswana

The Delta is at its annual flood peak in winter, transformed by waters that have travelled thousands of kilometres from the Angolan highlands to fan out across the Kalahari in one of nature’s most extraordinary spectacles. Islands emerge, channels multiply, wildlife concentrates on elevated ground, and the game viewing becomes almost implausibly good. A mokoro gliding silently through papyrus-lined waterways at dawn is one of the great travel experiences available anywhere on earth right now.

“There’s something about being that immersed in a functioning wilderness, with no signal and no schedule, that does what no European city break can. We’re seeing strong demand for Delta camps this winter, and for good reason,” Turner says.

Walvis Bay, Namibia

Namibia’s desert-meets-ocean landscape is one of the most visually arresting on the continent, and Walvis Bay places you at the heart of it without the crowds that increasingly follow Swakopmund’s rising profile. The lagoon here is one of Africa’s most important wetland sites, home to vast flocks of flamingos that turn the shallows pink at dusk. Dune 7, among the highest sand dunes in Namibia, looms just outside town, and the seal colony at Cape Cross is close enough for a day trip. This is a destination that rewards the traveller who prefers to discover rather than follow.

Zanzibar, Tanzania

Zanzibar has long deserved a direct connection from South Africa, and Airlink has just delivered one – a twice-weekly year-round service from Johannesburg that removes the layover and the guesswork from what was previously a more complicated journey. The island needs little introduction: turquoise waters, powder-white beaches, Stone Town’s labyrinthine spice-scented streets. With frequency increasing to three weekly flights over the peak December period and a Cape Town route launching in October, access to Zanzibar from South Africa has never been simpler.

The global travel conversation is slowly returning to normal. Long-haul routes are reopening, and the familiar pull of European summers is reasserting itself. All of that is excellent news, but it does raise a question worth pondering: when the rest of the world was grounded, distracted, and recalibrating, Africa never stopped being extraordinary.

The travellers who noticed that first are already booked.

Some of the continent’s connectivity gaps have narrowed over the past year. Qantas added Perth to Johannesburg, Edelweiss introduced its A350 service to Windhoek, Air Congo announced a Brussels link to Kinshasa, and Ethiopian secured approval to serve Mauritius. If those routes can move from proposal to operation, why do others with similarly strong demand remain unserved?

That question sat at the centre of a discussion at AviaDev Africa 2026 in Gaborone, the continent’s main route development forum, where airlines, airports and tourism bodies meet to build new air links. It was chaired by Natalia Rosa, Project Lead at the Southern Africa Tourism Alliance (SATA).

The panel agreed that none of the stakeholders can make a route work alone. Airports need traffic, tourism boards need visitors and airlines need confidence that travellers have a reason to come. Rosa described it as a relationship, but as Keira Langford-Johnson, Business Development Director at Proflight Zambia, pointed out, not an equal one. The airline carries the risk, committing aircraft, crew and operating costs long before it knows whether demand will materialise.

Those costs do not move with the load. A half-empty aircraft burns much the same fuel as a full one, and no marketing campaign can change that. Airlines therefore look for evidence that demand will persist beyond a route launch. What they need, Langford-Johnson said, is proof that the market can sustain itself once the initial excitement fades. Too often that evidence never reaches the table. “What are people doing after they arrive? Where do they go? How do they move? That’s the data that builds a route,” she said.

Rupert Kraus of Discover Airlines, part of the Lufthansa Group, described a similar approach. Passenger numbers alone are rarely enough. He wants to see broader indicators of growth: hotels being developed, cargo volumes increasing and new industries investing in a destination. “If I only looked at the data in front of me, I’d struggle to justify the route,” he said.

With a limited fleet and a growing list of potential destinations competing for capacity, airlines need confidence that a market can support service over the long term rather than generate short bursts of demand.

The data exists, Kraus argued, yet it remains fragmented. Road transfer operators, charter companies and tourism businesses already collect much of the information airlines need to assess whether a route can succeed: who is travelling, where they are going, when they are travelling and in what numbers. Together, those datasets provide a far richer picture of demand than airlines often receive.

Langford-Johnson illustrated the point with three of Proflight Zambia’s recent routes into Livingstone, Maun and Windhoek, all of which emerged from conversations at AviaDev. None were obvious additions to the network, and Proflight does not launch new routes lightly. What changed was the preparation. Airport authorities, tourism boards and regulators arrived with a 72-page business case covering demand, market potential, operating costs and demographics. When information was missing, the airline asked for it and the partners supplied it. “If you’re not exchanging something, it’s just a meeting,” she said. The partners brought the evidence, helping build the confidence Proflight needed to launch the route.

Gathering the evidence is only part of the process. Keeping stakeholders aligned can be harder. As Tatamo Rakotozafy, Head of Aeronautical Activities at Ravinala Airports, explained, tourism authorities, airports and governments often approach route development with different priorities and measures of success.

The route is more likely to move forward when stakeholders can align around a shared economic objective. That common purpose becomes especially important when political priorities change or commercial pressures emerge.

Rakotozafy was describing alignment within a country. Justice Ofentse, Acting CEO of the Botswana Tourism Organisation (BTO), argued that the same principle applies across borders. Smaller destinations, he said, are often more effective when they approach airlines collectively rather than competing against one another for the same aircraft and investment.

His argument was that the region should present itself as a single market, rather than a collection of individual destinations each making separate pitches to carriers.

One event could supply exactly the evidence airlines keep asking for. The 2027 T20 Cricket World Cup, shared by South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe, is expected to move more than 340,000 people across the three countries.

As Ofentse suggested, the tournament will test whether the three countries can present themselves to travellers as a connected destination instead of three separate markets.

Bronwen Auret, Chief Quality Assurance Officer at South African Tourism, acknowledged that creating that level of coordination requires effort well beyond the tourism sector. The tournament, however, provides a practical opportunity to bring together air access planning, tourism promotion and regional cooperation around a single event.

If the planning is done well, she argued, it could also generate valuable data on how visitors moved through the region and where demand was concentrated.

Those patterns are the evidence airlines keep asking for. Whether the region can bring them together into a convincing demand case may determine which of its long-discussed routes finally move from proposal to schedule.

The panel recording can be viewed here.

The signing ceremony established the Acquisition Agreement of Akagera Game Lodge between Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB) Deputy CEO Louise Kanyonga and Cleo Capital Group Ltd, alongside the Hotel Management Agreements for SALT of Akagera and LUX* resorts on the Rwanda Tourism Circuit between The Lux Collective Chairman & IBL Group CEO Arnaud Lagesse, Akagera Game Lodge Chairman Emmanuel Rugambwa and Cleo Capital Group Ltd Founder & CEO Eugene Nyagahene.

Guided by strong ESG principles, the Rwanda Tourism Circuit integrates regenerative development, sustainable construction, renewable energy, water conservation, biodiversity protection and community empowerment. Together with local sourcing, women entrepreneurship programmes, skills development and conservation partnerships, the project aims to generate long-term economic and social impact while positioning Rwanda as a leading sustainable ultra-luxury tourism destination in Africa.

The tourism circuit, managed by The Lux Collective under its award-winning LUX* and SALT brands, will span four of Rwanda’s most celebrated destinations — Lake Kivu, Akagera National Park, Volcanoes National Park and Nyungwe National Park. Phase 1, launching from mid 2026, will see the rebranding of Cleo Lake Kivu into LUX* Lake Kivu and Akagera Game Lodge into SALT of Akagera, followed by Phase 2 with three new greenfield developments scheduled to open in 2028: LUX* Volcanoes, LUX* Nyungwe and LUX* Akagera.

As the flagship luxury brand of The Lux Collective, LUX* is globally recognised for its contemporary approach to luxury hospitality blending exceptional design, wellbeing and sustainability. Inspired by the elements of Water, Fire, Air and Earth, each Rwanda property will offer distinctive destination-led experiences rooted in the country’s landscapes and biodiversity. LUX* Lake Kivu in Karongi will feature a 14-key intimate luxury lakeside retreat with wellness, culinary and outdoor experiences. LUX* Volcanoes will introduce a 26-lodge eco-luxury sanctuary overlooking the Virunga volcanic range with curated mountain gorilla journeys. LUX* Nyungwe will present 26 elevated treehouse-style suites immersed within one of the world’s oldest rainforests, while LUX* Akagera will offer an ultra-luxury safari retreat with 26 keys combining Big Five experiences, wellness and elegant tented luxury overlooking Akagera’s savannah landscapes.

SALT, The Lux Collective’s purpose-led boutique hospitality brand, is rooted in meaningful travel, sustainability and authentic local connection. Located in Akagera National Park, SALT of Akagera will transform the existing Akagera Game Lodge into a luxury five-star eco-safari retreat overlooking Lake Ihema. The 60-key lodge will offer immersive wildlife experiences, wellness programming, locally inspired dining and conservation-focused activities within the savannah setting.

“This partnership marks an important milestone for Rwanda’s tourism future. Together with The Lux Collective, we are creating a world-class tourism circuit that celebrates Rwanda’s natural beauty, biodiversity and culture while driving sustainable economic growth and international recognition for the destination,” said Cleo Capital Group Ltd Founder & Chief Executive Officer Eugene Nyagahene.

The Lux Collective Chief Executive Officer Olivier Chavy added, “In line with our Group’s global expansion, this strategic collaboration represents a defining moment for The Lux Collective. Rwanda is one of Africa’s most inspiring destinations, with a strong vision for sustainable tourism. As a sustainability hospitality leader, we are truly honoured to make our debut in Rwanda through the transformative tourism circuit designed to deliver exceptional luxury experiences, while preserving Rwanda’s impressive landscapes, communities and biodiversity.”

Through this landmark partnership with Cleo Capital Group Ltd and RSSB, The Lux Collective is set to redefine Rwanda’s luxury hospitality landscape through regenerative, sustainability-led tourism experiences that elevates the country’s extraordinary natural and cultural heritage on the global stage.

JOHANNESBURG – The UAE has lifted its airspace restrictions, the US-Iran ceasefire appears to be holding (as of 18 May 2026), Emirates has restored 96% of its global network, other Gulf carriers (including Etihad, Qatar and Saudia) continue to rebuild operations, and capacity constraints are gradually settling. By most operational measures, things are looking up.

Traveller confidence is a different story.

As Mummy Mafojane, General Manager of FCM South Africa, explains, geopolitical conflict – including fresh drone attacks – continues to impact travel decisions, with travel managers rerouting travellers, changing itineraries, delaying non-essential trips and taking a hard look at their duty of care policies.

What business travellers are actually feeling

South Africans are fairly resilient by nature. Covid, years of load shedding, economic volatility and the loss of more than one domestic carrier have produced travellers that know how to roll with disruption.

“But business travel complicates the picture,” says Mafojane. “When your company sends you somewhere, a grounded flight is more than an inconvenience. It can quickly become a question of duty of care, insurance, work and family obligations, corporate liability and personal safety, all at once.”

Global Rescue’s recent Traveller Sentiment and Safety Surveys show that 56% of travellers are more concerned about personal safety than a year ago. The travel risk and crisis organisation also found that:

• 82% of travellers express some level of concern about personal security risks abroad, including kidnapping, extortion and violent crime;
• 38% describe today’s travel risk as unpredictable;
• 36% believe international travel is more dangerous than it was before 2020; and
• 31% of seasoned travellers say illness or injury abroad is their biggest concern for 2026, followed by civil unrest or terrorism at 21%.

Can bosses still dictate where and when staff travel?

Legally, in South Africa, the short answer is yes: employers can generally direct where and when employees travel for work, provided the request is reasonable and aligns with the employment contract. In return, they must cover the costs, ensure safe working conditions and respect the employee’s fundamental rights.

Practically, duty of care has evolved well beyond a clause in an employment contract. ISO 31030, the international standard for travel risk management, now sets a benchmark courts use to judge whether an employer acted reasonably.

It requires senior leadership ownership (where the organisation’s appetite for risk is defined, documented, signed off at the top and reviewed regularly), pre-trip risk assessment, real-time tracking and a credible incident response plan. It also explicitly covers psychological wellbeing, not only physical safety.

For South African employers, it means that travel decisions can no longer be made in isolation from the traveller. A reasonable instruction is one that has been thought through, risk-assessed, properly supported and openly discussed with the person being sent.

“Travellers want clarity, choice and a sense that someone has thought carefully about the trip before they board,” says Mafojane. “The companies getting this right have moved from a purely compliance mindset to a conversation. Pre-trip briefings, transparent route options, and a clearly understood escalation path are no longer nice-to-haves; they are the foundations of a strong travel programme.”

The trust “signals” travellers are looking for

For Mafojane, the levels of disruption experienced in late February/early March proved that human-led crisis response – with experienced travel managers at the helm – isn’t going anywhere.

“Automated tools are brilliant, and they certainly speed up our response time, but travellers still turn to human support in times of genuine disruption,” says Mafojane. “A 24-hour line answered by an experienced consultant remains a valuable feature of a corporate travel programme.”

Reliable, consistent technology also builds trust over time.

“Travellers lose confidence quickly when booking systems, itinerary tools, expense platforms and tracking apps fail – or tell them different things,” says Mafojane. “An integrated system, from booking platform to traveller app, should be a reliable source of information. It’s an important aspect of duty of care.”

Finally, more than a passing nod to traveller wellness and wellbeing. Travellers notice the difference. Flexibility on rebooking, openness to bleisure (combining business and leisure travel) where it makes sense, proper pre-trip briefings that cover what to do when things go wrong, and post-trip recovery time are the markers that read as genuine care. “The programmes that will thrive over the next year are the ones that focus on traveller confidence,” says Mafojane. “Get that right, and the rest follows.”

South African travellers can book the entire journey – from Johannesburg or Cape Town through to Maun – as a single through-ticket on one Proflight Zambia reservation. Johannesburg travellers fly daily into Lusaka, overnight, and continue to Maun the following morning. Cape Town travellers fly directly into Livingstone, spend time at Victoria Falls, and depart to Maun on a subsequent service, making the journey itself as much a part of the experience as the destinations.

Until now, combining Victoria Falls with the Okavango Delta in a single itinerary required routing back through Johannesburg, adding cost, time, and unnecessary complexity to what is a natural geographic pairing. The new service eliminates that entirely.

Captain Josias Walubita, Chief Pilot and Director of Flight Operations at Proflight Zambia, says the route addresses one of the most persistent frustrations for Southern African safari travellers.

“South African travellers have always understood that Victoria Falls and the Okavango Delta belong in the same itinerary – the geography makes it obvious. What has held them back is the aviation infrastructure to make it practical. With this route, we are opening up a safari corridor that makes one of the world’s great multi-destination wildlife journeys genuinely accessible for the first time.”

The new corridor makes possible what is arguably Southern Africa’s most compelling safari itinerary: Zambia’s South Luangwa, Lower Zambezi, and Kafue National Parks combined with Victoria Falls, then onward to the Okavango Delta, Chobe National Park, and the Makgadikgadi Pans.

Peak season accommodation across both destinations books out quickly. Tickets are available now through Proflight Zambia’s sales offices, via travel agents, or online at flyzambia.com.