Events coincide with rising Canadian interest

Twin anniversaries are expected to make this a particularly interesting year to visit South Africa.

Justin Barnette of South African Tourism told a recent Toronto gathering that this marks the 30th anniversary of South Africa becoming a democratic nation, and those curious about the country’s past can gain insights into it in part by visiting Robben Island, where future South African leader Nelson Mandela and many others who fought to end the apartheid era were imprisoned.

Robben Island is now open to tourists, with guided tours available that include a look at Mandela’s cell, he added.

“Those tours of the prison are still led by people who were imprisoned there. That gentleman is telling us about his personal experiences,” he said of guides.

Barnette also noted that this year marks the 365th year of the launch of South Africa’s wine industry, with wine aficionados able to pinpoint the exact year thanks to a diary entry.

Winery visits have become a significant part of the country’s tourism industry, with South African Tourism’s Judy Pillay telling the Toronto audience that “all our wine estates are different.”

Barnette reported that South Africa’s Canadian following is on the upswing, with 2023 Canadian visitations up 55% from 2022. It’s expected that 2024 numbers will reach pre-pandemic levels.

South African Airways no longer serves the United States but Barnette noted that the likes of United and Delta have South Africa service, while such European carriers as KLM and British Airways also carry people to Africa’s southernmost nation.

Barnette said his destination is best known for safaris, with luxury safaris that mean that there won’t be any “roughing it” available.

He noted great white shark cage dives are also available but added they aren’t for the faint hearted. “If you’re looking to make sure your heart is working properly, do this because the adrenaline is through the roof.”

Experiences such as those often prompt visiting Canadians to comment on the “uniqueness” of South Africa, Barnette continued.

“I assume this means that you don’t have any lions in Ontario,” he joked, noting South Africa safaris can provide sighting of the so-called Big 5 in African wildlife — lions, rhinos, leopards, buffalo and elephants.

He said South African culture is intriguing, with the country being a blend of races and ethnic groups, leading prominent south African clergyman Desmond Tutu to call his homeland the “rainbow nation.”

Among iconic landmarks cited by Barnette is Cape Town’s Table Mountain, which he pronounced a “beautiful natural outcropping.” The summit can be reached by hiking or cable car.

Barnette said that South Africa can serve as a warm-weather retreat during our winter, with visitors able to expect temperatures of around 85 degrees in January, February and March.

Barnette also said that tourism is a force for good in South Africa, helping empower communities vacationers visit and spend money in.