South Africa becoming popular tourist destination with UAE travelers

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – More and more Emiratis and UAE residents are traveling to South Africa due to its favorable seasons and unique tourist attractions, a senior official said.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – More and more Emiratis and UAE residents are traveling to South Africa due to its favorable seasons and unique tourist attractions, a senior official said.

South African Consul-General Manabile Shogole said his country is increasingly becoming a favourite among UAE residents, especially Emiratis.


โ€œThere has certainly been an increase in the number of Emirati travelers to South Africa. Particularly large groups of families who are travelling,โ€ Shogole said.

โ€œApart from the countryโ€™s tourist value proposition, South Africa is the preferred tourist destination for Emiratis and UAE residents, generally throughout the year and the climax or peak season is normally during South Africaโ€™s winter season, which is the UAEโ€™s summer season owing to the two countriesโ€™ geographic locations โ€” South Africa being in the south and UAE in the north,โ€ he added.

From April 2014 to March 2015, more than 8,500 visas to South Africa were issued in the UAE. This increased to more than 8,800 the following year. For the first seven months of this year alone, almost 7,000 visas have been issued.

โ€œThe weather in South Africa is fantastic throughout the year. We enjoy all four seasons. It does snow in certain parts of the country,โ€ Shogole said.

โ€œWe have everything โ€” beaches, wildlife, sports. People visit South Africa for two reasons โ€” some of them who are into wildlife will visit game reserves, we have a number of them like the Kruger National Park. Others visit South Africa wanting to visit our cities and rural areas.โ€

The country comprises nine provinces and each of the provinces boasts unique tourist attractions like none other in the whole world, Shogole said.

โ€œOver and above that, eight of Unescoโ€™s World Heritage sites are found in South Africa. The country has different places of worship for people of various religious persuasions; different types of foods that are in keeping with the respective cultural and religious beliefs.โ€

The normal visa cost is Dh250 and takes five working days to be issued. Temporary residence or long-term visas take eight weeks.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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