Cape Town has seen double digit growth of international arrivals from
Germany, Switzerland and Austria in the first half of this year.
Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa, Edelweiss and Eurowings will be adding
or increasing frequency to Cape Town in the coming months.
Announcing the re-introduction of Austrian Airlines to South African
skies, Wesgro CEO, Tim Harris, said the demand for direct routes to
Cape Town from key European markets was growing.
Cape Town has seen double-digit growth of international arrivals from
Germany, Switzerland and Austria in the first half of this year.
International visitors from Germany grew by 10% and by 12% from
Switzerland while a massive 25% increase in Austrian visitors to the
Mother City was recorded.
“In the first half of this year, international arrivals to Cape Town
grew by 27%,” said Harris. “If we carry on at this growth rate, in six
years Cape Town International Airport will be the same size as OR
Tambo International Airport.”
He said the growth in demand was clearly reflected in the expansion of
routes such as those announced this week by the Lufthansa Group.
From October 27, 2018, Austrian Airlines will launch two weekly
flights from Vienna to Cape Town. This year, from October 29,
Lufthansa will increase its direct service from Frankfurt to Cape Town
from three to five flights a week and from November 27, Edelweiss will
fly from Zurich to Cape Town three times a week.
According to Dr André Schulz, Lufthansa Group Manager for Southern
Africa, while the point-of-sale share was still higher on the
airline’s Johannesburg routes, the growth and demand for increased
services was being seen into Cape Town. “That is why the focus for
introducing more capacity remains on Cape Town,” he told Tourism Update.
German, Swiss and Austrian travellers, he said, were increasingly
looking for alternative holiday destinations and Cape Town was
undoubtedly gaining traction. “It is not all that surprising that so
many Europeans are happy to spend their holidays in

the Western Cape.
The destination offers very real value for money, which is why the
various brands and hubs within our group continue to give Cape Town
more attention. More flights, more services and more frequencies are
on the cards.”
He said with this in mind Eurowings, the Lufthansa Group’s premium
low-cost carrier, would introduce its new schedule to Cape Town in the
next few weeks.
“The first aircraft will touch down at the Cape Town airport on
November 6,” he said. Eurowings will operate a once-a-week flight
between Cape Town and Cologne in Germany. According to Harris this
opens the Western Cape up to an even greater number of German visitors.

Alan Winde, Minister of Economic Opportunity and Tourism, told TU
improved air access continued to be a focus for the government who
were committed to growing tourism numbers even more.
He said a pipeline of projects were in place for 2018 as more routes
would be unveiled to destinations around the world.
“In a country where we are battling to find 1% GDP growth, a 27%
increase in international arrivals is a phenomenal number. In the
upcoming summer season, we are scheduled to see an additional 130 000
international seats flying to our destination, due to the commitment
of all airlines from all parts of the world to start operating new
routes direct to Cape Town, or to expand their current flight schedules.”
Asked about the purchase of airberlin recently by the Lufthansa Group,
Schulz said it would be incorporated into the Eurowings platform
during the course of 2018.
“Airberlin will cease operations at the end of this month,” he said.
“We will take over half of the fleet that includes 81 aircraft and 1
700 employees. The growth story of Eurowings will see acceleration
just by this purchase of the Lufthansa Group. It is a major step in
European airline consolidation.” V.2044

One of the highlighted topics: Critical Skills Visa.

- Key Insight: Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast track to working in South Afr...
- This matter relates to critical skills visa and its broader implications.
- Individuals are advised to seek professional guidance.

Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast trac V.6139
Click here for full article

One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, became a victim of identity theft in 2012 when fraudulent transactions occurred, using her personal details.

-The Pretoria High Court found that the department of home affairs had violated constitutional rights without due process.
-Only half of Lawyers for Human Rights` test group has been unblocked, while 385 000 identities remain blocked nationwide.
-LHR appeals extension, urges affected people to seek help now.

Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) are intensifying pressure on the department of home affairs over the national ID-blocking crisis, accusing the state of acting too slowly to unblock qualifying individuals despite a landmark court ruling.

In January last year, the Pretoria High Court found that the department`s practice of blocking IDs without due process was unlawful and unconstitutional. One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, a Swati citizen and South African permanent resident since 1998, fell victim to identity theft in 2012 when fraudsters used her personal details.

 V.6133
Click here for full article

The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6128
Click here for full article

The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6129
Click here for full article

A Washington state mother and her 6-year-old son have been released after spending more than three weeks in US immigration detention due to a brief trip to Canada and a small paperwork mistake, her attorney told CNN on Saturday.

Sarah Shaw, a New Zealand citizen who has lived legally in the US since she arrived in 2021, was detained at the Blaine, Washington, Customs and Border Protection checkpoint when returning home after dropping her two oldest children off at the Vancouver airport for a flight to visit their grandparents in New Zealand. Shaw, 33, chose the flight out of Vancouver because it was direct and she didn`t want her children to have to navigate a layover alone, her attorney Minda Thorward, told CNN.

 V.6130
Click here for full article

On 22 July 2025, the Gauteng High Court dismissed Sitrusrand Boerdery`s review of the Department of Employment and Labour`s refusal to issue a Working Conditions and Salary Benchmarking Certificate, an essential precondition for obtaining corporate visas under the Immigration Act.

Acting Judge Kekana AJ held that the Department`s decision was lawful, rational and procedurally fair. This judgment illustrates how businesses can - and must - structure their corporate visa applications to meet statutory requirements, and how legal practitioners should prepare robust review challenges when administrative authorities decline to recommend foreign-work permits.

 V.6131
Click here for full article

The United States could forfeit an estimated 9.4 billion dollars in visitor spending over the next three years following the introduction of a new 250 dollars `visa integrity fee,` according to industry groups, who warn the policy risks undermining tourism and costing thousands of jobs.
The United States’ decision to introduce a 250 dollars `visa integrity fee` on international visitors has triggered sharp criticism from the global tourism industry, with officials warning that the measure could deter millions of travellers and cost the U.S. economy billions.
The 250dollar `visa integrity fee,` part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed on July 4, 2025, will take effect later this year. According to immigration law firm Envoy Global, it applies to all nonimmigrant visa holders which include students, tourists, temporary workers, and business visitors particularly from African countries. V.6132
Click here for full article

The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6127
Click here for full article

1. Right to Legal Representation•You have the right to consult with a legal representative.•Contact an immigration practitioner, legal aid clinic, or attorney urgently.•Do not sign any documents without understanding them fully. 2. Section 34 of the Immigration Act•You must be brought to court with 48 hours to confirm arrest but you can remain locked up very long as courts figure out what to do with you •If you`re found to be illegally in South Africa, you may be detained for up to 30 days (extendable by a magistrate) pending deportation.•BUT this cannot happen arbitrarily. You must be informed of your rights, and Home Affairs must follow due process.- becomes a nightmare , you could lose your job , business , place to stay V.6121
Click here for full article

Driving for Bolt, Uber, Mr D, or Checkers Sixty60?If you`re undocumented, you`re risking more than just your income.The Risks if You`re Not Legal: - Vehicle impoundment - Heavy fines - Arrest & deportation - Permanent bans from working in SA V.6122
Click here for full article