While South Africa’s airline industry has seen dramatic consolidation over the past few years, the gap left by shuttered local airlines has opened the doors for other carriers to meet the growing demand for seats as the country returns to pre-Covid travel. However, this increasingly competitive landscape is placing significant pressure on airline leaders to optimise their operations and improve customer satisfaction.



<a href="http://www.clickatell.com">Clickatell</a>, a CPaaS innovator and Chat Commerce leader, began work with South Africa&#8217;s favourite low-cost airline, FlySafair, in 2021, rolling out a <a href="https://www.clickatell.com/products/whatsapp/">WhatsApp</a> customer communication channel. The introduction of the chat platform has not only injected new efficiencies, but it has dramatically boosted customer satisfaction.



“As an airline obsessed with efficiency and maintaining our reputation for being the most on-time carrier, we are always looking for new ways to improve the customer journey and internal processes to ensure superior customer experiences. So when Clickatell approached us about their Chat Commerce Platform, we knew we had to jump at the opportunity,” explains Eswee Vorster, FlySafair Executive Manager and CIO.



Clickatell’s Chat Commerce platform has enabled FlySafair to expand their customer service offering to the popular WhatsApp channel which is <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/291540/mobile-internet-user-whatsapp/">used by</a> 96% of South Africa’s digital population.



“Today’s consumers want the flexibility and convenience of engaging with the brands they love and trust on the channels that they use every day. WhatsApp is the logical channel for us to reach our South African customers,” Vorster says.



His views are supported by <a href="https://www.clickatell.com/infographic/chat-commerce/trends-report-the-future-of-digital-commerce/">research</a> conducted by Clickatell which shows that 89% of consumers want to conduct business on chat channels.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-digital-solutions-that-make-life-easier">Digital solutions that make life easier</h2>



Like every airline, managing a busy call centre had been one of the biggest challenges for FlySafair. But, with more and more customers preferring to use digital channels to answer queries and solve their own problems, Vorster and his team were on the lookout for a solution that could help them deliver.



The airline’s busy call centre receives several thousand calls during a normal day, which can triple or even quadruple during promotions. Reducing the pressure on agents, as well as empowering customers to find answers to their queries and manage their bookings themselves, was an obvious priority for airline management.&nbsp;



Clickatell’s digital contact centre solution, <a href="https://www.clickatell.com/products/chat-desk/">Chat Desk</a>, which allows organisations to run and manage live agent support in chat, enable FlySafair to resolve customer queries faster, eliminate hold times, and taking the frustration and inconvenience out of the customer service experience.&nbsp;



Clickatell’s Chat Commerce workflow builder and automation tool, <a href="https://www.clickatell.com/products/chatflow/">Chat Flow</a> allows FlySafair teams to design intelligent self-service engagements for their customers.



The Clickatell solution makes it possible for FlySafair customers to find helpful information or connect with a customer service agent by simply sending “Hi” on <a href="https://wa.me/27873570030">WhatsApp</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;+27 87 357 0030.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">A better experience from start to finish</h2>



FlySafair has invested significant time assessing how it can improve its offering across the digital journey, especially when it comes to busy holiday periods.



The FlySafair WhatsApp channel hosts key information about flight cancellations and changes, luggage restrictions, identity requirements, Covid-19 safety requirements, as well as the option to chat to a live agent. In addition, customers can also choose to receive their boarding pass on WhatsApp, significantly improving and streamlining the passenger experience.



Providing answers to frequently asked questions, self-serve options including boarding passes on WhatsApp reduces queues and improves the overall travel experience.



“Our customers can efficiently manage their travel experience in chat. From accessing helpful information, receiving their boarding passes, check-in via WhatsApp, and can even request a call back from a call centre agent if they need in-person support. As our <a href="https://www.clickatell.com/enterprise-solutions/chat-commerce/">Chat Commerce</a> Partner, Clickatell enables us to offer customer service more effectively and efficiently through WhatsApp,” Vorster says.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Clickatell implementation forms a key part of FlySafair’s digital future.&nbsp;</h2>



“Constant technical innovation has enabled low-cost airlines to make their mark and truly compete with the established carriers. We see chat technology as a game changer for us going forward. Not only does it perform the basics very well, but it allows us to better understand travellers, taking us a step closer to a single view of our customer,” Vorster explains.&nbsp;



Reflecting on the partnership, Vorster says the companies’ comparable cultures have laid the foundations for an exciting future.



“I love the hands-on approach of the Clickatell team and their agile mindset fits perfectly with our culture of moving on opportunities when we see them. Clickatell helped us to completely transform our customer’s digital experience. Our goal is to offer all the functionality currently available on our website on WhatsApp,” Vorster shares.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Chat Commerce offers exciting use cases for the airline industry</h2>



Chat Commerce solutions are quickly gaining traction with companies across many sectors, helped in part by its scalability and rapid deployment capabilities.



Enterprises are able to launch a Chat Commerce solution in as little as two months with minimal disruption. This means companies can get started immediately and then refine their offering over time, making it perfect for airlines who cannot afford a single minute of downtime.



What’s more, the competitive nature of the airline industry lends itself perfectly to the many use cases of Chat Commerce and supporting automation, not least of all, the ability to upsell services.



Upselling over a known and trusted chat channel, like WhatsApp, is as simple as a quick text message. Once bookings are confirmed, travel agents and airlines can offer seat upgrades and even suggest places to stay at specific destinations, complete with special offers and promotions that passengers can take advantage of right then and there. In addition, by using payment links consumers can complete a travel related purchase within their favourite messaging channels.



Making payments over chat has already been warmly welcomed by travellers. Clickatell’s latest <a href="https://www.clickatell.com/press-center/travelers-embrace-mobile-messaging-and-payments/">Chat Commerce Trends Report: Travel Edition 2022</a>, found that 71% of consumers indicated that they are more willing to make a purchase with a travel company through a payment link only after chatting with a live agent or automated bot. By implementing a robust Chat Commerce solution, FlySafair has laid the groundwork for any number of future digital offerings. And, by choosing to work with <a href="https://www.clickatell.com/solutions/travel/">Clickatell</a>, they can rest assured that they can stay ahead of the competition without their passengers experiencing any unnecessary delays or cancellations.&nbsp;



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FlySafair Works With Clickatell to Expand Its Customer Service Offering on WhatsApp

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/1920_emiratesboeing777-300er1-478063-4-1110x776.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-383042" width="696" height="486" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/1920_emiratesboeing777-300er1-478063-4-1110x776.jpg 1110w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/1920_emiratesboeing777-300er1-478063-4-300x210.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/1920_emiratesboeing777-300er1-478063-4-820x573.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/1920_emiratesboeing777-300er1-478063-4-768x537.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/1920_emiratesboeing777-300er1-478063-4-696x486.jpg 696w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/1920_emiratesboeing777-300er1-478063-4-1068x746.jpg 1068w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/1920_emiratesboeing777-300er1-478063-4.jpg 1474w" sizes="(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px" /><figcaption>Emirates Boeing 777. Credit: Emirates.com</figcaption></figure>



Emirates announced it will resume flights to three African countries in October.



Emirates will fly to Johannesburg (1 October), Cape Town (1 October), Durban (4 October) in South Africa; Harare in Zimbabwe (1 October); and Mauritius (3 October). The addition of the five cities will expand the Emirates’ network to 92 destinations, as the airline gradually resumes its operations. 



Passengers flying in and out of Emirates’ three South African gateways can connect to Dubai and onward connections to Europe, the Far East, Middle East, West Asia, and Australasia. 



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Last week, <a href="https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2020/09/19/fg-bars-emirates-airlines-from-scheduled-operation-to-nigeria/">This Day Nigeria</a> reported that Emirates would be banned from flying to Nigeria, however, at the time of writing, flights to Lagos and Abuja are available for booking on Emirates.com 



Emirates will operate to Harare with two weekly flights linked to its Lusaka service. 



Flights from Dubai to Mauritius will initially operate once a week on Saturdays, supporting the Mauritian government’s repatriation efforts to bring its citizens home, and enabling the recovery of the country’s tourism industry by safely connecting leisure travellers from Europe, the Far East and the Middle East to the popular Indian Ocean island destination.&nbsp;

1920_emiratesboeing777-300er1-478063-4

Emirates to resume flights to Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Harare, and Mauritius in October

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Kenya reopened for international tourism on August 1st after months of closure due to covid-19 pandemic. To understand how the sector is faring, CNBC Africa spoke to Mohammed Hersi, Chairman of Kenya Tourism Federation.

COVID-19 lock-down: How Kenya tourism is faring following reopening of international travel

ABUJA (Reuters) &#8211; Nigeria will reopen for international air travel in a matter of weeks, the aviation minister said on Thursday, without giving a specific date for the resumption after months of closure due to the global coronavirus pandemic.



“It will be in weeks rather than in months,” Minister of Aviation Hadi Sirika told a regular briefing in the capital Abuja on coronavirus.



Nigeria began to close its airports in March, a month after Africa’s most populous country confirmed its first coronavirus case. Domestic air travel restarted last month.



The country has 44,890 confirmed coronavirus cases and more than 900 deaths, figures from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control show.



Reporting by Felix Onuah; Writing by Paul Carsten; editing by Barbara Lewis

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Nigeria to reopen for international air travel in weeks

South Africans may now <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/videos/2020/05/13/covid-19-how-will-sas-travel-tourism-industry-regain-its-top-spot/">travel</a> internationally under strict regulations detailed by the Department of Home Affairs.



South Africans who wish to leave the country are permitted to depart only for the following reasons:



<ol type="1"><li>Work</li><li>Study</li><li>Family reunion</li><li>Take up permanent residency</li><li>Receive medical attention</li></ol>



The following brief provides more details:



International Travel Allowed for South Africans



Issued by Marisa Jacobs, Director of Xpatweb



The Department of Home Affairs confirmed on 23 May 2020 that international travel will be allowed for South Africans, who fall within limited categories.



Categories



The main categories which will be allowed are work, study, family reunion, to take up permanent residency and for medical reasons. These are indeed the most important categories and make provision for most cases where international travel is an important consideration.



Requirements



The requirements include a copy of a valid South African passport, a letter from the country you will be travelling to confirming your admissibility, permission for transiting countries, proof of means of travel and the intended date of departure.



Home Affairs Approval



The international travel is subject to Department of Home Affairs approval, which is needed before you can proceed with your travel arrangements. At this stage the complexity of this process is unclear, albeit that one would expect that the normal strict Home Affairs protocols will be followed.



Group Arrangements



The new dispensation makes provision for a single Department of Home Affairs application for a group and the supporting information must then be send for each member of the group.



For more coverage on COVID-19 visit: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/covid-19/">https://www.cnbcafrica.com/covid-19/</a>

International travel for South Africans is now allowed, this is how it will work

PRESS RELEASE
JOHANNESBURG, 26 OCTOBER 2018 – South African holiday makers are less likely to switch off and are more connected to work when they’re on holiday than their UK, North American and Antipodean counterparts.
A recent survey conducted on behalf of Trafalgar, a global travel brand that forms part of The Travel Corporation (TTC), which also encompasses such brands as Costsaver, Insight Vacations, Luxury Gold, Contiki, Busabout, Uniworld and U by Uniworld, indicated that South Africans were under significantly more pressure than their global holiday counterparts to balance staying connected to social media and work, while also making the most of their holiday.
The study, explains Teresa Richardson, MD South Africa for The Travel Corporation, was aimed at exploring what people believed to be ‘The Good Life’ (everyone’s stated ambition) and whether travel contributes to it. Participants revealed that travel is about happiness, wellness and doing something new instead of collecting things.
Some 63% of South Africans polled said they felt guilty if they were not making enough of their holiday by going to see the sights, compared with 39% of Brits, 49% of Americans and 43% of Australians. A further 67% felt guilty about staying on top of their emails while on holiday, much higher than other markets. South Africans feel they are also under more pressure to make the most of their holiday by seeing the real culture of a country and connecting with the local people.
They spend significantly less on their holiday and are less likely to take smaller, short breaks, opting instead for one large holiday lasting a week or longer. South Africans are also more likely than other markets to participate in a wide range of activities and experiences, such as attending a festival or sports event.
Interestingly, it is in the area of Social Media that South African travel behaviour really stands out from the rest of the world.
“Our study shows that, more so than their global counterparts, South Africans are heavily reliant on social media for their inspiration on where to go on holiday and also sharing their holiday experience,” says Teresa.
At least 54% of South Africans spend extensive hours on online research and planning, 67% check social media while they’re on holiday and 65% post pictures of their holiday on social media. “This is markedly higher than other markets like the UK and USA,” says Teresa. “It’s also interesting to note that South Africans were more likely than other holidaymakers to post a potential trip on social media to find out what people thought before booking.”
‘Good Travel’ was defined in the study as an opportunity to step away from daily life and pressures, learn, appreciate and experience something new. “Good travel experiences are when people seek out sights that others don’t, switch off and relax, and make a real connection with the local culture. It’s an opportunity to be surprised and challenged and spend time with loved ones in a relaxed environment.
“These opportunities exist, and we see in our study that there’s demand for this type of travel amongst South Africans.”
Content provided by Trafalgar

Trafalgar survey reveals how South Africans travel

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CNBC Africa is joined by Percy Koji, who is from TWC Travel Management to talk about the business of travel and tourism.

Here’s what SA should do to boost tourism numbers

<div id="attachment_304820" style="width: 1060px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-304820" class="wp-image-304820 size-full" src="http://cnbc.africa/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/mahikeng1.png" alt="" width="1050" height="576" />Picture: CNBC Africa</div>
By Unathi Sonwabile Henama
Violent and deadly protests occurring in Mahikeng last week have captured national attention. President Cyril Ramaphosa cut short the Commonwealth Heads of State meeting in London, to attend to the protests that had engulfed the North West Province.
President Ramaphosa was leading Invest SA to London, to woo investors and sell South Africa as an investment destination. Foreign direct investment is important as a driver of economic growth. The absence of Cyril Ramaphosa would be felt in London, as the global media followed his hurried departure back to South Africa.
Protesters have clashed with police, participated in public violence, looted shops and disturbed traffic on major highways. There was the destruction of public property, which has become institutionalised within the protest culture in South Africa. This led to the torching of the Mmabana Cultural Centre, which showcases the arts and cultural practices of the Batswana.
Mahikeng, which is the provincial capital city, has been at the epicentre of the protests, with sporadic disruptions also occurring in Klerksdorp.
Police dispersed protestors with rubber bullets. There were several arrests and two fatalities have been reported. Police resources were stretched to the limit, as the number of protestors far outnumber police personnel.
Tensions remain high as the top 6 of the African National Congress (ANC) on the 20th of April 2018 met Premier Supra Mahumapelo. The protestors have demanded that Premier Mahumapelo, should resign as Premier.
The ANC found itself in a tight corner, as the protestors happened to be voters who might dump the ANC in the general elections in 2019, should a resolution remain deferred.
The ANC would recall that residents in Tshwane voted against the ANC. This led to the ANC not achieving more than 50% in the local government elections for the first time, and the ANC was dislodged after opposition parties formed a coalition government.
The violence in Mahikeng led to neighbouring country Botswana closing its border with South Africa. This might negatively affect religious tourism to Tshwane, as thousands of Batswana regularly cross the border to attend church services at Enlightened Christian Gathering, hosted by Prophet Bushiri. Botswana has declared Bushiri as an undesired visitor to Botswana.
The closure of the border must be one of the reasons that led President Cyril Ramaphosa to become pro-active in trying to resolve the issue in Mahikeng, by returning home from an international commitment. The unrest in Mahikeng occurred concurrently with the World Travel Market (WTM) Africa hosted in Cape Town from 18-20 April 2018. This trade show is important to exhibit travel products and is a marketing platform for travel destinations.
The events in Mahikeng have done a disservice to brand South Africa generally, and the North West specifically. Tourism is very sensitive to external events and shocks such as protests, crime, acts of terror and political unrest. The violence that is associated with service delivery strikes in South Africa can be regarded as a form of home-grown terrorism.
South Africa already suffers from a poor image because of low levels of personal safety and security. In the tourism industry, perceptions and image trump reality. Tourism requires a favourable destination image, in order to grow. South Africa has capitalised on the successful hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and this reality must be replicated daily in South Africa.
Tourism is the new gold and it must become everyone’s business if it is to succeed. Tourism growth in the past 24 years has surpassed the national growth rate, which has been pedestrian. The ability of tourism to grow with jobs is unparalleled, due to its labour intensive nature.
For many localities, tourism has emerged as the only economic sector that can restore human dignity through jobs and entrepreneurial activities. Because almost all countries have jumped onto the tourism bandwagon, this has meant that competition amongst destinations has increased.  South Africa must improve its tourism competitiveness.
This, therefore, means anything negative that occurs in South Africa might have an impact on tourism. This makes the business of tourism everyone’s business. Tourism more than any other sector demands a responsible and responsive public service. If tourism can ensure that the public service is more responsive to the needs of the citizens, then tourism will continue its human rights dividend.
I wish President Ramaphosa well in trying to find a resolution to the crisis in the North West. A speedy resolution could be the best dividend for his Presidency, that he is a pro-active President that is Mr. Fix-It.
Unathi Sonwabile Henama teaches tourism at the Tshwane University of Technology and writes in his personal capacity

Op-Ed: #Mahikeng – a tourism perspective

Expats in Mumbai are the world’s highest-paid, earning over twice the global average

U.S. short-term rental service Airbnb Inc registered 1.2 million guest arrivals in Africa last year driven by the plugged-in millennial generation, its senior official said on Tuesday.
<div id="attachment_287353" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-287353" class="wp-image-287353 size-full" src="http://cnbc.africa/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Airbnb_Flickr.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="678" />Airbnb</div>
Airbnb has shaken up the market for travel accommodation, competing with hotels by allowing people to rent out their homes or apartments, either in full or as part of a house-share.
Presenting the latest figures at the Johannesburg City Hall, Chris Lehane, Airbnb’s Global Head of Public Policy and Public Affairs, said growth in inbound visitors to Africa jumped from 572,000 in the period 2015-16 to 1.2 million in September 2016- September 2017.
South Africa is the leading country on the continent in total guest arrivals, followed by Morocco.
Close to 60 percent of trips in the past year were booked by millennials and 18 percent of guests are travelling as part of a family.
“Millennials in particular are looking for authentic and real experiences. They don’t want mass travel, they want the sort of healthy, sustainable, authentic and real travel,” Lehane said.
Usually defined as people who reached adulthood around 2000, millennials use online travel sites that aggregate thousands of hotels and make choices based on peer reviews, according to leisure-and-hospitality industry advisor Grant Thornton.
They want to feel like locals in a bar or food market where they can hang out with people from the neighbourhood and tuck in to locally sourced food.
Airbnb this year launched Experiences in South Africa, an offer through which locals create unique activities, giving travellers access and deep insights into communities and places they may not otherwise come across.
Lehane said the firm will invest $1 million through 2020 to “promote and support community-led tourism projects in Africa”, where 100,000 listings were reached last year.
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Reporting by Nqobile Dludla, editing by Ed Osmond
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Airbnb Africa arrivals more than double to 1.2MN

Senegal Air SA has ordered two ATR 72-600 aircraft in a 50 million euro ($56 million) deal as the new flagship carrier seeks to build up a fleet ahead of its launch later this year, the ministry of tourism and air transportation said on Thursday.
Toulouse, France-based ATR, a partnership between Airbus and Italy&#8217;s Leonardo, will deliver the two turboprop planes in November, the ministry said.
Senegal Air was formed in April 2016 with 40 billion CFA francs ($68 million) in state capital to replace the now defunct, heavily indebted carrier Senegal Airlines.
Senegal is aiming to become a regional air transportation hub with the scheduled December opening of the new Blaise Diagne International Airport located outside the capital Dakar.
Senegal Air will initially fly to Senegalese and West African regional destinations before opening a Paris-Dakar route during the course of 2018.
Airlines have long been a fraught business in West Africa though there have been some success stories, including Ivory Coast&#8217;s Air Cote d&#8217;Ivoire.
Senegal revoked the air operator&#8217;s certificate of Senegal Airlines after it ran up debts of more than 100 billion CFA francs in less than five years of operation.
($1 = 0.8968 euros)
($1 = 587.6800 CFA francs)
(Reporting by Diadie Ba; Editing by Joe Bavier and David Evans)
&nbsp;

Senegal Air orders two ATR aircraft in 50 mln euro deal -ministry

Tiisetso Motsoeneng | GABORONE
Botswana&#8217;s largest tourism company, Wilderness Holdings , is the government&#8217;s preferred bidder for national airline Air Botswana, which is being privatised, a transport ministry official said on Wednesday.
Wilderness, which operates small aircraft under Wilderness Air, beat South Africa&#8217;s CemAir at the last hurdle of the bidding process, Kabelo Ebineng, permanent secretary in the transport and communication ministry, said.
&#8220;Looking at what we want to achieve with the airline, Wilderness has been chosen by the cabinet as the preferred bidder,&#8221; Ebineng told a parliamentary committee. &#8220;We expect a deal to be completed in the next 9-12 months.&#8221;
Air Botswana has been making losses, blamed on a large workforce and an aging fleet, which prompted the government to launch a turnaround plan that includes cutting costs and cancelling unprofitable routes. It has already stopped flights to Harare and Lusaka.
Ebineng did not elaborate on what form the privatisation will take, but the government in its invitation for bids had said it was open to joint ventures, ownership, franchising and concessions.
Wilderness runs luxury resorts in eight African countries and Wilderness Air operates 35 small aircrafts in Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Namibia, mainly for tourists.
Air Botswana operates four domestic routes and also flies to Cape Town and Johannesburg.
(Writing by Tiisetso Motsoeneng; Editing by Susan Fenton)

Tourism company Wilderness picked as preferred bidder for Air Botswana

Nqobile Dludla | JOHANNESBURG
South Africa&#8217;s Sun International will boost its stake in Latin America-focused Sun Dreams, the casino and hotel operator said on Tuesday.
Its subsidiary Sun Latam and fellow stakeholder Nueva Inversiones Pacifico Sur Limitada (Pacifico) will buy out a 19.3 percent stake in Sun Dreams held by Chile&#8217;s Entretenimientos Del Sur Limitada (EDS).
Sun Latam will pay $63 million for its half of the stake, Sun International said, raising its holding in Sun Dreams to almost 65 percent. Pacifico&#8217;s stake will rise to 35 percent.
Sun Dreams was created last year when Sun International merged its Latin American business with Chile&#8217;s Dreams S.A.
EDS notified Sun International in March that it wished to proceed with a listing of Sun Dreams on the Santiago or New York stock market or sell its shares.
In addition to its African casinos and resorts, Sun International owns and operates casinos and hotels in a number of Latin American countries, including Chile, Panama and Colombia.
(Reporting by Nqobile Dludla; editing by Jason Neely)
&nbsp;

S.Africa’s Sun International raises stake in Sun Dreams

Nyasha Nyaungwa | WINDHOEK
State-owned Air Namibia has won approval to fly into the United States and hopes to generate revenues through its codesharing agreements, the government-run daily New Era reported on Monday,
The newspaper quoted the loss-making carrier&#8217;s acting managing director, Mandi Samson, saying the airline received its foreign air carrier permit in April.
Until now, South African Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, Egypt Air, Moroccan Royal Air Maroc and Cape Verde&#8217;s TACV airline have been the only African airlines holding the right to fly passengers in and out of the United States, the paper said.
Samson also said the national airline was awaiting government approvals for new routes within Africa, according to New Era. She gave no further details on the possible new routes and did not say when Air Namibia would introduce U.S. flights.
Finance Minister Calle Schlettwein has proposed Air Namibia terminate the loss-making Windhoek-Frankfurt route to save costs. Officials say the airline loses 30 million Namibian dollars ($2.27 million) annually on the route.
Other government officials have expressed concerns that scrapping its only international route would hurt tourism, Namibia&#8217;s second biggest economic sector after mining.
A U.S. Embassy spokesperson declined to comment, while the U.S. Department of Transportation was not immediately available for comment.
($1 = 13.2300 Namibian dollars)
(Reporting by Nyasha Nyaungwa; editing by Richard Lough)

Loss-making Air Namibia wins permit to fly into U.S

Alexis Akwagyiram | LAGOS
Nigeria will process all tourist and business visas within two days, the vice president&#8217;s office said on Friday, as Africa&#8217;s largest economy, mired in recession, tries to improve the ease of doing business in the country.
Applicants will be notified whether their visas will be issued or rejected within 48 hours, with the change to take immediate effect.
The move follows the launch in March of a system aimed at enabling business executives to apply for a visa online and collect it on arrival 48 hours later.
Foreign executives had complained that obstructive embassy officials made it difficult to enter the country.
(Reporting by Alexis Akwagyiram; Writing by Paul Carsten; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
&nbsp;

Nigeria to process all tourist, business visas in two days

The U.S. State Department on Thursday cautioned Americans living in or traveling to Kenya about possible rallies or protests that could turn violent, ahead of general elections slated for Aug. 8.
<blockquote>&#8220;Rallies, demonstrations, and protests may occur with little notice and even those intended to be peaceful can escalate into violence,&#8221; the State Department said in a travel alert. &#8220;As with all large events, there is also the opportunity for criminal elements or terrorists to target participants and visitors.&#8221;</blockquote>
Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga said in February that mass protests were possible if the August elections were rigged. After a disputed poll in 2007, more than 1,200 people were killed in weeks of fighting after political protests turned into ethnic clashes, but 2013 elections passed relatively peacefully.
(Reporting by Yeganeh Torbati)

Should tourists be cautioned ahead of Kenya elections?

Express visas for Nigeria are currently not available due to an internal audit being conducted at the Nigerian consulate, Flight Centre Business Travel has warned.
Flight Centre Business Travel, the corporate division of Flight Centre Travel Group, SA’s largest travel company, says that travellers needing to travel to Nigeria need to note that it currently takes up to two weeks to get a visa (if all documentation is provided) – which means last minute or emergency trips are not possible.
Express visas for Nigeria are normally issued within two to five working days while a standard visa typically takes seven to 10 working days.
“Our visa supplier has been informed by Nigeria’s visa processing centre that the Nigerian Consulate is doing an internal audit and as such express visas are not available. That means that last-minute or emergency travel to Nigeria is not possible at the moment and companies needing to do business in Nigeria or planning trips to Nigeria need to take notice and take the necessary measures,” says Michelle Jolley, Corporate Brands Marketing Leader for Flight Centre Business Travel.
Jolley says it is unclear when the Consulate will resume processing express visas.
“Our supplier has been informed that normal service should be reinstated this week, but an exact date has not been identified. We will keep our customers advised,” she says.
Jolley says there was no indication on whether a new online system which is being launched in Nigeria to expedite the processing of visas is available. According to reports, visitors to Nigeria can apply online from 48 hours before arriving in the country and collect their visa on arrival. 
“The Nigerian Immigration System (NIS) has declined to comment around the new 48 hour 
online visa application system and advised they won’t be issuing any express visas yet. 
We strongly advise South African travellers to proceed as normal for the time being, which is to allow a lot of time to apply for your visa,” she says.
Meanwhile, Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport (ABV) in Nigeria’s capital city, remains closed until 18 April 2017 due to upgrades to the existing runway as well as the building of a new second runway. Repairs have been extended for an additional 18 weeks, but this shouldn’t affect day-time flights as these repairs will be done at night.
South African Airways, British Airways, Lufthansa and Air France have suspended all flights to and from ABV until then. 
Passengers have been advised to contact their airlines and Flight Centre Business Travel to discuss alternate arrangements.

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