Travel advisory for the new South Africa

Black Enterprise, May, 1995 by Lloyd Gite

SOUTH AFRICA'S MOTTO, "A WORLD IN ONE COUNTRY," IS Particularly apt. Its landscape, often breathtaking, abounds in variety--from rugged mountains to severe plains, from sprawling metropolises filled with diamond-shaped skyscrapers to dilapidated shantytowns, from rolling flowered hills to vast protected game reserves, with lions, tigers, cheetahs and elephants.

Its culture is even more of a mix. It is black and white, Zulu and Afrikaaner, Islamic and Dutch Reformist, rich and poor. It's a first world country with "all the amenities and infrastructure that we are accustomed to in the United States," notes Selma Edwards, CEO and president of the New York-based E-Z Tours.

But that's hardly the whole story. "Within that environment, you have black people who live in a third-world environment. They live in poverty, lack housing, opportunity, skills and education," notes Edwards, who began taking African-American tourists to South Africa last year. "There are, however, a few blacks who have made it to the first world," she says.

Post-apartheid South Africa is now returning to the ranks of the major travel destinations. Hailed as the land of opportunity for entrepreneurs and globally-minded businesses, the country is putting out the welcome mat for travelers.

According to the South African Tourist Board, SATOUR, the number of U.S. visitors to the country dropped from 70,500 to 37,000 between 1984 and 1986. But the visitor traffic surged forward in 1991 after South Africa abandoned apartheid and the U.S. government restored landing rights to the national carrier, South African Airways. In 1993, 62,430 Americans traveled to South Africa, and the momentum continues to build.

Many of these visitors will be African-Americans who want to see the land Nelson Mandela calls home, and where thousands more fought and died for freedom. Meanwhile, the new president hopes to bridge the economic and cultural gap among South Africans by attracting foreign investment through business and tourism.

TOURING THE "NEW" SOUTH AFRICA

Before apartheid was abolished, South Africa's tourist industry catered almost exclusively to wealthy whites. They flocked to the country's luxury resorts, toured the treasured wine country, gambled at spectacular Sun City casinos or visited the $1 billion Palace Hotel with its $1,500-a-night suites and man-made beach complete with rumbling waves.

Seeing what life was like for black South Africans was not a priority. But now all that has changed. Black South African tour operators, as well as African-American consultants and tour operators, are designing tours that include excursions into the world of the black South Africans (see sidebar).

For example, African-American tour operator Gaynell Henderson-Bailey, of the Washington-based Henderson Travel Service, takes groups to visit the townships to see where blacks live and work. They visit the villages where the Zulus and the Ndebeles, who are known for their intricate beadwork, live. They also visit the places where locals eat and relax, as well as sites where Nelson Mandela and others lived during their early struggles against apartheid.

Management consultant Richard Orange of New York has made two trips to South Africa. A diversity specialist whose client list includes AT&T and DuPont, Orange brought 40 business executives and managers, educators and tourists to South Africa in April.

"South Africa is the greatest laboratory on the planet to look at and experience issues of diversity," says Orange, who has traveled throughout Africa over the past 20 years. "My goal was to expose business leaders to South Africa so they could witness first-hand the possibilities of what can happen there economically for them as well as for South Africans."

Orange is optimistic about the "new" South Africa. "In the business world, I see pockets of cooperation between blacks and whites. They are working toward a better tomorrow, a better future. They understand that they don't have a future if they don't work together and work things out," he observes.

GETTING READY

A little preparation can go a long way in making your trip to South Africa a journey you'll never forget. For leisure travelers, visas are no longer needed, but you will need a current passport. Business travelers who intend to stay for a prolonged period will need a work permit. You can obtain one through the South African embassy in Washington (202-966-1650) or its consulates in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. Ask for the visa office. Be forewarned: The application is processed in South Africa, so you will need to apply three to four weeks before your departure.

For those coming from the United States and most other countries, with the exception of the ye low fever zone (central Africa and most of South America), vaccinations are not necessary. However, as a precaution against malaria, get a prescription for antimalaria pills. Visitors to the Eastern Transvaal Lowveld and Northern Natal provinces should take the pills before, during and after their stay. The pills should be taken a minimum of 24 hours before entering one of these areas. In addition, you should not swim in rivers and lakes in the eastern and northern regions of South Africa since dangerous parasites may be present in the water.