COVID-19 message from Wild Wings Safaris

GOOD NEWS: Africa is completely open and travel-ready! Case numbers in East Africa and Southern Africa are low. Most countries have dropped PCR test requirements for vaccinated travellers. Below we provide an update on the pandemic situation and how it impacts travel.

We are open!

Throughout the pandemic, Wild Wings Safaris has remained open. Travel is back to normal. Our guides are all vaccinated, and our team of consultants are on hand to answer enquiries and take new bookings. An African safari is the ideal post-pandemic vacation: low stress, lots of sunshine, abundant fresh air, wide-open spaces, outside dining and open vehicle game drives with vaccinated guides. We have seen a strong recovery as the pandemic continues to wane. Now is a great time to book your next safari trip, before demand skyrockets even further and availability becomes limited.

Pandemic Update

South Africa acts as a hub and indicator for the region of Southern Africa, while Kenya can be seen as a hub and indicator for safaris in East Africa.

South Africa has recovered well from the fourth wave of infections driven by the mild Omicron variant, which peaked in December 2021. New daily cases have been dropping steadily and active cases are down to less than 0.03% of the population, their lowest levels since before the first wave. Almost all pandemic restrictions have been lifted.

Despite the unjustified bad press and travel bans South Africa received after discovering the Omicron variant, the country has set an example to other nations in terms of pandemic management. South Africa has been very proactive in responding to each new wave of infections, and active cases per million have consistently been much lower than the US, UK and Europe. Indoor mask wearing is still mandatory in South Africa and compliance with safety regulations and social distancing rules is very good. Outdoors and on safari you will not need to wear a mask. Vaccine rollout started slow but is picking up momentum, with over 50% of adults vaccinated so far. Importantly, over 85% of the population are estimated to have immunity, either from vaccination or from prior infection. Our guides are also fully vaccinated. However, being vaccinated is not a requirement to come on safari. Life is pretty much back to normal in South Africa. All shops, bars, restaurants, gyms and malls are open. National Parks have remained open throughout most of the pandemic. Travel is permitted and borders are open. PCR tests are no longer needed for vaccinated travellers.

Kenya's numbers are also very low, with less than 100 new cases per day and very few active cases remaining in a population of 55 million. Numbers have been trending down since December 2021. The country is fully open for safari travel. PCR tests are no longer needed for vaccinated travellers.

Please read our blog post to stay up to date on the COVID-19 entry requirements by country. We update this regularly, every time there are changes to the regulations.

Borders are open

All countries in Southern and East Africa are open to all international travellers. There is no red list. You do not have to be vaccinated to travel, but if you are not vaccinated you will need to show a negative PCR test result (less than 72 hours old).

Covid-19 Safety Protocols

A few health protocols remain in place, such as indoor mask wearing and hand sanitizing. We remain committed to making your trip as safe and hygienic as possible. Like most frontline tourism staff, our safari guides have been vaccinated. As the pandemic winds down, more and more of the remaining regulations are being dropped. For example, you no longer need to wear a mask outside, in restaurants or on an open safari vehicle.