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Weekly Travel News Recap, 19 April: Rhino Poaching Increased in 2023, Electric Vehicle Sales on the Up, and more

Catch up on all the latest travel news with Drive South Africa.

Each week, our team scours the web for the most interesting, trending, and unusual travel news, conservation news, and motoring news stories. Here are this week’s biggest scoops.

Travel News

An aeroplane at an airport at sunrise.

  • Judge rules on case made by Airlink against SAA. Following accusations by Airlink that a former employee joined the national airline and shared commercially sensitive information with the company, the Johannesburg High Court has ruled that SAA must “delete, destroy and not use any of Airlink’s intellectual property in any way”. Both parties say they are satisfied with the outcome, pending a new court date.

 

 

  • World Travel Market Africa reports 53% increase in attendees at 2024 eventWTM Africa 2024 took place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from 9 to 11 April, welcoming a record breaking 53% spike in the number of attendees from 88 different countries. Organisers say this is “a testament to the resilience and rising global appeal of the African tourism industry”.

 

  • City of Cape Town unveils “Six Pillar Content Partnership Programme” at WTM AfricaThe City says the new programme aims to “centre Capetonians in the authentic storytelling of the destination” and enhance Cape Town’s global visibility and appeal. The prominent “Cape Town Big Six” partners are the V&A Waterfront, Groot Constantia, Robben Island Museum, Table Mountain Aerial Cableway, Cape Point, and Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden.

 

  • SANParks reopens Wilderness Ebb-and-Flow Rest Camp following severe floodingThe camp was closed as a result of flooding, following over 200 mm of rain in a six hour period last week. However, the following Garden Route National Park attractions remain closed: Half Collared Kingfisher Trail, Gallinule Bird Hide, Brown Hooded Kingfisher Trail, Waterside Boardwalk, Woodville Big Tree, Outeniqua Hiking Trail, and Outeniqua canoeing.

Conservation News

An image of a pair of rhino included in a travel news recap.

  • Rhino poaching in South Africa increased by 10.3% in 2023. The Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment reported that 406 rhinos were killed on state properties in 2023, with a further 93 killed on private land. KwaZulu-Natal’s Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park is still “facing the brunt of poaching cases”.

 

  • South African reptile species under threat from habitat loss, climate change, and poachingA group of South African herpetologists says that local species like tortoises, chameleons, and vipers are “most at risk of extinction” and that more must be done to protect them. However, it notes that “South Africa’s reptiles probably fare better than those in some other parts of the world because there are many active conservation measures in place”.

 

  • CapeNature reports another first for the Cape mountain zebra genetic rescue projectThe organisation says a male Cape mountain zebra named GB42 sired a foal “with genetic material from two of the three genetically distinct stocks” in January, followed by another foal with genes from all three stocks in March. The project aims to “restore the lost genetic diversity of the Cape mountain zebra by mixing genetic stocks that were artificially isolated from each other decades ago”.

Automotive News

The Ford Mustang Dark Horse edition.

 

 

 

 

  • Year-on-year car sales fall for eighth consecutive monthAccording to the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa), monthly car sales have been lower year-on-year since July 2023. The organisation cites a “constrained business environment amplified by weak consumer demand”.

 

 

  • Toyota launches “hybrid” Fortuner and Hilux in South AfricaThe new mild hybrid electric vehicle (MHEV) models make use of a 48 V lithium battery, which adds up to 12 kW of power and 65 Nm of torque to the engine’s own capacity. Most notably, the battery decreases fuel consumption and “delivers better throttle response and linear acceleration”.

Missed out on this week’s Drive South Africa blogs? Catch up on them here.

Artists perform at the Cape Town Jazz Festival.

Artists on stage at last year’s CTIJF

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Who’s Performing at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival 2024? 🎺

Travel News Image Credits: Toyota South Africa, Ford South Africa, Unsplash, Cape Town International Jazz Festival

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