By now we have all heard enough about the damage wrecked on the tourism industry and indeed the global economy by the COVID-19 pandemic.
But what if we look at this in a positive light, in terms of what it means for travel to South Africa in the future?
The Rand has weakened at a frightening rate against the US Dollar, the Euro, and the British Pound – the three currencies most of our guests pay in. This means that South Africa is just about the best value for money destination you can find if your home currency is Dollars, Euros, or Pounds.
Let’s illustrate what this means for our Group Garden Route tours.
In 2011, the price of our 6 Day Garden Route & Addo Tour was R5600. The price has increased annually between 5-10%, in line with inflation. In 2020, the same tour, with the same inclusions, costs R8600. This is an increase of R3000, or 54%, in 9 years.
HOWEVER, if you look at the tour price in other currencies, our tour is actually…. quite a bit cheaper than it was in 2011?!
| Currency | 2011 tour price* | 2020 tour price | Price change | Price change percentage |
| South African Rand | R5600 | R8600 | + R3000 | + 54% |
| United States Dollar | $828 | $478 | – $350 | – 42% |
| British Pounds | £560 | £390 | – £170 | – 30% |
| Euro | €583 | €438 | – €145 | – 25% |
* Prices based on the dorm tour rate, and the yearly exchange rate for 31 March.
The SAME Tour, SAME inclusions… 25-42% cheaper than it was NINE years ago?! South Africa hasn’t gotten any less beautiful…but our currency has gotten a lot less valuable with time. This is bad news for South Africans, but great news for people with Dollar, GBP, or Euro accounts. You are now paying $478 for a tour that includes 5 nights accommodation, most meals, approximately 2300 km of transport, 4 National Parks AND activities…you can’t even stay home for that price!
This amazing exchange rate carries on once you arrive in South Africa – accommodation, meals, world-class WINE – you will find all of these at a great quality, and an amazing price.
One small illustration, but an important one for holiday – the price of a local beer. We wrote about this in 2013, and it is more true than ever:
| City, country | Beer price in USD |
| Cape Town, South Africa | $1.85 |
| New York, USA | $7.50 |
| London, UK | $6.50 |
| Berlin, Germany | $3.75 |
So, there you have it, come drink local beer in Cape Town at a fraction of the price that you would pay in your home country!
When the COVID-19 pandemic is over, we are looking forward to welcoming you to South Africa.
