Costs rise and routes shift: fuel records, new Cape links, a lost Zanzibar hop

Inland 95 petrol rises R3.33 to R30.25 a litre and 0.005% diesel rises R3.24 to R33.29 on Wednesday, October 7, both records. Brent is around $101, with Hormuz tensions cited, and the repo rate also rose on September 23.

The commercial effect lands on self-drive packages, transfers, safari vehicle running costs and charter fuel surcharges. Advisors should check quotes for surcharge clauses and ask operators whether current rates are fixed or fuel-linked before confirming peak-season bookings.

ACSA expects about 250,000 extra international seats at Cape Town this peak season, a 12% rise, across 26 airlines and 38 routes, with about 255 weekly international flights. Airlink began Cape Town–Mauritius on October 2 (twice weekly) and Cape Town–Zanzibar on October 3. Virgin Atlantic resumes Cape Town on October 14.

On Johannesburg–London, Virgin Atlantic puts the A350-1000 on the daily service from October 25 and adds three weekly 787-9 frequencies from December 13–14. Together these ease peak capacity for UK clients and allow Cape-and-beach or Cape-and-safari routings without a Johannesburg connection.

Jambojet has suspended Mombasa–Zanzibar, citing surging fuel costs and Zanzibar's compulsory travel insurance. Kenya coast and Zanzibar combinations lose their direct link, so advisors should reroute via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam and price in the extra leg.

Separately, Tanzania has lifted enhanced health screening for arrivals from Uganda, which eases gorilla-trekking-plus-Serengeti itineraries. Screening stays for arrivals from the DRC. Confirm entry requirements before departure.

Rhino Africa's Mana Pools bed-nights fell about 34% from FY24 to FY26, with booking value down about 37%. Hwange rose about 21% in bed-nights and 28% in value. The barrier is the extra charter or 4x4 leg to reach Mana.

Operators say Mana often has availability and better prices when Victoria Falls is full. Advisors can offer it as a Zimbabwe alternative rather than moving clients to another country.

South Africa recorded 7.5 million arrivals from January to August, with August up 7.4% year on year. Mpumalanga and Limpopo outpaced Gauteng. KZN took only a 3.1% share because Durban international flights fell 28.6%. The US, UK and Germany are the top source markets.

Expect tighter peak availability around Kruger, and plan for access problems on KZN products.

Ndzhaka, a 15-tent unfenced camp in Manyeleti on the Sabi Sands/Timbavati border, is offering trade-only 2027 launch rates from R6,250 per person sharing. Rates are all-inclusive with game drives. Tents have private plunge pools and bomas, children from age 6 are accepted, and vehicles are capped at seven guests.

It positions as a lower-cost alternative to Sabi Sands. Advisors can request rate sheets and FAM trips.

The ARC is opening foot-and-mouth vaccine manufacture to private firms. No vaccine entered South Africa for 127 days of the outbreak, and farmers call the situation catastrophic. Wider production may eventually ease movement restrictions.

This is a watch item for game-farm and lodge areas where cattle and wildlife movement controls apply. The direct impact on advisors is modest for now.