Kenya's ETA now carries mandatory health insurance
Every Kenya ETA applicant must now hold valid inbound health insurance. The portal adds $44 for the cover, which comes to about $52 at checkout. In testing, applicants could not upload a foreign policy. Cover can also be bought separately on eCitizen before the ETA application, and the system links it automatically. A court has upheld the requirement.
What it means for advisors: build the cost into Kenya safari quotes and tell clients before they reach the portal. Check whether they might double-buy cover, since a foreign policy won't be accepted. Tanzania's mainland introduced a similar mandate days earlier, so expect combined Kenya–Tanzania itineraries to carry two sets of paperwork.
Ebola case in Nairobi and Kilimanjaro fires: two things to tell East Africa clients
Kenya confirmed a fatal imported Ebola (Bundibugyo) case in Nairobi on 6 October. WHO advises against travel restrictions. ATTA says Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda remain open, and there is no record of a leisure traveller being infected. Expect client questions, and watch for any change from insurers or the FCDO.
Separately, the FCDO reported as of 6 October that wildfires have closed the Rongai, Lemosho and Londorosi routes on Kilimanjaro, with climbers redirected to other routes. Advisors with climbs booked should ask operators about re-routing and refund terms now rather than at departure.
Zimbabwe's VAT change: demand held, costs were passed on
Nine months after zero-rating was removed on activities and transfers from 1 January, Zimbabwe's standard VAT rate is 15.5% and operators report that demand has held. European partners had to absorb the VAT or pass it on, because consumer-law notice rules limited their room to adjust.
Action: confirm whether Victoria Falls and Zimbabwe quotes are net or VAT-inclusive, and check that commissionable amounts have not shifted.
Durban unrest and fewer US visa hubs
Anti-immigration protests turned violent in the Durban CBD around the Home Affairs refugee office. The US consulate told staff to avoid the area. Advisors with American clients routing through Durban should brief them on keeping clear of the CBD, and should watch whether the unrest spreads ahead of the 4 November local elections.
The same source reports that, under a Rubio directive, US African visa processing hubs have been cut from 50 to 20. The Durban consulate has stopped routine visa processing. Johannesburg and Cape Town are South Africa's only remaining hubs, so South African clients planning onward US travel should allow more lead time.
Airlink adds Mauritius and Lanseria capacity
Airlink's twice-weekly Cape Town–Mauritius service (Tuesday and Friday, E195-E2) started on 2 October. It gives a direct option for Cape-and-island combinations without connecting via Johannesburg.
From 4 December Airlink will fly twice daily between Lanseria and Cape Town, rising to four daily from 22 March 2027. It also begins Lanseria–Harare on 15 November, which changes access to Zimbabwe. Check schedules before building multi-stop itineraries around these routes.
Kinara opens in the Maasai Mara
SARV Management's Kinara is a new inside-the-reserve camp with 21 tented suites, private plunge pools and a three-bedroom villa. It adds luxury and family inventory ahead of peak season. The source gives no rates or commission terms, so ask the supplier for both, and for launch fam trip dates.
Botswana and Mozambique sign a joint-itinerary MoU
The two countries have agreed to work on combined wildlife and beach itineraries, air connectivity, familiarisation trips and shared market data. It is still only an MoU. If it delivers, it could support bush-and-beach packages and new air links, so it is worth watching for advisors who sell that pairing.
Arrivals rise while SA Tourism's governance lags
South Africa's international arrivals were up 11.7% year to date, reaching 7.58 million for January to August, with African arrivals growing fastest. Kenya arrivals are up 11.3%. Advisors should expect tighter peak-season capacity in South Africa.
At the same time, SA Tourism has received a third qualified audit and faced criticism in Parliament. The Tomsa levies will stay with the Tourism Business Council. Hosted-buyer applications for Meetings Africa (22–24 February 2027) and registrations for Africa's Travel Indaba (10–13 May 2027) have not yet opened, so expect late confirmation when budgeting buyer travel.