SOUTH AFRICA: South African Airways Reconsiders Fares, Lures Passengers

Ordinary rank-and-file Americans often suffer from matters far beyond their control, such as volatile global economic fluctuations. But sometimes the proverbial man on the street can actually benefit from the same international winds of change. The plummeting prices in South Africa present just such an opportunity.

South African Airways is currently trying to fight its way through the storm of international media to draw attention to an important fact: South Africa’s currency value relative to the U.S. dollar is at its lowest rate since 2001. At the time of this writing, one U.S. dollar is worth 13.13 rand.

Going back just under five years, to Jan. 1, 2011, the dollar was only worth 6.69 rand.

That’s almost exactly double.

That means if you go to South Africa today, your money will go twice as far as it did only five years ago, in 2011.

The deals in South Africa were already good in 2011. They are twice as good now.

Sources on the ground in South Africa tell us that the price of a beer in a South African bar today is 15 rand. That’s about $1.15. Are you convinced yet?

Airfare prices have also dropped dramatically. SAA is offering flights from Washington Dulles to Johannesburg starting at $839 and from New York JFK to Johannesburg starting at $879.

To make the best of the situation, South African Airways, the national carrier, launched a new Go See Southern Africa campaign. The airline has partnered with a number of tour operators to come up with a series of packages with prices that take full advantage of current economic conditions to make an offer few Americans will be able to refuse.

South Africa tour operators who are participating, including Lion World Tours, SmarTours and the carrier’s own private label brand tour operator, South African Airways Vacations, have prepared a special selection of packages specially priced for value.

Examples include a 14-day tour starting at $2,799 per person including air and hotel from smarTours, and the 11-day/10-night Platinum South Africa priced from $4,998 per person from Lion World.

South African Airways Vacations is offering a free car rental on its Garden Route Splendor self-drive package, which brings the price down to $3,399 per person. The package includes 11 nights hotel accommodation, including two nights at the Kichaka Game Lodge, air and rental car, as well as six lunches and six dinners.