THE commencement or increase in flights to Cape Town by some regional and local airlines is poised to boost passenger statistics to the Western Cape Province. Proflight Zambia will commence its direct flight from the capital Lusaka, to the South African coastal Mother City on July 1, with two flights per week. Local operator, Airlink will increase frequencies on its Cape Town – Mbombela (Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport) route, doubling capacity to 12 flights per week, from August 7. Air…

THE closure of the Rachel Finlayson Pool at the Durban Beachfront has left locals disappointed. They believe there is more to the closure than renovations. The closure of the pool on Thursday coincided with the resumption of theschool holidays. “The closure comes after a member of the public drove into the pool, damaging the fence,” eThekwini Municipality stated. The municipality said the pool would be closed until June 30. The Rachel Finlayson pool was repaired last year in December after…

THE travails faced by Zula Zula Adventure Bus depict the lack of support faced by up-and-coming players in the hospitality sector to establish their industries. It is also a reflection how these small and medium enterprises (SMEs) overcome such challenges, through resilience. Zula Zula derives its name from the Zulu word translating to, “Wander about everywhere.” The company went literally anywhere in search of support, to no avail, which was compounded by its formation during the COVID-19 when the industry…

In the dense forest of the Daxiangling Mountains in Sichuan Province grows the favourite food of giant pandas – various bamboo species including arrow bamboo. The slopes are usually covered with snow from the end of November to the end of March the following year. As in the wild, giant pandas generally live at relatively high altitudes and prefer cool places with rich food resources, rugged terrain and abundant water, making the mountain range an ideal habitat for them.   The…

THE resumption of service by ProFlight Zambia between Durban and Lusaka is poised to provide a much-needed boost trade and tourism between South Africa and Zambia. KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), the South African province, has welcomed the service by the airline that serves the business community and tourism industry. “This new air service will undoubtedly play a role in strengthening the business links between the two destinations,” said Siboniso Duma, KZN Member of the Executive Committee for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental…

VIVO has sealed a deal as the exclusive device partner of the Miss South Africa pageant. The ambitious Chinese smartphone maker has announced the partnership,coinciding with the launch of its new V27 flagship series in the country. Vivo unveiled the V27 5G and the V27e at an event in Johannesburg. The partnership with Miss South Africa is a giant leap in the Dongguan-headquartered firm’s mission to increase its market share in the Southern African country. Miss South Africa is one…

BEACH goers have been alerted to the danger posed by seals after the animals were spotted in Durban. “Over the last couple of days, there have been some seals that have visited sections of the south coast of Durban,” stated the KwaZulu-Natal Ezemvelo. “This is not a common phenomenon in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) so it has created quite a hype among the angling community and general public,” it added. Among precautions, people must not pose next to or close to a…

THE resumption of flights by Eswatini Air to South Africa is anticipated to boost trade between the two countries. The direct flight to Durban was opened early in May, with a maximum capacity of 50 passengers operated by an Embraer ERJ 145 aircraft. It operates flights on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. There are plans to increase frequencies to seven times a week from this month, based on demand. The route is expected to facilitate trade between KwaZulu-Natal (KZN)province and Eswatini,…

GAUTENG, South Africa’s economic hub, has welcomed the commencement of flights into the country by Zambia Airways. The first flight touched down at the O.R Tambo International in Johannesburg on Thursday amid fanfare, as the aircraft was welcomed with the traditional water cannon salute. It will service the Lusaka-Johannesburg route with flights running twicedaily. Gauteng Air Access, in collaboration with the Gauteng Tourism Authority(GTA), has been working closely with Zambia Airways to make this route areality. “Now, we’re ready to…

Zhang Jiliang and Wang Youliang, two villagers from Baoxing County, Ya’an City, southwest China’s Sichuan Province, came close to wild giant pandas on 12 May while working in the virgin forest at an altitude of 2,700 metres above the sea level in Liangzigou, the source of the Qingyi River.  “The giant panda drank river water for three full minutes before walking towards the direction we were hiding,” Zhang said. In order not to affect the giant pandas, they took the…