Earlier this year, SATSA appointed Eterna Partners, a leading PR and Strategy Consultancy based in the United Kingdom, to lobby on behalf of South Africa for the removal of the country from the UK’s Red List and resumption of travel between the UK and Southern Africa by October.

The campaign focuses on, amongst others, identifying and leveraging areas of UK-SA interest, building confidence in South Africa’s infection control and vaccination programme, and engaging in the design and operation of new health certification and vaccine passport programmes

“When the peak of the third wave occurs, we will be in a strong position to exert some serious pressure to get the change in designation we need, having demolished the softer arguments by UK government officials,” said Partner at the UK-based Eterna Partners, Nigel Fairbrass, providing an update  during a recent webinar on the progress made.

“We have identified areas where the UK government can show there is shared UK-SA interest in opening borders in terms of trade and commerce, sport and culture, conservation, humanitarian aid and development.”

The campaign also includes building confidence in SA’s infection control and vaccination programme by partnering with the South African scientific community to demonstrate credibility and a high level of expertise, while creating a coalition of supportive voices in both countries.

Tourism Update reader, Pieter Kerkhof weighed in:

“Good insight and I share all sentiments above. Living in The Netherlands, it has been proven, again and again, it is perception that counts, and no matter how many facts we try to present, governments’ belief in 'red lists' will stay.

And although we all know the risks, the fat cats in governments all over the world still get 100% salaries to sell people only half of the truth at best. Safety seems to be the best excuse, no matter what.

Fact: vaccinations work on ALL fronts. Fact: hospitals hardly get any vaccinated patients. Fact: vaccinations work against ALL variants so far.”