The Covid era certainly reaffirmed the value of time as the most precious commodity we will ever own – or allow to slip through our fingers. As a result, travel has become more intentional than ever. Bucket lists have given way to a more realistic “if not now, then when?” way of looking at the world. 

Andrew Smith, operations director of Aardvark Safaris, reports that travel to the southernmost tip of Africa is trading at about 20% above pre-pandemic levels. Given the choice of “wilder” safari destinations elsewhere in Africa, he believes South Africa remains in high demand because it offers “a world in one country”, not just wildlife encounters. 

Dan Free, general manager of Wildlife Worldwide, adds South Africa’s private game reserves, renowned for their luxury lodgings and almost-guaranteed iconic sightings, make it a key destination for his company’s small-group trips and bespoke itineraries.

“Our clients are primarily interested in South Africa as a wildlife-watching destination, not only for safari but also whale watching. It offers very good value for money too,” he says. At the time of writing, the exchange rate was (for UK visitors) a highly favourable 22 rand to the pound. 

Even though the safari experience feels slightly more curated in South Africa compared to Botswana or Zambia, Free says it is very reliable and, therefore, always an excellent first-time option. 

South Africa is also easy to get to, thanks to three flights a day from the UK with British Airways (increasing to 31 flights a week in high season), and daily direct flights with Virgin Atlantic year round. There are many other options, of course, but going direct means being in the air for less than 12 hours and taking advantage of the minimal time zone difference, which can even make it a last-minute break for couples or a winter sun escape for families. 

Smith says that when clients are paying upwards of £500 a night per person to go on safari, paying a premium for direct flights is not a barrier to travel. “Historically, we’d have said £500-£700 per person to fly to Johannesburg, return, in economy. Now it’s often over £1,000 to fly direct. Business class has seen an even bigger jump in price,” he adds.

Spoilt for choice 

Once on the ground, there are lots of flight options on excellent local carriers such as Airlink and FlySafair, as well as scheduled and charter flights with the likes of Federal Air. BA’s new partnership with Airlink means travellers will be able to book a full journey on one ticket, allowing seamless travel from London to their final destination, which could be George, on the Garden Route, or Skukuza in the Kruger National Park. 

Crowded airports and luggage issues in the past 18 months have taught seasoned flyers the value of travelling light, which is an essential consideration on safari as small, soft-sided bags are often a requirement when flying directly into camp. 

As a family safari specialist, Aardvark Safaris favours South Africa’s many malaria-free reserves. “Malaria-free has always been an important consideration for our clients with younger children,” says Smith. 

By choosing a lodge in Marataba, for example, a 21,000-hectare private concession close to the Waterberg, self-drive from Johannesburg becomes viable, adding further value for money over and above the country’s weak currency. Another game-changer for families is a private vehicle and guide, which usually comes at an extra cost but is also dependent on the ratio of hectares to beds to vehicles in a given concession or reserve. 

“There are also some superb properties offering sightings of more elusive species, which have proven very popular with our clients,” adds Free. He recommends Tswalu Kalahari for tracking shy, nocturnal species such as brown hyena, aardvark, bat-eared fox, pangolin and aardwolf.

Divine dining 

When it comes to food and drink, South Africa is also a hit. Those in the know flock to the Western Cape to take advantage of world-class food and wine pairings, craft spirit and beer tastings, and other gourmet delights, from extra-virgin olive oil and handmade cheeses to local confectionery, like Cape Malay koesisters, and ice cream. 

At any number of Cape Town’s award-winning restaurants – such as Chefs Warehouse, Pier or Salsify – exquisitely plated, provenance-led, multi-course tasting menus or small-plate extravaganzas, paired to boutique wines, come in at under a third of the price it would cost to eat well in London. 

The country’s stellar culinary reputation is no longer confined to Cape Town, Stellenbosch and Franschhoek either, and has spread to smaller Boland towns, the Karoo and coastal enclaves from Hermanus to Plettenberg Bay. “Few countries come close to the levels of service offered throughout South Africa in lodges, hotels and restaurants,” remarks Aardvark’s Smith. 

Cape Town’s hotels now have art concierges too, offering in-house tours and private outings to off-the-beaten-track galleries, giving a fast-track for learning the ins and outs of the contemporary art scene. It’s one of the reasons why serious collectors choose to check into Ellerman House or the Silo Hotel.

It’s hardly surprising that Singita, reliable innovators in the safari space, have opened art galleries in both the Sabi Sand and Kruger National Park to meet a growing demand for contemporary African artwork and collectables; a percentage of sale proceeds are channelled to the Singita Lowveld Trust to support fledgling businesses. 

While the Cape Peninsula has always been known for its natural beauty, including numerous Blue Flag beaches, more recently Cape Town is owning its reputation as the outdoor adventure capital of the continent too, offering adrenaline thrills ranging from sea kayaking to abseiling and big-wave surfing to downhill mountain biking. 

Escape + Explore offers one-off, curated day trips showcasing the best of local – you can helicopter to Jonkershoek Nature Reserve in Stellenbosch for a hike and mountaintop picnic, or tour Woodstock’s street art, followed by a surf lesson in Muizenberg, and a picnic lunch in Cape Point Nature Reserve by Nicky Gibbs, who cooked Nelson Mandela’s first post-prison lunch. 

The ultimate experiences

Check out our round-up of stunning South African experiences, from chic rooftop bars with views of Cape Town, to ocean-front restaurants where you can also watch the whales 

Mount Nelson, Belmond’s landmark hotel in lush gardens below Table Mountain, has the new Red Room, a reincarnation of the original grill room, featuring a pan-Asian menu by Liam Tomlin and Dave Schneider (ex-chefs Warehouse Maison), while executive chef George Jardine, is plotting the opening of his first hotel restaurant. High tea on the terrace, from pastry chef Vicky Gurovich, is the best in town. 

Onderdorp is more than just an annexe to Cape Town’s Dorp Hotel, the grand yet unpretentious hangout of the city’s cool crowd with a roof terrace for cocktails and an all-day comfort food menu. Built just below the main hotel on Signal Hill, it has added 15 rooms to Dorp’s inventory and offers the same Table Mountain views. Meanwhile in the Western Cape, from its new bistro – serving estate wines – to its picture-perfect manor house suites, Brookdale Estate has brought a new level of polished service and comfort to Paarl.

Just off buzzing Kloof Street, Cape Cadogan’s historic Georgian-meets-Victorian facade remains the same, but a thoroughly modern revamp has transformed its interiors with pops of emerald green, black and white, and created space for a fully-fledged spa. The addition of Upper Union, housed next door and serving punchy small plates paired to potent cocktails, is drawing a local crowd. Since it’s owned by safari specialists the More Collection, the service is pampered perfection.

Land-based whale watching can be enjoyed in new ways this winter, such as hiking the scenic stretch of the aptly named Whale Trail between Lekkerwater and Morukuru Beach Lodge, in De Hoop Nature Reserve. Day visitors to the reserve can enjoy lunch at Bites Beach Cafe, offering destination dining with front-row ocean seats.

For active families, the lagoon-edge boathouses at Coot Club, located on a pristine estuary between Hermanus and Stanford, provide exclusive access to 500 hectares of privately protected fynbos in which to bike, hike, sail and row, and whale watching from the beach with nobody else for miles. 

Designed by Nick Plewman, Tanda Tula Safari Camp is set to welcome its first guests in June, after summer flooding in the Greater Kruger area delayed building of this new light-footprint, ecologically sensitive, solar- powered tented camp tucked into the riverine forest.

Having opened Waterside Lodge last year at Royal Malewane, Liz Biden is about to reveal her reinvention of the family’s original bush villa, Africa House, adding even more glamour to its six suites, as well as an extra pool, spa treatment suite and gym.

Gorgeous textured interiors by Caline Williams-Wynn are at the heart of the original Thornybush Game Lodge’s makeover, which includes a solar conversion and the addition of Kamara House, a two-bedroomed family villa with an extra kids’ room, 

At Kwandwe in the Eastern Cape, the nine-suite Great Fish River Lodge recently reopened with earthy, understatedly elegant interiors leading to private viewing decks and pools overlooking the river that snakes through this 22,000-hectare private reserve known for up-close big five sightings,  

Finally, a destination in itself, rather than a private reserve, Tswalu Kalahari is about to open Loapi, six private tented safari homes overlooking 114,000 hectares of arid savannah punctuated by the ancient Korannaberg. When not dining at Restaurant Klein Jan, tracking black rhino or cheetah on foot, or hanging out with habituated meerkats, this is going to be a place to appreciate the immensity of the “space below the clouds”, the meaning of Loapi in the region’s Setswana language.