- Despite alarming reports of high crime rates, which according to most people have caused fear among travellers to South Africa, the country has recorded an increase in tourists arrivals by 8 percent over the last year.
A report published this week by the state agency Statistics South Africa indicated that the total number of foreign travellers who visited the country from mainland Africa, overseas and unspecified countries, arriving through all ports of entry during August 2006 stood at 701,991.
This figure represents an increase of 8 percent as compared to the August 2005 figure, according to national statistics office.
Most of the foreign travellers to Africa's giant in democracy and economic development entered by road while 433,136 departed by the same route. These figures represent 71.5 and 70.5 percents respectively.
26.4 percent of travellers (185,155) entered the country by air. Of this figure, 84.7 percent travelled by through Johannesburg's Oliver Tambo International Airport, 14.5, 0.2 and 0.6 percents through Cape Town and Durban International Airports respectively. 29.4 percent departed by air.
Rail and sea are the least modes being used by travellers who entered and departed South Africa. These figures represent 2.1 and 0.1 percents of the travellers. South Africa has rail connections with all its neighbouring countries except Lesotho.
South Africa has slowly consolidated its role as sub-Saharan Africa's main tourist destination, mostly due to a very well developed infrastructure and loads of interesting tourist destinations, many of which are on Unesco's official World Heritage list. The well developed infrastructure makes South Africa the obvious destination for most first-time travellers to Africa.
Lately, there have however been speculations that South Africa's extremely high crime rate may scare off tourists and travellers, some even pronouncing doubts that crime-ridden South Africa may successfully organise the 2010 soccer World Cup. National statistics however reveal that tourists are far from being scared off.
afrol News - It is called "financial inclusion", and it is a key government policy in Rwanda. The goal is that, by 2020, 90 percent of the population is to have and actively use bank accounts. And in only four years, financial inclusion has doubled in Rwanda.
afrol News - The UN's humanitarian agencies now warn about a devastating famine in Sudan and especially in South Sudan, where the situation is said to be "imploding". Relief officials are appealing to donors to urgently fund life-saving activities in the two countries.
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afrol News - It is already a crime being homosexual in Ethiopia, but parliament is now making sure the anti-gay laws will be applied in practical life. No pardoning of gays will be allowed in future, but activist fear this only is a signal of further repression being prepared.
afrol News / Africa Renewal - Ethiopia's ambitious plan to build a US$ 4.2 billion dam in the Benishangul-Gumuz region, 40 km from its border with Sudan, is expected to provide 6,000 megawatts of electricity, enough for its population plus some excess it can sell to neighbouring countries.
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