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Transcript/ScriptUSAGM SHARE
((PLAYBOOK SLUG: COVID- South Africa Tourism-Unemployment))
HEADLINE: South Africa Tourism Recovering from COVID Amid Rising Joblessness
TEASER: Tourism operators are seeing early signs of recovery while South Africa’s unemployment rate tops 35%
PUBLISHED AT: 04/04/2022
BYLINE: Linda Givetash & Zaheer Cassim
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: JOHANNESBURG
VIDEOGRAPHER: Zaheer Cassim
VIDEO EDITOR:
SCRIPT EDITORS: Schearf, MAS
VIDEO SOURCE (S): Original, Zoom
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV _X_ RADIO _X_
TRT:
VID APPROVED BY:
TYPE: TVPKG
EDITOR NOTES:))
((INTRO)) South Africa's tourism industry is seeing a return to normality after the Omicron COVID variant brought international travel to a standstill last year. President Cyril Ramaphosa has removed COVID restrictions and tour operators hope that will bring a surge of holiday-goers and combat record unemployment. Linda Givetash reports from Johannesburg.
((VIDEO-VOA: TOUR BUS ARRIVAL, IN THE VEHICLE-various, TEBOGO))
((NARRATOR))
Tour groups arriving in Johannesburg are small. But tour companies are thankful they’re here and hopeful that tourism is rebounding after two years of pandemic damage.
Tourism took an especially hard hit when the COVID Omicron variant halted international travel in November.
But that has changed now that the infection rate is low and dropping, and most COVID restrictions have been lifted.
((Sunny Tebogo, Guide for MoAfrika Tours (English, 18 sec))
“From the past two weeks, I'm smiling. I can say now I can look after my problems. I can say now Sunny is back to the field. It’s because I see I've been getting tours... And we are happy that borders are open, flights are coming in. But slowly and surely, getting there.”
((VIDEO-VOA: TOURISTS AT SOWETO SIGN-various, TOURISTS AT STADIUM, BARNES))
((NARRATOR))
South Africa – the country hardest hit by the pandemic in Africa - scrapped COVID test requirements in March for fully vaccinated visitors.
Restrictions on large gatherings have also been eased, allowing visitors to attend sporting and arts events again.
((VIDEO-ZOOM: DAVID FROST))
((MANDATORY COURTESY: Zoom))
((David Frost, Southern Africa Tourism Services Association, (English, xx sec))
“We are seeing quite a significant uptake and flights being scheduled…So I would imagine the 2022 high season from September through to March will be pretty much at a pre-COVID level.”
((VIDEO-VOA: YOUNG MEN ON STREETS-various, ROODT))
((NARRATOR))
While South African business is rebounding, there is still a long road to recovery— and not just for tourism.
Jobless numbers for the fourth quarter of 2021 saw unemployment hit a record 35 percent.
((VIDEO-ZOOM: DAWIE ROODT))
((MANDATORY COURTESY: Zoom))
((Dawie Roodt, Efficient Group Chief Economist (English, 17 sec))
“The most important reason why we have high levels of unemployment is because of lack of economic growth, even if you have weekly skilled people in your country, and even if you have all sorts of other problems in the economy. But if the economy grows strongly, people will find a job somewhere.”
((VIDEO-VOA: SHUTTERED BUSINESSES/BUSY STREETS, TEBOGO))
((NARRATOR))
Economists warn South Africa won’t see major growth any time soon.
But in March it did secure nearly $23 billion in investments at the annual South African Investment Conference.
((Sunny Tebogo, Guide for MoAfrika Tours, (English, 18 sec))
“The local business, industrial areas are opening up for people. And then more offices are opening up. Remember people used to work indoors at home, but now we see even the traffic volume on roads is getting more open, more bigger. It tells us that something is changing. We are moving out of the disaster slowly but surely.”
((VIDEO-VOA: BUSTLING SOWETO STREET-various))
((NARRATOR))
President Cyril Ramaphosa in March said South Africa would soon remove the last remaining significant COVID measure — a national state of disaster that regulates the country’s COVID rules.
((Linda Givetash, for VOA News, Johannesburg.))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Embargo DateApril 4, 2022 14:06 EDT
BylineLinda Givetash & Zaheer Cassim
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
