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Travel bans on South Africa due to Omicron will be 'devastating' for its economy

The Xinhua reported that Western Cape provincial official said in a press release on Sunday, travel bans on South Africa due to the new Omicron coronavirus variant will be "devastating" for the provincial economy as the local government is seeking for a recovery on its key tourism sector from COVID-19 impact.
Alan Winde, Premier of Western Cape, the economy of Western Cape, South Africa's popular tourism destination that hosts the legislative capital Cape Town, relies on international visitors during the peak season, which starts from December when South Africa is in summer.
Winde said: "This has been a hammer blow to our major job-creating sector in the province precisely when we needed a recovery, to claw back jobs lost over the last 19 months."

He said the travel bans are "extremely distressing", as the World Health Organization (WHO) has said that they are not an effective response.
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Western Cape, which boasts the iconic Table Mountain, Cape of Good Hope, Robben Island, as well as wine routes and a coastline includes sandy beaches with rocky mountains in places, was seeing a hope of recovery in the tourism sector that has been hit hard by COVID-19, with an estimated loss of over 75,000 jobs in 2020. Both Cape Town and Western Cape governments have been preparing for the peak season by driving vaccinations and launching marketing and other tourism-related activities.
The province's Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities, David Maynier, said: "We are devastated that, at the very moment recovery was kicking in, we have been hit by a new variant which has turned things upsides down and which is a major setback for our tourism and hospitality sector in the Western Cape."
Maynier said the government has been in regular contact with diplomatic corps and will convene meetings with business to provide updates on latest developments as Western Cape's economy needs as much information as possible to make the best decisions.
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Despite the disappointment on the travel bans, the local government has been assisting passengers who have been stranded by providing access to transport and accommodation and by liaising with consulates to assist where necessary. It also set up a dedicated FAQ page with necessary information to assist travelers.
Several countries announced a travel ban or tightened travel restrictions on South Africa.
Official figures showed, tourism is one of South Africa's key contributors to the economy. As a whole, the industry directly employs 657,000 people.
Source: xinhua
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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