The Department of Transport has confirmed that the nation’s aviation safety standards are internationally renowned, ranking among the highest worldwide and leading on the continent. As revealed through the Government Communications and Information System (GCIS), South Africa was bestowed with an accolade by the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) for its exceptional performance in the preliminary International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) audit.
AFCAC, the agency responsible for regulating civil aviation across the African Union, awarded this distinction to South Africa due to its civil aviation safety system and oversight capabilities achieving a remarkable preliminary score of over 90%. In contrast, the global average for Effective Implementation stands at 67.50%, as stated by GCIS.
Minister of Transport Sindisiwe Chikunga expressed profound satisfaction at this achievement, underlining that the recognition reaffirms their confidence in the aviation authority’s unwavering commitment to maintaining aviation safety. Chikunga emphasized that this acknowledgment is a reflection of the collective efforts to prioritize safety within the aviation sector.
Recent statistics published by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) were compiled from data collected by immigration officers stationed at the country’s entry and exit points, managed by the Department of Home Affairs (DHA).
Based on the data, a total of 2,311,573 travelers, encompassing arrivals, departures, and transits, successfully traversed South Africa’s ports of entry and exit during June 2023. Within this group, 701,989 were South African residents, while 1,609,584 were foreign travelers. Although road travel emerged as the primary mode of entry, with 1,562,252 travelers (67.6%) arriving through this means, 743,821 individuals (32.2%) opted for air travel, as highlighted in the overall count….
