Zimbabwe opened Harare and Victoria Falls Airports to International visitors on 1 October.

Please Note:

All travellers will be required to present a PCR COVID-19 clearance certificate issued by a recognised facility within 48 hours of departure for Zimbabwe.

 All travellers will undergo health screening and temperature testing.

  Social distancing, hand sanitisation and the wearing of masks are mandatory.

At present the land borders remain closed, although are expected to open on 01 December.

We have the following information (although the flight schedules are subject to change):

International Flights to Victoria Falls
•    Ethiopian Airlines – Addis Ababa to Victoria Falls via Ndola on Wednesdays and Saturdays
•    Kenya Airways – Nairobi to Victoria Falls return on Mondays and Thursdays – effective from the 14th of December.

Domestic Flights to Victoria Falls
•    Air Zimbabwe – Harare to Victoria Falls return every Monday, Wednesday and Friday
•    FastJet – Harare to Victoria Falls return every Thursday and Sunday
•    FastJet –Harare to Bulawayo return every Monday, Wednesday and Friday
 
International Flights to Harare
•    Emirates – Dubai to Harare return twice a week
•    Ethiopian Airlines – Addis to Harare return daily
•    Airlink – Johannesburg to Harare return daily
•    Airlink – return flights between Johannesburg and Bulawayo on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays

•    All passengers are required to complete a COVID-19 contact-tracing document on arrival.
•    All passengers are required to present a negative PCR COVID-19 Clearance Certificate obtained within 48 hours before departure, in line with WHO Guidelines. If officials believe a traveller to be symptomatic, they may be required to undergo a further PCR test on arrival, regardless of the negative certificate. Symptoms include, but are not limited to, a fever and a dry cough.

•    An Airport Official will take passengers’ temperatures. Anyone recording a temperature equal to or higher than 38°C will be tested for COVID-19.

•    Travellers that test positive will then be required to go into local isolation for 10 days if they have no symptoms, or 13 days if they are symptomatic. Isolation is at the traveller's own expense.

•    After quarantine, travellers will need to be retested before they are permitted to travel home or on to their next destination.

•    Travellers are to adhere to WHO COVID-19 standard practices at all times, such as maintaining social distancing, wearing a mask and practicing personal hygiene.

Fastjet Zimbabwe has flight FN 8801 departing Victoria Falls (VFA) at 11:20 and arriving at Kruger-Mpumalanga International (MQP) at 13:05. FN 8802 will depart MQP at 13:35 and arrive at VFA at 15:15

For added ease of booking, Federal Airlines will act as a sales agent for Fastjet ticket sales for the VFA-MQP routing. This will allow you to make one booking with Federal Airlines for their shuttle flight, as well as their scheduled Fastjet flight.
 
Victoria Falls routing and applicable rates:

Flight start operations             :           06 July 2020
Flight days of the week           :           Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday

\Routing and Flight Number : 8801  VFA to MQP     Depart at 11H20, Arrive at 13H05
                                                                  8802  MQP to VFA     Depart at 13H35, Arrive at 15H15
 
Rates: 
Adult fare : ZAR 5 300 per person one way all inclusive
                                                         
Rate Validity : 25 February 2020 to 31 December 2020

Victoria Falls and its surrounds offers some wonderful scenery, experiences and wildlife. However, poaching is a harsh reality, and if ignored and unchecked, will cripple the localeco-system. The Victoria Falls Anti-Poaching Unit (VFAPU) have boots on the ground and eyes on the future. They, in conjunction with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife, are the unsung heroes of every game drive and safari in the National Parks areas, protecting the environment and its inhabitants for generations to come. Our industry colleagues at Wild Horizons has been a proud supporter of VFAPU for 15 years, providing financial and operational aid to further their reach and impact. This meaningful partnership is rooted in a shared sense of purpose and appreciation for the remote wildlife areas that make Victoria Falls such a unique place.

VFAPU has 15 high-performing scouts who are trained in the tracking and apprehension of poachers, many of whom pose a lethal threat not just to the animals, but the scouts themselves. It is a job that requires the utmost dedication as the days are long and the challenges daunting. Some patrols take place over several days, venturing deep into the National Park with the team covering up to 15km each day. Small details such as a footprint in the dust or trampled patch of grass can lead the scouts in the right direction. Their senses must remain on high alert for any small piece of evidence that might go unnoticed to the untrained eye.

When one thinks of wildlife poaching, images of poachers with high powered rifles may come to mind. However, this is just one approach. Snares are rudimentary pieces of wire fashioned into a loop, left (and often forgotten about) in areas of high animal traffic. VFAPU have removed 22 500 snares from wildlife areas, saving as many lives in the process. To date, the scouts have rescued nearly 300 mammals who have been injured through poaching activities, all of which received veterinary attention and once recovered, were released back into the wild. A staggering 900 poachers have been apprehended, and the damage prevented through this alone is incomprehensible.

Funding remains one of the biggest challenges that VFAPU faces. Their invaluable work incurs massive costs and donations are vital to ensure the continued success of the organisation. Wild Horizons pays the salaries of three scouts each month and sponsors the fundraising activities hosted by VFAPU.

By simply reading and sharing the work that VFAPU do, the call of the wild travels a little further. However, if you would like to donate to VFAPU, please visit their website at http://vfapu.com/donate/ where you can also discover more about their extensive projects.

Financial help is always appreciated, but boots, green shirts, hats, flashlights, sleeping bags, raincoats and medical supplies will also make a difference.

 VFAPU started as a team of three dedicated individuals. Now, they have given a global community the power to transform knowledge into action. Because of them, future generations will walk in an elephants footsteps, hear the haunting whoop of a hyena, and find shade beneath a tangle of trees on the banks of the Zambezi River.