SAACI welcomes the announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa that South Africa would institute Alert Level 1 as of 1 October 2020. This announcement was met with relief by Business Events Stakeholders who have seen their livelihoods threatened or lost because of the COVID-19 Lockdown.
The move to Alert Level 1 will mean a further easing of restrictions on gatherings and international travel into and out of South Africa for business, leisure and other travel with effect from 1 October 2020:
- Social, religious, political and other gatherings will be permitted, as long as the number of people does not exceed 50% of the normal capacity of a venue, up to a maximum of 250 people for indoor gatherings and 500 people for outdoor gatherings.
- Health protocols, such as washing or sanitising of hands, social distancing and mask wearing, will need to be strictly observed. We encourage members to ensure that the Events Safety Re-Opening Guidelines are used when planning an event.
- Venues for exercise, recreation and entertainment – such as gyms and theatres – which were limited to no more than 50 people, will now be allowed to accommodate up to 50% of their venue’s capacity as determined by available floor space, subject to social distancing and other health protocols.
While this news will come as a great relief to the entire Business Events Industry, we are still conscious that the road to recovery will require significant support to rebuild and renew in the coming months.
We will continue our engagement with government to look at practical ways to ensure that our sector supports South Africa’s overall recovery over the years to come.
We also look forward to working with you, our Partners and Stakeholders to ensure a successful outcome of this announcement and will provide further updates to the industry as soon as we are able.
Stay SAFE,
The SAACI Team