Ramaphosa says SA borders to re-open on October 1

President Cyril Ramaphosa revealed that the country will reopen its borders from October 1, but with restrictions.

He also announced that the country will move to alert level 1 lockdown from midnight on Sunday, September 20, 2020.

In his keynote address, Ramaphosa said that SA’s borders will reopen next month.

“One of the earliest measures we took to contain the spread of the virus was to severely restrict international arrivals and to close our borders,” he said.

“We will be allowing travel into and out of South Africa for business, leisure and other travel with effect from 1 October 2020.

“The easing of restrictions on international travel under level 1 must be done with extreme caution, especially as some countries experience a new surge in infections,” said Ramaphosa.

The president revealed that travel may be restricted to and from certain countries that are deemed high risk.

He said only three airports will be opened for international travel. These include King Shaka International, OR Tambo International and Cape Town International.

A limited number of border posts will remain open at South Africa’s land borders.