Southern Africa adds flights, cheetah returns
- LATAM and Airlink opened or advanced Southern Africa air links in 2026, while conservation groups moved cheetahs back into Zambia’s Luangwa Valley and Eswatini. - Six cheetahs were slated for Zambia’s Greater Luangwa Ecosystem after nearly 30 years, and four were reintroduced to Eswatini after 35 years. - LATAM’s São Paulo-Cape Town service is due from September 2026, while Zambia’s cheetah program begins with relocations from South African reserves.
Southern Africa’s travel story this season is running on two tracks: airlines are adding seats, and wildlife managers are adding predators. LATAM Airlines is launching direct São Paulo-Cape Town flights in 2026, and Airlink has added Zanzibar links tied into South Africa’s network. At the same time, conservation authorities and partner groups have been moving cheetahs into places where the species had disappeared, including Zambia’s Luangwa Valley and Eswatini’s Royal Jozini Private Game Reserve. Those moves have been framed by officials and tourism groups as both biodiversity projects and tourism draws. ### Which flights are actually new? LATAM Airlines said it will launch three weekly direct flights between São Paulo’s Guarulhos airport and Cape Town from September 2026, using Boeing 787-9 aircraft. Tourism Update reported the route would make LATAM the first South American carrier to fly to Cape Town, while the airline already serves Johannesburg from São Paulo five times a week. (tourismupdate.com) Airlink said it would launch a direct Cape Town-Zanzibar route, adding to its Johannesburg-Zanzibar service that began on June 3, 2026. Tourism Update reported the Cape Town route would be operated by Airlink’s Embraer E195-E2 aircraft and would allow travelers already booked on Cape Town-Johannesburg-Zanzibar itineraries to switch to the nonstop service without extra charge. (tourismupdate.com) ### Why are these routes getting attention in Southern Africa travel coverage? Cape Town official James Vos called the LATAM route a “massive win” for tourism, trade and investment, according to Tourism Update. South African Tourism Chief Operating Officer Ismail Dockrat said the Brazil link offered renewed optimism for inbound leisure and meetings travel from Latin America. (tourismupdate.com) Airlink’s Zanzibar expansion matters because it adds another leisure connection tied to Johannesburg, the carrier’s main hub. Tourism Update said the airline pitched Zanzibar’s proximity to Johannesburg and the timing of flights as a way to improve onward connections from other South African and regional destinations. ### Where are cheetahs being returned? Zambia’s Ministry of Tourism said on July 1 that cheetahs would be reintroduced to the Luangwa Valley for the first time in nearly 30 years. (tourismupdate.com) Africa’s Eden Tourism said the program would begin with the relocation of six cheetahs from protected reserves in South Africa after years of scientific planning, ecological assessments and habitat preparation. (tourismupdate.com) Mail & Guardian reported on June 24 that four cheetahs — two males and two females — had been reintroduced to Eswatini after an absence of more than 35 years. The animals were released into Royal Jozini Private Game Reserve as part of the Southern African cheetah metapopulation programme, a regional effort to restore and manage populations across the region. ### Who says the cheetah moves are tied to tourism? (africaseden.travel) Zambia’s Ministry of Tourism said the Luangwa Valley return would help restore healthy ecosystems and promote sustainable wildlife management. In the same announcement, the ministry said the initiative was expected to enhance Zambia’s tourism appeal and support local economic development through nature-based tourism. (mg.co.za) Africa’s Eden Tourism, a regional travel body, also highlighted the Luangwa move in its tourism news coverage. Its account described the return of cheetahs as part of a broader effort that links conservation recovery with visitor interest in the Luangwa Valley. ### What should travelers and readers watch next? September 2026 is the key date on the aviation side, because LATAM’s São Paulo-Cape Town service is scheduled to start that month. (africaseden.travel) Airlink’s Zanzibar network expansion is already underway, with the Johannesburg-Zanzibar route launched on June 3 and the Cape Town nonstop added afterward. In Zambia, the next concrete step is the relocation of six cheetahs from South African reserves into the Greater Luangwa Ecosystem, according to the tourism ministry announcement and follow-up coverage. (africaseden.travel) In Eswatini, Royal Jozini Private Game Reserve is now the named site to watch as the four reintroduced cheetahs settle into the reserve. (tourismupdate.com)
