RwandAir debuts new Harare-CT route
Mother City opens up as the African gateway
CAPE Town is fast becoming the gateway to Africa, with the introduction this week of a direct route by RwandAir between Kigali and the Mother City via Harare, according to Tim Harris, the chief executive of Wesgro, Cape Town and the Western Cape’s tourism, trade and investment agency.
“We welcome the introduction of the direct route from Kigali via Harare to Cape Town. Not only does this facilitate improved business and tourism between the two capitals, but further positions the Cape as a gateway to Africa,” said Harris.
He added there were numerous possibilities for business tourism in Zimbabwe.
“The total number of passengers recorded between Cape Town and Zimbabwe last year amounted to around 75 000, and we look forward to seeing this number grow through the facilitation of a new direct route,” said Harris.
Cape Town Air Access – a partnership between Wesgro, the Western Cape government, the City of Cape Town, Airports Company South Africa, South African Tourism and Cape Town Tourism – officially welcomed the touchdown of the new RwandAir route yesterday.
RwandAir will be the first airline to introduce a direct flight between the Zimbabwean capital and Cape Town, and the new route will be operational four times a week, all year round.
Since the establishment of Cape Town Air Access in 2015, the addition of the new route represents the eighth new African destinations.
Flight time from Cape Town to Harare is around three hours and the trip from Cape Town to Kigali is about six-and-a-half hours, including the 45-minute stopover in Harare.
Passengers can fly business or economy class on a flight that boasts full internet connectivity through “On Air”.
Economic Opportunities MEC Alan Winde said: “Rwanda is one of the fastest-growing economies on the continent, and Zimbabwe holds a lot of potential for development. We hope that, by opening up access between Cape Town, Kigali and Harare, it will be easier to explore these possibilities.”
Harris said Harare was the largest unserved city in Africa for Cape Town with just fewer than 40 000 passengers recorded through Cape Town International Airport last year.
Passenger growth showed a 15% annual increase between Cape Town and Zimbabwe, with a significant 39% growth recorded between Victoria Falls and the Mother City last year.
According to research conducted by Wesgro’s IQ unit, the top five Western Cape exports to Rwanda in 2016 included refined petroleum at R13.7 million; wine at R11m, recording a 100% growth; insecticides at R6.6m; engine parts at R3.8m; and undenatured ethyl alcohol amounting to R1.8m.