(shosholozameyl.co.za),

Your cheapest option would be Shosholoza Meyl which runs trains twice a week between Durban and Joburg, and three times a week between Joburg and Cape Town. You would have to spend a day and night in Joburg each way.

The trains from Durban leave on Friday and Sunday at 7.15pm and arrive in Johannesburg the following day at 9.35am.

The trains from Joburg to Cape Town run on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, leaving at 12.30pm and arriving at 3.30pm the next day.

Returning, the Cape Town to Johannesburg trains run on the same three days, leaving at 10am and arriving at 12.15pm the next day.

Shosholoza Meyl Premier Classe deluxe trains are a bit more expensive, and the stayover in Joburg would be much longer. It runs from Durban to Joburg on Sundays, departing 7.15pm and arriving 9.35am. You would then go on to Cape Town only on Thursday, leaving 10.30am and arriving at As a South African, you should not be affected even indirectly.

US President Donald Trump’s ban on travellers from seven countries should have no effect on other nationalities, although there are fears that the ban could be extended to others. The countries are Syria, Libya, Iraq, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia and Iran.

The ban does, however, affect airlines’ pilots and flight attendants too. They have had to check where their crew are from, and remove those affected from US-bound flights. Dubaibased Emirates, presumably your airline, had to quickly change pilot and flightattendant rosters on its daily flights to 11 US cities.

Etihad Airways of Abu Dhabi has also taken steps to ensure there will be no issues for its flights.