No signs on when tourists will return to Africa

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — Raino Bolz quickly diversified when his tourism business in South Africa’s winelands crashed to a halt in March because of the coronavirus pandemic. He bought a herd of pregnant cows.

He’ll have to wait for the cows to have calves and for the calves to be old enough to sell before he can make money from them.

Bolz hopes to see a return of some tourists in November, the start of

South Africa’s tourism season. If foreign visitors — 80% of his income — don’t arrive for end-of-year vacations, he’ll need the profit from his cattle to stay afloat.

Africa will lose between $53 billion and $120 billion in contributions to its GDP in 2020 because of the crash in tourism, the World Travel and Tourism Council estimates. Kenya expects at least a 60% drop in tourism revenue this year. South Africa a 75% drop. In South

Africa, 1.2 million tourismrelated jobs are already impacted, according to its Tourism Business Council. That’s not far off 10% of total jobs in Africa’s most developed economy and the total damage isn’t yet clear.

South Africa’s borders have been closed for nearly six months and there are no signs of them reopening.

The COVID-19 restrictions have shuttered what was once the lucrative centerpiece of African tourism, the safari.

Sun International, a major player with a portfolio of casinos, resorts and high-end hotels in South Africa and several other African countries, has so far kept its 8,500 employees, although on reduced salaries. It can’t last. Sun International is now “having to consider quite severe restructures,” said Graham Wood, chief operating officer for hospitality.

Wood does expect a bounce in domestic tourism at the end of the year from South Africans who aren’t going overseas.

NARDUS ENGELBRECHT/AP Local tourists are seen during an e-bike tour, run by tour operator Raino Bolz, Sept. 4 in Cape Town, South Africa.