South Africa’s move to Level 1 of the COVID-19 Risk Adjusted Strategy has seen a return to in-person conferencing and business gatherings throughout the province.
However, hoteliers and conference facility operators are reminded that strict health and safety protocols remain in place for in-person gatherings, including specific limits on the numbers of people who can attend.
According to the most recent regulations, conferences and meetings under Level 1 are limited to 50% of venue capacity, but with an upper limit of no more than 250 participants for indoor and 500 participants for outdoor events.
This means that even if a venue accommodates 1 000 people, the event must still be limited to no more than 250 participants, as there is a blanket, 250-person indoor ceiling.
Conversely, if a venue normally accommodates 300 people, business gatherings at this venue must be limited to 150, not 250, in terms of the stated 50% of normal capacity restriction.
In addition to these capacity restrictions, venue and event hosts must ensure that all attendees wear face masks throughout the proceedings and that participants maintain social distancing of at least 1.5m at all times, across all activities.
Venue owners and operators are also reminded that the certificate of occupancy stating the maximum number of persons a facility can hold must be prominently displayed at the facility (both indoor and outdoor venues).
Still unsure of which health protocols to follow?
The Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) has developed comprehensive tourism protocols aligned with the World Health Organisation (WHO), National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) and Department of Health guidelines and advice. These protocols cover customer information, personal protective equipment, physical distancing, sanitisation and hygiene practices, among others, for staff and customers. Access the document here.
You can also download the latest government regulations, as gazetted, here.
