The minister conceded that Covid-19 restrictions have had a crippling impact on the tourism and hospitality sector.

She said that in discussions with the restaurant sector, the impact of the curfew on trading hours and the alcohol ban were flagged as the two main constraints on business.

"To comply with the current curfew regulation, restaurants are unable to serve dinner to their customers, which means that they are unable to operate at peak time of their business day," she said.

"In response to this challenge, Cabinet has agreed to move the curfew to start at 10pm to allow for uninterrupted dinner service at restaurants. We believe that this change will go a long way towards increasing their revenue generation.

"The sale of alcohol remains prohibited."

Kubayi-Ngubane said the fluctuating risk of coronavirus transmission has dictated that the government "pace ourselves in our efforts to reopen" the tourism industry.

"However, we believe that so far, one step at a time, we are walking in the right direction. 

"The impact of the pandemic has been devastating for the sector. Many businesses are at risk and many jobs have already been lost. However, we are doing everything we can to ensure that the impact is minimised."

In a concession to the tourism sector, cabinet decided to ease the restrictions around leisure travel. 

"Currently, individuals are not allowed to leave their homes for leisure purposes. After the release of the new regulations, individuals will be permitted to leave their homes for leisure purposes within the province where they currently live."

She stressed that travel for leisure purposes between provinces remained prohibited.

"Let me emphasise, it is only intra-provincial travel not inter-provincial travel. Individuals are still not permitted to travel between provinces for leisure purposes."

Tour operators will be allowed to host tours in open safari vehicles, provided they make provision for social distancing and maximum ventilation.

The minister said the changes would come into effect as soon as the amended regulations were gazetted.

Kubayi-Ngubane said 4,000 operators in the tourism sector have qualified for relief funding from R200 million redirected by her department to the Tourism Relief Fund. About half of the number of successful applicants were based in Gauteng and the Western Cape.

The department had received 7,284 valid applications but a lack of resources meant it could not extend relief to all.

Kubayi-Ngubane said the relief funding had been extended to applicants of all races.

"We are encouraged by the many letters of appreciation from patriotic South Africans, black and white, who did not listen to the misleading noise that the relief was specifically for black people. This ultimately confused and discouraged even those who qualified for the grant not to apply."

She had been involved in a war of words with the official opposition Democratic Alliance over earlier indications that race would form part of the basis for extending relief to tourism companies.

The DA has been denied leave to appeal a North Gauteng High Court ruling that held that the government was compelled by the constitution to include considerations of race, gender and disability when making regulations in terms of extending relief during a disaster.

African News Agency