Safe SA, launched to provide on-call guidance and support for travellers in South Africa, is expected to have a huge take-up from visitors during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Highly trained call centre staff will be available to provide local insight and advice on making safe and informed decisions to travellers while on holiday, with rapid response protection and roadside medical and trauma assistance on call and all emergency out-of-hospital expenses covered in the membership fees. 

Affordable for companies and individual travellers and offering flexible access for any length of stay, entrepreneur Pierre van der Hoven believes Safe SA is a product whose time has come. “The global press continues to portray South Africa in a negative light and apprehensive first time travellers need peace of mind. They need to know that they, their hosts or their travel organisers have taken every reasonable precaution to ensure they are safe while in South Africa,” he says. “Anyone is who is running hospitality programmes, hosting guests or travelling themselves within South Africa, locally or from abroad, can benefit from this service.”

Safe SA members call one number for  rapid response trauma and security; information on accommodation, places, products and services; weather forecasts, route planning, travel navigation and public transport; embassy, banking, security and connectivity information, and anything else the traveller may need.

Specialist medical advisors and doctors, including trauma counsellors, are on call. Safe SA cover for emergency out-of-hospital expenses ensures that funds are available immediately for critical incidents, with no risky wait for overseas travel insurance to authorise medical evacuation/intervention expenses. Emergency assistance is provided through an alliance with Safari and Tourism Insurance Brokers (SATIBI), experienced in the emergency rescue component and specialists in Africa.

Operators can tell travellers which areas can be safely visited, where all the action is, what not to miss and what to watch out for, enriching the tourist experience and supporting travellers 24 hours per day. Members further benefit from extensive Safe SA network relationships, enabling the service to source the best prices, secure reservations and provide travel tips.

The concept was developed by Private Label Promotions (PLP), which runs call centres for South Africa’s largest blue chip companies, many with international ties or associated companies offshore.  PLP has developed the infrastructure and expertise to handle a large influx of calls and provide the most comprehensive assistance to tourists through a single point of contact.

Van der Hoven says that while other products may offer components of the medical or concierge assistance, nothing else provides this level of convenience, security and medical benefits in one service. “It tops up international travel insurance, ensuring travellers have 24-hour access to a fast local response service, with the local knowledge and connections to ensure a safe and unforgettable stay.” 

Safe SA can be booked online at www.safesa.com.  It is priced at R50 per day and travellers can take it out day-by-day, enabling the freedom to try it out and increase timeframes as necessary.