Tourism South Africa Yearbook 2015/16 - South Africa Yearbook 2015/16

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Tourism South Africa Yearbook 2015/16 - South Africa Yearbook 2015/16
Tourism

                                      South Africa Yearbook 2015/16

                                                 Tourism

South Africa Yearbook 2015/16   405
Tourism South Africa Yearbook 2015/16 - South Africa Yearbook 2015/16
Tourism

 Tourism remains a key driver of South Africa’s              enjoyment of all its residents and foreign
 national economy and contributes to job creation.           visitors
 The tourism industry is a major contributor to           • provide for the effective domestic and interna-
 the South African economy and employment of                 tional marketing of South Africa as a tourist
 citizens. The sector contributes about 9% to the            destination
 country’s gross domestic product.                        • promote quality tourism products and services
    A total of 8 903 773 foreign tourists visited         • promote growth in and development of the
 South Africa in 2015. Over 1,6 million local and            tourism sector
 international tourists visited the Kruger National       • enhance cooperation and coordination between
 Park in 2015, one of the favourite destinations.            all spheres of government in developing and
 During the same year, government introduced                 managing tourism.
 far-reaching immigration regulations to combat           In terms of the Act, responsible tourism is tourism
 child trafficking and improve security at South          which:
 Africa’s points of entry.                                • seeks to avoid negative economic, environ-
    According to research conducted by the                   mental and social impacts
 National Convention Bureau, 40% of all                   • generates greater economic benefits for local
 convention delegates attending meetings in South            people, enhances the well-being of host
 Africa return in the next five years as tourists, thus      communities and improves working conditions
 boosting tourism growth and job creation.                   and access to the tourism sector
    The National Department of Tourismʼs (NDT)            • involves local people in decisions that affect
 strategic goals over the medium term are to:                their lives
 • maximise domestic tourism and foreign                  • makes positive contributions to the conser-
    tourist arrivals in South Africa                         vation of natural and cultural heritage and to
 • expand domestic and foreign investment in                 the maintenance of the worldʼs diversity
    the South African tourism industry                    • provides enjoyable experiences for tourists
 • expand tourist infrastructure                             through meaningful connections with local
 • improve the range and quality of tourist                  people and a greater understanding of local
    services                                                 cultural, social and environmental issues
 • improve the tourist experience and value for           • provides access for physically challenged
    money                                                    people
 • improve research and knowledge management              • is culturally sensitive, engenders respect
 • contribute to growth and development                      between tourists and hosts and builds local
 • expand the tourism share of gross domestic                pride and confidence.
    product (GDP)                                         The mandate of the NDT, as outlined in the
 • improve competitiveness and sustainability in          Tourism Act, 1993 (Act 72 of 1993), is to promote
    the tourism sector                                    sustainable growth and development in the
 • strengthen collaboration with tourist organi-          tourism sector. The 1996 White Paper on the
    sations.                                              Development and Promotion of Tourism in South
 The inflow of tourists to South Africa is the result     Africa provides for the promotion of domestic
 of the success of policies aimed at entrenching          and international tourism
 South Africaʼs status as a major international           The Tourism Act, 1993 provides for:
 tourism and business events destination.                 • promoting tourism to and in South Africa
                                                          • regulating and rationalising the tourism
 Legislation and policies                                    industry
 The NDT operates under the following legislation         • implementing measures aimed at the
 and policies:                                               maintenance and enhancement of the
   The Tourism Act, 2014 (Act 3 of 2014)                     standards of facilities and services hired out or
 provides for the development and promotion                  made available to tourists
 of sustainable tourism for the benefit of South          • coordinating and rationalisating the activities
 Africa, its residents and its visitors. It also             of people who are active in the tourism industry
 provides for the continued existence of the South        • establishing a board with legal powers
 African Tourism Board, the establishment of the          • authorising the Minister of Tourism to establish
 Tourism Grading Council, and the regulation of              a grading and classification scheme in respect
 the tourist guide profession.                               of accommodation establishments
   The Act aims to:                                       • authorising the Minister to establish schemes
 • promote the practising of responsible tourism             for prescribed sectors of the tourism industry
   for the benefit of South Africa and for the            • registering tourist guides

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 • prohibiting any person to act for gain as a tourist   companies. Some R557,3 million over the
   guide unless he or she has been registered as         medium term is allocated for this in the Tourism
   a tourist guide in terms of the Act.                  Incentive Programme. A Cabinet-approved
                                                         budget reduction of R67,6 million will be effected
 Budget and funding                                      in the programme over the medium term.
 The National Tourism Sector Strategy (NTSS)                South African Tourism is responsible for
 seeks to increase tourism’s total direct and            marketing South Africa as a tourist destination of
 indirect contribution to the economy from               choice. Transfers to the entity constitute 51,5% of
 R189,4 billion in 2009 to R318,2 billion in 2015        the departmental budget over the medium term.
 and R499 billion in 2020.                               Through transfers from government’s economic
    The NDT'ʼs budget for 2015/16 was                    competitiveness package, expenditure in the
 R1,8 billion. According to an economic impact           Tourism Incentive Programme is projected
 report published by the World Travel and Tourism        to increase by R100 million in 2015/16 and
 Council, tourism contributed 9,4% to South              R105 million in 2016/17.
 Africa’s GDP in the previous financial year, and
 almost 10% to employment.                               Role players
    The National Development Plan (NDP)                  South African Tourism (SAT)
 recognises tourism as one of the main drivers           In terms of the Tourism Act of 1993, SAT is
 of South Africa’s economy and of employment.            mandated to market South Africa internationally
 Subsequently, the NDT’s policy focus over the           and domestically as a preferred tourism destination,
 medium term will be on creating work opportu-           to ensure that tourist facilities and services are of
 nities and increasing the number of domestic            the highest standard, and to monitor and evaluate
 and international tourist arrivals from 11 million      the performance of the tourism sector.
 in 2015/16 to 12 million by 2017/18.                       The organisation’s main strategic goal over
    The NTSS seeks to increase the tourism               the medium term is to ensure that the tourism
 sector’s total direct and indirect contribution to      sector makes an increasing contribution to
 the economy from R189,4 million in 2009 to              economic growth.
 R318,2 billion in 2015 and R499 billion by 2020.           Other goals include increasing the annual
 Specifically, the strategy commits the tourism          volume of international tourists visiting the
 sector to creating 22 000 additional jobs by 2020.      country, growing tourists’ contribution to the
    The department creates employment opportu-           economy through their spending, increasing
 nities through the Expanded Public Works                international brand awareness of South Africa
 Programme (EPWP) funded in the Domestic                 as a travel and business destination, and
 Tourism programme.                                      increasing the number of graded accommo-
    A significant share of the department’s budget       dation establishments.
 over the medium term is allocated to this                  In 2015, the NDT set a target of attracting
 programme to support the creation of 10 922             12 million international tourist arrivals by 2018,
 full-time equivalent jobs. This is the department’s     as well as an increase in domestic holiday trips
 contribution to the NDP’s target of creating two        from 2,8 million in 2014 to 4,1 million by 2020.
 million job opportunities a year by 2020.                  This would assist the NDT in achieving its
    Through labour-intensive methods targeting           target of creating 225 000 jobs within the sector
 youth, women, people with disabilities, as well as      by 2020. Consequently, 54% of the department's
 small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs),            budget was allocated to SAT.
 the EPWP both creates jobs and develops                    The “Itʼs Here, Vaya Mzansi” campaign is
 tourism infrastructure. Infrastructure projects         an industry-wide project that relies on collabo-
 over the medium term will include trails, lodges,       ration and partnership from the wider industry
 camp sites, resorts, and tourism information            for success and to grow domestic leisure travel
 centres, among others.                                  to meet targets. SAT partnered with more than
    Spending is reflected in the Social Respon-          50 tourism companies in South Africa to create
 sibility Implementation subprogramme in                 discount vouchers ranging from tour-operator
 the Domestic Tourism programme. Cabinet                 services, accommodation and experiences
 approved a budget reduction of R44 million in           including wine tastings, canopy tours and hiking.
 this subprogramme in 2015/16.
    The department further supports SMMEs by             Tourism Enterprise Partnership (TEP)
 assisting SMME tour operators to participate            TEP is a non-profit company that facilitates the
 in local and international trade exhibitions, thus      growth, development and sustainability of small
 creating direct linkages with international tourism     tourism businesses. This is achieved through a

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    To date, there are 41 South African beaches that have been      Lucien Beach, South Coast

i   awarded Blue Flag status, and several others are in the pilot
    phase.
        To achieve Blue Flag status, 33 main criteria covering
    four aspects of coastal management have to be met. These
                                                                    Marina/San Lameer Beach, South Coast
                                                                    Southport, South Coast
                                                                    Trafalgar Beach, South Coast
                                                                    Umzumbe (Pumula) Beach, South Coast
    four aspects are water quality, environmental education and
    information, environmental management, and safety and           Northern Cape
    services.                                                       McDougalls Bay Beach, Port Nolloth (Richtersveld)
        The Blue Flag programme is a recognised international
    accreditation initiative that acknowledges excellence in        Western Cape
    maintaining the highest standards of environmental man-         Bikini Beach, Gordon's Bay
    agement, safety, services and amenities.                        Brenton-on-Sea, near Knysna
        South Africa was the first country, outside of Europe, to   Buffalo Bay beach, near Knysna
    introduce the Blue Flag programme, in November 2001.            Camps Bay Beach, Cape Town
    Locally, the initiative has grown from just three beaches in    Clifton 4th Beach, Cape Town
    the first year to 41 beaches in 2015/16.                        De Bakke, Mossel Bay
        At the launch of the 2015/16 Blue Flag season, it was       Gouritsmond, near Mossel Bay
    announced that 39 beaches, 9 boats and 6 marinas have           Grotto Beach, Hermanus
    achieved full Blue Flag status, and a further 30 beaches        Hartenbos Beach, Mossel Bay
    have been awarded pilot status. Western Cape is leading         Hawston Beach, near Hermanus
    the pack with more than 30 full Blue Flag status beaches        Keurboomstrand, near Plettenberg Bay
    followed by Kwa-Zulu Natal and then the Eastern Cape.           Kleinbrak Beach, near George
        Beaches with Blue Flag status for 2015/16 are as follows:   ·Kleinmond Beach, near Hermanus
                                                                    Lappiesbaai Beach, Stilbaai
    Eastern Cape                                                    Llandudno, Cape Town
    Boknes Beach, near Port Alfred                                  Mnandi Beach, Cape Town
    Dolphin Beach, Jeffrey's Bay                                    Muizenberg Beach, Cape Town
    Humewood Beach, Port Elizabeth                                  Natures' Valley, near Plettenberg Bay
    Kariega Beach, Kenton-on-Sea                                    Preekstoel, near Still Bay
    Kelly's Beach, Port Alfred                                      Robberg 5th, Plettenberg Bay
    Kings Beach, Port Elizabeth                                     Santos Beach, Mossel Bay
    Middle Beach, Kenton-on-Sea                                     Silwerstroom, Cape Town
    Kleinemonde Beach                                               Strandfontein Beach, near Cape Town
                                                                    Strandfontein Beach, Vredendal, West Coast
    KwaZulu-Natal                                                   Wilderness Beach, near George
    Alkantstrand, Richards Bay                                      Witsand Beach, mouth of the Breede River

 number of products and services that provide                       presented by the Association of World Travel
 hands-on, step-by-step support and guidance,                       Awards.
 ultimately leading to improved product quality,                      It showcases a wide variety of southern Africa’s
 operational efficiency and market reach.                           best tourism products and attracts international
    Funding for TEP’s small tourism business                        visitors and media from across the world.
 development interventions is provided by the                         To bolster growth, government has identified
 NDT as well as the Business Trust, the Tourism                     core markets, investment markets and tactical
 Micro-enterprises Support Fund (a sister company                   markets across regional Africa, the Americas,
 that provides funding specifically for the support                 Asia and Australasia, as well as in Europe.
 of micro enterprises), global financial services
 company Credit Suisse, and the Eastern Cape                        Meetings Africa
 Development Corporation.                                           Meetings Africa is the African continent’s largest
                                                                    trade show for the business events industry.
 Tourism Indaba                                                        Hosted annually by the South African National
 The annual Tourism Indaba provides an                              Convention Bureau (SANCB), a division of South
 opportunity to showcase South Africa and its                       African Tourism, 2016's event was held from
 people. It was held from 7 to 9 May 2016.                          22 to 24 February at the Sandton Convention
   Hosted by Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, the                           centre. In attendance was 70 quality vetted
 Tourism Indaba is one of the largest tourism                       hosted buyers from across the globe, all intent
 marketing events in Africa and one of the top                      on pursuing business ventures with the best
 three events of its kind in the world. The Tourism                 Africa has to offer.
 Indaba has twice won the award for Africa’s                           Meetings Africa has been lauded as the
 best travel and tourism show. This award was                       premier business event in this industry,

South Africa Yearbook 2015/16                                   408
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 showcasing Africa’s diverse offering of services      Tourism Broad-Based Black Economic
 and products. Here African associations and           Empowerment (BBBEE) Charter Council
 meetings industry professionals can partner to        The Tourism BBBEE Charter Council’s roles
 help transform our continent.                         include:
   Positioned as “Advancing Africa Together”, the      • providing guidance on sector-specific matters
 sole ambition of the trade show is to contribute        effecting BBBEE in entities within the sector
 to the growth of Africa’s potential as the world’s    • compiling reports on the status of BBBEE
 fastest-growing and most sought-after business          within the sector for the Minister and the BEE
 events destination.                                     Advisory Council
   A key element of t2016s Meetings Africa is the      • sharing information with sector members,
 addition of the European Cities Market Summer           approved accreditation agencies and the
 School, which will launch ahead of Meetings             Minister pertaining to BBBEE in the sector.
 Africa, from 19 to 21 February 2016. This was
 the first time that this initiative took place on     Programmes and projects
 South African soil.                                   A series of incentives to help tourism
                                                       establishments grow their businesses and to
 Tourism, Hospitality and Sport                        improve South Africaʼs tourism attractions were
 Education and Training Authority (Theta)              announced in March 2015.
 Theta is the sector education and training               The investment of around R600-million will
 authority (Seta) established under the Skills         help establishments to become graded and seek
 Development Act, 1998 (Act 97 of 1998), for the       new markets for their products, and will later
 tourism, hospitality and sport economic sector.       include retrofitting key tourist attractions with
 Theta comprises the following chambers:               renewable energy sources.
 • hospitality                                            It is estimated that tourism supports 1,4 million
 • conservation and tourist guiding                    direct and indirect jobs and contributes 9,5% of
 • sport, recreation and fitness                       South Africaʼs total GDP.
 • tourism and travel services                            The Tourism Incentive Programme represents
 • gaming and lotteries.                               an investment of R557-million over the medium
 Every chamber has its own committee that helps        term to support tourism enterprises to reach
 Theta to identify industry needs.                     their full potential. The programme will put
   Thetaʼs main function is to contribute to raising   tourism businesses in a better position to
 skills or bringing skills to the employed or those    make sustainable contributions to the growth
 wanting to be employed in their sector. This is       of the industry and to the countryʼs economy,
 done by ensuring people learn skills needed by        making South Africa a more competitive global
 employers and communities.                            destination.
                                                          The programme will start by focusing on
 Tourism Grading Council of South                      creating better access to new markets and
 Africa (TGCSA)                                        customers, encouraging greater participation
 The TGCSAʼs grading system is South Africa’s          in the grading system, and making catalytic
 only officially recognised system for the star        investments in key tourist attractions.
 grading of accommodation establishments.                 The programme comprises:
   Establishments are assessed according to the        • A subsidy towards the costs incurred by
 type of accommodation they provide. There are            tourism establishments to participate in trade
 nine types of establishments:                            exhibitions and marketing roadshows. This
 • formal service accommodation (hotels, lodges)          will include a capped reimbursement towards
 • self-catering                                          pre-determined expenses such as airfare,
 • backpacker                                             accommodation and exhibition fees for partici-
 • hostelling                                             pation in marketing platforms supported by
 • caravans                                               South African Tourism.
 • camping                                             • Support for owners of establishments who
 • meetings                                               want to be graded by the Tourism Grading
 • exhibitions                                            Council of South Africa in the form of a
 • special events.                                        structured system of retroactive discounts or
                                                          rebates on the assessment fee for grading.
                                                          This aims to make grading more affordable
                                                          for smaller businesses, and encourage more
                                                          establishments to become graded.

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 • A pilot project to retrofit facilities at state-owned   skills, customer care, leadership and HIV and
   destinations and attractions such as World              AIDS management.
   Heritage sites and National Botanical Gardens             On completing the first phase, trainees are
   with renewable energy technology. This will             placed in tourism establishments where they
   guide the design of a programme to help make            receive on-the-job training with internationally
   establishments, including those in the private          accepted standards as laid down by the
   sector, more environmentally sustainable.               hospitality industry.
 • The Tourism Incentive Programme supports                  At the end of the training, beneficiaries
   the objectives of South Africaʼs overall                receive certificates of competence and can be
   industrial policy, which includes creating              absorbed by hospitality establishments.
   jobs, building the local industrial base and
   transforming to a green economy.                        National Tourism Service Excellence
                                                           Requirements
 National Tourism Sector Strategy                          The National Tourism Service Excellence
 The vision of the NTSS is to position South               Requirements are aimed at improving and
 Africa as one of the top 20 tourism destinations          maintaining service levels at all service touch
 global by 2020.                                           points in the tourism value chain as well as
    The overall goal of the strategy is to drive the       guiding the sector to achieve the NTSS objective
 tourism economy, enhance visitor experiences,             of positioning South Africa as one of the top
 position South Africa as a destination of choice          20 global tourism destinations.
 and sustain good governance in the industry.                 Previously the tourism value chain in South
    The key focus areas of the NTSS are arrivals,          Africa did not have integrated standards and
 GDP and job creation. The tourism sector is               norms, and this contributed to inconsistencies
 working towards creating 225 000 jobs by 2020.            in service levels.
    To achieve all of its objectives, the NTSS                The Service Excellence Requirements
 focuses on domestic tourism with the intention            provides a yardstick to be used by all tourism
 to increase the number of domestic trips from             service providers in the value chain to deliver
 30,9 million in 2009 to 54 million by 2020.               quality service and experiences that equal or
    Regional tourism is also being targeted with           surpass world standards.
 South Africa looking to take advantage of hitherto           The South African Bureau of Standards
 untapped markets such as outbound tourists.               developed the standards on behalf of the tourism
    This strategy represents the department’s              sector and benchmarked them against interna-
 commitment to intelligent planning and policy             tional requirements. The requirements have four
 formulation. It was developed over two years              key focus areas, namely marketing, products,
 in close collaboration with local and provincial          delivery of service, and monitoring and evaluation.
 government, an advisory panel of top industry               The department also introduced a National
 minds, representatives of various professional            Service Excellence campaign under the theme
 bodies, academia, tourism marketing agencies,             “Excellent Service Starts with Me”. The campaign
 civil society and the broader public.                     is aimed at creating awareness and educating
    The NTSS is a document that the entire sector          consumers and tourism product owners about
 is committed to and includes coordinated and              the requirements.
 credible targets. The strategy rests on three
 pillars, namely:                                          National Minimum Standard for
 • driving the tourism economy                             Responsible Tourism (NMSRT)
 • enhancing visitor experiences                           Responsible tourism is a tourism management
 • ensuring sustainability and good governance             strategy in which the tourism sector and tourists
    in the industry.                                       take responsibility protecting and conserving the
                                                           natural environment, respecting and conserving,
 Hospitality Youth Initiative (HYI)                        for local cultures and ways of life, and contribute
 The HYI is aimed at helping unemployed youth              to stronger local economies and a better quality
 to find meaningful employment in the hospitality          of life for local people.
 industry at entry level. It targets unemployed               It includes providing better holiday experiences
 youths between the ages of 18 and 35 with                 for guests and good business opportunities for
 Grade 12 senior certificates.                             tourism enterprises. The concept of responsible
   The programme provides one monthʼs                      tourism is gaining ground as a newly emerging
 theoretical training for entry into the hospitality       trend worldwide.
 industry. Training focuses on communication, life            The NDT, in partnership with tourism stakeholders

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 and the private sector, particularly accreditation   compared to the same period in 2015.
 agencies, developed the NMSRT.                          Africa exhibited strong growth with a 14,4%
   South Africa has taken the lead on the             increase in travellers coming from the rest of the
 continent by publishing a set of national minimum    continent, which signifies a strong recovery from
 standards that are aligned with international        2015.
 standard ISO/IEC 17011.                                 The 15,4% translates to more than 4,9 million
   The NMSRT comprises 41 criteria divided into       tourists from across the globe. Asia leads the
 four categories, namely:                             growth with an increase of over 40% with close
 • sustainable operations and management              to 162 000 tourists coming from this region
 • economic criteria                                  during this period. Europe still dominates as the
 • social and cultural criteria                       key source market with 697 373 tourists coming
 • environmental criteria.                            from Europe. This is a 14,7% increase when
                                                      compared to the same period last year.
 Lilizela Tourism Awards                                 North American travellers coming to South
 The Lilizela Awards recognises industry              Africa increased by nearly 18% while Central
 players within four focus areas reflecting eight     and South American tourists increased by 17%.
 categories, with the ninth category being the        Australasia’s tourist arrivals to South Africa grew
 Minister’s Award.                                    by 10,8% during the same period.
   The awards acknowledge and applaud
 the efforts of people whose work sets global         Guidelines for international
 benchmarks in excellence.                            tourists
   Awards are made in a number of categories          Every international traveller to South Africa must
 including the Service Excellence Award               have a valid passport and, where necessary, a
 (with      sub-categories       Accommodation,       visa.
 Visitor Experience, Tourist Guides and Tour             The Immigration Act, 2002 (Act 13 of 2002),
 Operators); Entrepreneurship (for emerging           stipulates that all visitors to South Africa are
 tourism businesses); Sustainability and Good         required to have at least one blank page (both
 Governance; and the prestigious Minister’s           back and front) in their passport to enable the
 Award, awarded at the minister’s discretion. The     entry visa to be issued.
 award categories are:                                   If there is insufficient space in the passport,
 • Minister’s Award: This prestigious award,          entry will be denied.
   which recognises tourism innovators and               Enquiries may be directed to South African
   pioneers, went to renowned Mpumalanga              diplomatic representatives abroad or to the
   artist, Esther Mahlangu. A previous Lilizela       Department of Home Affairs in Pretoria. Visas
   category winner in the Roots and Culture           are issued free of charge.
   category, Mahlangu’s colourful Ndebele                Visitors who intend travelling between South
   designs have been exhibited around the world       Africa and neighbouring countries are advised to
   and have graced global brands such as BMW,         apply for multiple-entry visas.
   British Airways, Fiat and Belvedere luxury            Passport holders of certain countries are
   vodka, placing South African traditional art and   exempt from visa requirements.
   design on the international map.                      Tourists must satisfy immigration officers that
 In 2016, the awards attracted a record number        they have the means to support themselves
 of 1 122 entries, up 18% from last year’s total.     during their stay and that they have return
                                                      or onward tickets. They must also have valid
 International tourism                                international health certificates.
 SAT’s Strategic Plan and Annual Performance             Visitors from the yellow-fever belt in Africa
 Plan aims to increase tourism revenue’s              and the USA, and those who travel through or
 contribution to the economy from a projected         disembark in these areas, have to be inoculated
 R91,2 billion in 2015 to R124,4 billion by 2020.     against the disease.
 The key performance indicators to be looked at          Malaria is endemic to parts of KwaZulu-Natal,
 for the strategy was the number of international     Mpumalanga and Limpopo. It is essential to take
 tourist arrivals, total revenue, percentage of       anti-malaria precautions when visiting these
 brand positivity and number of domestic holiday      areas.
 trips.                                                  Foreign tourists visiting South Africa can have
    South Africa continued to enjoy a strong          their value-added tax (VAT) refunded, provided
 growth trajectory in tourist arrivals with a 15,4%   the value of the items purchased exceeds R20.
 increase overall for the first six months of 2016,   VAT is refunded on departure at the point of exit.

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    South Africa’s means of transport infrastructure     to ensure that the information received from the
 – airlines, railroads, luxury touring buses             provinces is subjected to a vetting process as
 (coaches) and motor cars – is such that tourists        prescribed in the Tourism Act, 2014.
 can travel comfortably and quickly from their port        The training programmes for tourist guides
 of entry to any part of the country.                    taking place in provinces focus on skills
    South African Airways, as well as a number of        development for existing tourist guides to make
 international airlines, operate regular scheduled       them more marketable and employable within
 flights to and from South Africa.                       the sector.
    Several domestic airlines operate in the country.
 There are also mainline trains to all parts of the      Tourism niche markets
 country.                                                Domestic tourism (Sho’t Left)
    The tourist-accommodation industry in South          SAT’s Sho’t Left campaign aims to promote a
 Africa provides a wide spectrum of accom-               culture of local holiday travel, targeting ordinary
 modation, from formal hotels to informal holiday        South Africans and their families who have a
 flats and cottages, game lodges and reserves,           desire to see more of the country but don't know
 guest houses, youth hostels and bed-and-                where to go.
 breakfast establishments.                                 SAT relaunched its Sho’t Left campaign in
                                                         August 2007, challenging South Africans to
 Tourist guiding                                         "see your world differently," even when only
 The NDT entered into an agreement with the              visiting family or friends. The campaign is aimed
 Culture, Arts, Tourism and Hospitality Sports           at young upcoming individuals, independent
 Seta (Cathsseta) which seeks to prioritise tourist-     couples and families, with research into the
 guide training and development throughout               domestic tourism market indicating that over
 South Africa.                                           5-million South Africans have both the resources
    The memorandum of understanding with                 and the desire to travel.
 Cathsseta also addresses areas of transfor-               In February 2016, it was announced that SAT
 mation within the tourist guiding sector, as            would invest R100 million a year to promote
 well as the maintenance of standards through            domestic tourism encouraging South Africans to
 quality training and effective skills development       tour their country.
 programmes aimed at existing tourist guides.
    The department engaged the Road Traffic              Adventure tourism
 Management Corporation to educate traffic               The country’s diverse terrain, together with an
 officials throughout South Africa on how to             ideal climate for outdoor activities, makes it
 enforce the legislation pertaining to tourist guides.   perfect for the adventure tourism niche market.
    The NDT works closely with the Department of         Activities such as climbing, surfing, diving, hiking,
 Transport with a view to ensuring enforcement of        horseback safaris, mountain-biking, river-rafting
 tourist-guiding issues relating to tour operators       – and just about any other extreme activity are
 and related regulations in the National Land            supported by dedicated operators.
 Transport Act, 2009 (Act 5 of 2009).                       South Africa offers some of the best rock
    The department wants industry bodies that are        climbing and abseiling opportunities in the
 committed to growing the tourist-guiding sector         world. Those who prefer rivers have a choice
 and elevating the profession to enter into formal       of trips ranging from mostly scenic to Grade 5
 agreements with stakeholder bodies that share           white-water rafting. Opportunities for escorted or
 departmentʼs vision.                                    self-guided trips are also available.
    The department undertook a process to                   For those who want to take to the skies, there
 review the Regulations in Respect of Tourist            are more than 100 listed paragliding or hang-
 Guiding. This included wide consultations with          gliding launch sites as well as numerous less
 tourist guides and key stakeholders throughout          known sites. There are also many opportunities
 the country to improve processes and systems            for helicopter rides balloon and microlight flights,
 to register tourist guides and ensure compliance        aerobatics and skydiving.
 within the sector.                                         Thousands of kilometres of hiking trails wind
    The department is working with the provinces         through the country in desert, forest, mountain or
 to establish a centralised database of tourist          coastal terrains, many with adjacent mountain-
 guides.                                                 bike trails.
    Once a viable database is in place, the NDT             In addition, South Africa offers a wide variety of
 will be able to engage the departments of home          horse trails through vineyards, on beaches and in
 affairs and justice, and other relevant authorities     the mountains. For the more adventurous there

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 are also horseback safaris in game reserves. The             which is the richest hominid fossil site in the
 216-metre Bloukrans Bridge on the border of the              world
 Eastern and Western Cape offers the highest                • Mapungubwe in Limpopo, one of the richest
 commercial bungee jump in the world.                         archaeological sites in Africa where an
                                                              advanced South African culture prospered
 Business tourism                                             between 1 200 AD and 1 270 AD
 South Africa remains one of the top 15 long-haul           • Soweto’s Heritage Trail, a reminder of the
 business-events destinations in the world and is             events that characterised South Africa’s
 the premier business-events destination in Africa.           liberation struggle, such as the student uprising
    The business-events industry was identified               on 16 June 1976. Many cultural villages have
 as an important contributor towards the NTSS’s               been established throughout South Africa to
 target of 15 million international arrivals by 2020.         reflect the different cultures and traditions of
    Government recognises business-events                     the country’s people.
 tourism as an area with significant growth
 potential and has therefore established the                Medical tourism
 first South African National Convention Bureau             South Africa has emerged as a medical tourism
 (SANCB) to further promote growth in the                   destination of choice for travellers from other
 conferencing industry. The SANCB is tasked                 African countries as well as further afield; and
 with coordinating national bidding, undertaking            the industry is proving to have extensive growth
 research and collaborating with city and                   potential.
 provincial convention bureaus and the business-              Most medical tourists come to South Africa
 events industry to present a united front for              for cosmetic surgery, but the country’s skilled
 destination South Africa.                                  surgeons can also perform organ transplants,
    Over the next five years, South Africa will host        cardiac, orthopaedic and obesity surgery, and
 200 international conferences that will attract an         dentistry.
 estimated 300 000 delegates and an additional
 R1,6 billion to the economy.                               Nature-based tourism
                                                            South Africa’s fauna and flora and varied land-
 Cruise tourism                                             scapes have enormous recreational value and
 The department works closely with the cruise               attract several million tourists each year.
 line industry to ensure that packages and                     Protected natural areas serve not only to
 excursions are developed and that passengers               maintain biodiversity, but sustainable visitor
 are encouraged to visit the country’s shores,              access to these areas adds economic, recrea-
 enjoy what it has to offer and inspire other               tional and aesthetic value to that which is being
 travellers to visit South Africa.                          conserved within their borders. It also helps
                                                            to preserve a wealth of traditional indigenous
 Cultural tourism                                           knowledge related to biodiversity, which is in
 Heritage and cultural tourism is the fastest-              itself a tourism resource.
 emerging competitive niche within domestic and                South Africa has 19 national parks as well
 international tourism markets. This category               as numerous private game farms and nature
 accounts for 40% of international tourism.                 reserves. Three of the country’s eight United
    The National Heritage and Cultural Strategy is          Nations (UN) Educational, Scientific and
 aimed at guiding the integration of heritage and           Cultural Organisation (Unesco) world heritage
 cultural resources with mainstream tourism. It is          sites are natural sites, while one is a mixed
 set to stimulate sustainable livelihoods through           cultural/natural site. These are the Cape
 heritage and cultural tourism products and to              Floral Region, the iSimangaliso Wetland Park,
 diversify the sector and raise awareness of                the Vredefort Dome, and the uKhahlamba
 heritage and cultural resources.                           Drakensberg Park.
    South Africa’s diversity is reflected in its cultural      South Africa’s popularity as an avi-tourism
 tourism with many destinations commemorating               destination is due to the large number of birds,
 the past. These range from the ancient nomadic             endemic species and major bird habitats. Birdlife
 San culture to European settlement, apartheid              South Africa, South Africa’s national birding
 rule and the struggle for political freedom.               organisation has more than 8 000 members and
 Cultural tourist destinations include the:                 40 branches nationwide.
 • Ukhahlamba-Drakensberg Park in KwaZulu-
    Natal, which is home to the ancient rock art            Rural tourism
    of the San                                              The NDT’s National Rural Strategy is aimed
 • Cradle of Humankind near Johannesburg,                   at creating community-driven bed-and-break-

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 fast operations, catering for international and      Regional tourism
 domestic tourists.                                   Western Cape
    In supporting the geographic spread of            The Western Cape lies at the southern tip of
 tourism and in particular tourism growth in rural    Africa. The province’s unmatched natural beauty,
 areas and enhancing the supply of rural tourism      famous hospitality, cultural diversity, excellent
 products, the department is focusing on rural        wine and rich cuisine make it one of the world’s
 communities.                                         greatest tourist attractions.
    Culture and heritage products are the fastest        The tourism industry in the province has grown
 emerging competitive niche offerings in the          faster and created more jobs than any other.
 domestic and international markets.                  One in 10 employees in the Western Cape earns
    Sustainable development will be achieved          a living in the tourism industry, which contributes
 if the people, whose land, culture and natural       more than R25 billion to the provincial economy.
 resources are used for tourism, benefit from
 such use in a meaningful way.                        Cape Metropole
                                                      Tourism in the city of Cape Town, which lies at the
 Sports tourism                                       foot of the magnificent Table Mountain, centres
 It is estimated that sports tourism contributes      on the Victoria and Alfred (V&A) Waterfront. A
 more than R6 billion to the South African tourism    working harbour, the V&A offers everything from
 industry.                                            upmarket shopping malls, arts and craft markets,
    More than 10% of foreign tourists come to         and a variety of restaurants, to theatres, live
 South Africa to watch or participate in sports       music and museums.
 events, with spectators accounting for 60% to           Table Mountain, which forms part of the Table
 80% of these arrivals.                               Mountain National Park, is one of the New Seven
    The world-class sporting events on South          Wonders of Nature. A modern cableway takes
 Africa’s annual calendar include the:                visitors to the top of the mountain, providing
 • annual Cape Argus Cycle Race, which caters         spectacular views.
    for 35 000 people riding and pushing their           Other major attractions in the city include the
    bikes over a 10km course                          Bo-Kaap Museum, the Castle of Good Hope, the
 • Midmar Mile in KwaZulu-Natal, which attracts       Company’s Garden, the District Six Museum,
    18 000 openwater swimmers annually                flea markets, the Grand Parade, the Houses of
 • Comrades Marathon.                                 Parliament, the South African Cultural History
 In October 2014, the forth annual Sports Events      Museum and the South African National Gallery.
 and Tourism Exchange (SETE) took place in               The Gold of Africa Museum, established by
 Durban.                                              Anglo Gold, houses a celebrated collection of
    The fifth annual SETE conference was held in      more than 350 gold artefacts.
 the City of Tshwane on 28 and 29 October 2015.          Air flips and trips are available, as are many
                                                      boat and yacht trips from Table Bay Harbour.
 Township tourism                                        There are also trips to Robben Island
 Township tours have the potential to present         (proclaimed a world heritage site and also the
 South Africa’s culture and heritage and the NDT      place where former President Nelson Mandela
 wants packages to be developed to achieve            was imprisoned for 18 of his 27 years in prison).
 that goal. Government wants to capitalise on            The Nelson Mandela Gateway to Robben
 job-creation opportunities in this sector.           Island is in the Clock Tower Precinct at the V&A
                                                      Waterfront. The gateway houses interactive multi-
 Wine tourism                                         media exhibitions, an auditorium, boardrooms,
 Wine tourism is growing fast worldwide and           the Robben Island Museum and a restaurant.
 play, an especially important role in South Africa      Jazz is big in Cape Town. From traditional
 with its centuries-old reputation for making         blues through progressive jazz to African-
 high-quality wine. International Wine Review,        influenced jazz, every taste is catered for at a
 one of the world’s most influential opinion          number of restaurants, jazz cafés, cigar bars,
 formers on wine, has rated South Africa’s wine       pubs and wine farms. The top jazz event in the
 tourism the best developed in the world.             Western Cape is the annual Cape Town Interna-
   The country’s vineyards are mostly situated in     tional Jazz Festival.
 the Western Cape near the coast.                        The South African Rugby Museum in
   All South African wine routes fall under the       Newlands reflects the history of the sport as far
 auspices of the Wine of Origin Scheme.               back as 1891.
   Stylistically, South African wines fit somewhere      The Rhodes Memorial in Rondebosch on the
 between Old World and New World.

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 slopes of Table Mountain was built from granite        of old buildings in the country.
 from the mountain as a tribute to the memory of           The Stellenbosch Village Museum consists of
 Cecil John Rhodes, Prime Minister of the Cape          four homesteads and gardens ranging from the
 from 1890 to 1896.                                     late-17th to the mid-19th centuries.
    The University of Cape Town is worth a visit for       The Stellenbosch Toy and Miniature Museum
 its historic Middle Campus and many buildings          houses a collection of 1:12 scale miniatures
 designed by Sir Herbert Baker.                         such as room boxes, miniature houses, antique
    Cape Point, part of the Table Mountain              dolls, cars and cuddly toys.
 National Park, offers many drives, walks, picnic          The Spier Summer Arts Festival livens up
 spots and a licensed restaurant. Care has been         summer nights from November to March at
 taken to protect the environmental integrity of this   the Spier Wine Estate near Stellenbosch.
 22 100 ha reserve of indigenous flora and fauna.       Supervised pony and cart rides for children are
    Simon’s Town’s naval atmosphere and Historic        available on the lawns of the Spier Estate. There
 Mile are major attractions in the area. A statue of    is also a horse-carriage tour and equestrian
 the famous dog and sailors’ friend Able Seaman         centre for older children.
 Just Nuisance stands at Jubilee Square.                   The Freedom Monument at Pniel commem-
    Hout Bay is renowned for its colourful working      orates the freed slaves who were the first settlers
 harbour. Seafood outlets, round-the-bay trips to       at the mission station, established in 1843.
 the nearby seal colony, shell and gift shops, and         Franschhoek has become known as the
 a famous harbour-front emporium attract many           “Gourmet Capital” of the Cape. The Huguenot
 visitors.                                              Monument was built in 1944 to commemorate
    Duiker Island is a seal and sea-bird sanctuary.     the arrival in 1688 of the Huguenots who were
    The World of Birds Wildlife Sanctuary is one        predominantly French. In April each year, the
 of the largest bird parks in the world and houses      region hosts the South African Cheese Festival.
 some 3 000 birds.                                         Visitors can also enjoy various hiking trails
    Big Bay in Bloubergstrand is a surfers’ para-       and historical walks, as well as the Vignerons
 dise and hosts an international windsurfing            de Franschhoek Wine Route. There is also an
 event.                                                 annual book/literary festival in Franschhoek.
    Rietvlei Nature Reserve is a unique wetland            Butterfly World, one of the more unique
 area with over 110 bird species, including             attractions of the Western Cape winelands,
 pelicans and flamingos.                                consists of a tropical garden in a 1 000 m2
    Canal Walk, Century City, is one of the             greenhouse.
 largest shopping centres in Africa, with close to         The Giraffe House Wildlife Awareness Centre
 400 shops, and is home to the largest cinema           is on 15 ha focuses mainly on African wildlife,
 complex in South Africa.                               Giraffe House provides a place for people to
    New Year in Cape Town is a festive affair,          enjoy a picnic in the fresh air, while experiencing
 when the Cape minstrels take to the streets with       and learning about animals and conservation.
 their upbeat music and fancy costumes.                    Drakenstein Lion Park was established
    The Monkey Town Primate Centre is home to           as a sanctuary for lions born in captivity.
 over 200 individual primates and is located east       Jonkershoek Nature Reserve, which includes
 of Somerset West on the N2.                            the smaller Assegaaibosch Nature Reserve, is
    Strawberry-picking in Cape Town on the Mooi-        near Stellenbosch, comprising the Jonkershoek
 berge Strawberry Farm is available in season,          Mountains and portions of the upper Jonkers-
 which begins in November.                              hoek Valley. The reserve stretches over
                                                        9 800 hectares (ha) and its rugged terrain is
 Cape winelands                                         ideal for hiking. Assegaaibosch is much smaller
 The Cape winelands feature dramatic mountains,         and is suitable for shorter walks and picnics.
 rolling farmlands and peaceful vineyards. They            On Le Bonheur Estate visitors can experience
 are home to Route 62, the world’s longest wine         guided croc-pond tours, which lead across open
 route.                                                 dams via ramp-ways. Over 1 000 crocodiles are
   The Stellenbosch Wine Route comprises over           housed in these dams. Visitors can touch a baby
 100 wine estates, most of which offer cellar           crocodile, and during summer months, witness
 tours.                                                 them being fed.
   Stellenbosch is the oldest town in South                Paarl is famous for its Cape Dutch and
 Africa. The town is a gracious blend of old Cape       Victorian architectural treasures found along a
 Dutch, Georgian and Victorian architecture.            1-km stretch of the main street. The area’s fynbos
 Dorp Street consists of one of the longest rows        supports many south-western Cape endemics,

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 such as the Cape sugarbird and orange-breasted        coastline which includes Mossel Bay, George,
 sunbird. The Afrikaans Language Monument              Wilderness, Sedgefield, Knysna, Plettenberg
 is on the slopes of Paarl Mountain, while the         Bay and Nature’s Valley – each with its own
 Afrikaanse Taalmuseum (Language Museum) is            charm and attractions. Famed for its lush
 in the centre of the town.                            greenery and the vast Tsitsikamma Forest, the
    The town of Wellington lies in a picturesque       Garden Route is the most biodiverse region in
 valley, with the majestic Hawequa Mountains on        the world.
 its eastern border. Wellington is also the home of       The Garden Route features the pont at
 South Africa’s dried-fruit industry.                  Malgas, which is one of the two remaining ponts
    Experience life as the pioneers did in years       in the country, ferrying vehicles and livestock
 gone by at the Kleinplasie Living Museum. The         across the Breede River. The Grootvadersbosch
 KWV Brandy Cellar, the largest of its kind in the     Nature Reserve outside Heidelberg comprises
 world, offers cellar tours and brandy tastings.       the popular Bushbuck Trail, a wilderness trail
    The Hex River Valley is the largest producer of    and two mountain-bike trails. Riversdale is one
 table grapes in southern Africa. Visitors can pick    of South Africa’s most important fynbos export
 their own grapes at harvest time and sample the       areas. Other attractions include the Julius
 variety of export-quality produce.                    Gordon Africana Museum.
    The well-known Hex River 4x4 trail and the            At the historical Strandveld Architectural He-
 ochre san rock art trail is a must for nature         ritage Site at Still Bay, visitors can watch tame
 lovers. De Doorns lies in the heart of the Hex        eels being fed. Ancient fish-traps can be seen at
 River Valley. Bonnievale on the Breede River,         Morris Point and the harbour.
 features several cheese factories.                       At the aloe factories at Albertinia, aloe juice is
    For the adventurous outdoor enthusiast there       extracted for medicine and high-quality skin-care
 are canoe trips, as well as bird watching and         products. Nearby, bungee-jumping at the Gouritz
 river boating.                                        River Gorge, hiking, mountain-biking and angling
    Surrounded by vineyards, orchards, and roses,      are popular pastimes.
 Robertson is known as “The Valley of Wine and            The Point in Mossel Bay is not only popular
 Roses.” It is known for its connoisseur-quality       among surfers, but its natural pool formed by rock
 wines and its thoroughbred horses. Renowned           is also a favourite swimming spot at low tide. The
 for its muscadel wines, Montagu is the gateway        St Blaize trail starts here and is the ideal place
 to the Little Karoo.                                  from which to watch the whales and dolphins at
    Relax in the healing waters of the Avalon          play in season. The harbour at Mossel Bay is one
 Springs or visit the Montagu Museum, which            of the most modern commercial and recreational
 houses, among other things, original cartoons         harbours on the southern Cape coastline. Other
 and books by well-known cartoonist TO Honiball.       attractions include the Attequas Kloof Pass,
    The picturesque village of Gouda is known          Anglo-Boer/South African War block-houses
 for the Parrotts Den pub, a living museum in the      and the Bartolomeu Dias complex. Great Brak
 Gouda Hotel.                                          River offers a historic village with many opportu-
    McGregor has a variety of charming thatched        nities for whale- and dolphi- watching along the
 cottages and well-preserved Victorian houses,         extensive coast.
 making it one of the best-preserved examples             The Slave Tree in George, located just
 of mid-19th-century architecture in the Western       outside the Old Library, was planted in 1811,
 Cape.                                                 when George was laid out. It is known to be the
    Prince Alfred Hamlet is the gateway to the         biggest English oak in the Southern Hemisphere.
 Gydo Pass, known for its scenic views. This           George is popular among golfers and is home to
 quaint village lies in an important deciduous-fruit   the renowned Fancourt Country Club and Golf
 farming area. Hidden amid vineyards and wine          Estate, as well as various other acclaimed golf
 estates lies Rawsonville, known for its award-        courses. Visitors can board the Power Van at
 winning wines.                                        the Outeniqua Transport Museum, and enjoy a
    Tourists can enjoy an afternoon drive along        glimpse of the Garden Route Botanical Garden
 the beautiful Slanghoek Valley with its lush          from this rail bus. The Big Tree at Woodville,
 vineyards and panoramic views or relax in the         an Outeniqua yellowwood, is estimated to be
 mineral springs at Goudini Spa.                       around 850 years old. It is located about 40 km
                                                       outside of George in the direction of Knysna.
 Garden Route                                             The George Airport, Outeniqua Pass, railway
 The Garden Route spans roughly 200 km of              line and the N2 offer convenient access to this
 the southern coast, incorporating the stretch of      region, making George the ideal hub from which

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 to explore the Garden Route and Little Karoo.           annually. Some 29 km from Oudtshoorn lie
    Victoria Bay and Wilderness are popular              the Cango Caves, a series of subterranean
 for their unspoilt beaches. Wilderness is the           limestone caverns. Bearing evidence of early
 western gateway to the southern Cape lakes              San habitation, the cave features magnificent
 area. It is a nature lover’s paradise, best known       dripstone formations.
 for its beaches, lakes, placid lagoon and lush             Amalienstein and Zoar are historic mission
 indigenous forests.                                     stations midway between Ladismith and
    The Langvlei and Rondevlei bird sanctuaries          Calitzdorp. Visitors can go on donkey-cart and
 in the Wilderness National Park, which hosts            hiking trails through orchards and vineyards,
 over 230 different bird species, is popular among       while the Seweweekspoort is ideal for mountain-
 bird watchers. Sedgefield borders Swartvlei             biking, hiking, and protea and fynbos admirers.
 Lagoon, the largest natural inland saltwater lake       Calitzdorp has four wine estates, three of which
 in South Africa. Activities include beach horse-        are open to the public.
 riding, hiking, angling and bird watching.                 The spring water of the Calitzdorp Spa is rich
    Knysna nestles on the banks of an estuary,           in minerals and reputed to have medicinal
 guarded by The Heads (two huge sandstone                properties. The Gamka Mountain Reserve is
 cliffs) and surrounded by indigenous forests,           home to the rare and endangered Cape mountain
 tranquil lakes and golden beaches.                      zebra.
    This natural wonderland is home to the largest          Excellent wines and port are produced in the
 and smallest of creatures, from the Knysna              Calitzdorp and De Rust areas. The Swartberg
 seahorse to the Knysna elephants, rare delicate         Nature Reserve and Pass with their gravel roads
 butterflies and the endemic Knysna loerie, a            are also worth a visit. De Rust lies at the southern
 colourful forest bird.                                  entrance to Meiringspoort. The Meiringspoort
    The abundant fynbos and forest settings              Gorge extends 20 km through the Swartberg
 host over 200 species. Knysna is also famous            Mountain Range. Halfway through is a beautiful
 for its delectable home-grown oysters, enjoyed          69-m waterfall. Wine farms in the area are open
 with locally brewed beer in quaint pubs and             to the public.
 restaurants. The Knysna Oyster Festival, a                 Ladismith is home to the Towerkop Cheese
 celebration of the good life, has established itself    Factory. There are various hiking, mountain-
 as one of the most popular annual events in the         biking and 4x4 trails in the area, as well as
 Western Cape.                                           the Anysberg, Little Karoo and Towerkop nature
    An eclectic mix of art galleries presents the        reserves.
 diversity of talent in the area. There are also            Uniondale, on the main route between
 lagoon cruises, forest hikes, golf and adventure        George and Graaff-Reinet, features the largest
 sports on offer.                                        water-wheel in the country, the Old Watermill.
    Plettenberg Bay is adventure country, offering       Uniondale Poort is a scenic drive linking
 boat-based whale watching, black-water                  Uniondale with Avontuur in the Langkloof Valley.
 tubing, hiking, and forest and cycling trails. The         At Vanwyksdorp, visitors can see how fynbos
 Keurbooms River Nature Reserve at Plettenberg           is dried and packed for the export market.
 Bay offers a canoeing trail, while the Robberg          Donkey-cart rides take visitors to Anglo-Boer/
 Nature Reserve is a treasure trove of land,             South African War grave sites.
 marine, geological and archaeological wealth.
                                                         Central Karoo
 Little Karoo                                            The Central Karoo, a fascinating semi-desert
 The Little Karoo’s fascinating landscape is             area, lies in the heart of one of the world’s most
 fashioned almost entirely by water. Its vegetation      unique and interesting arid zones. This ancient,
 ranges from lush greenery in the fertile river          fossil-rich land is five times the size of Great
 valleys to short, rugged Karoo plants in the veld.      Britain. Here, visitors will find the Earth’s largest
 Gorges feature rivers that cut through towering         variety of succulents. Beaufort West, the oldest
 mountains, while breathtakingly steep passes            town in the Central Karoo, is often referred to
 cross imposing terrain. The region is also home         as the “Oasis of the Karoo.” The local museum
 to the world’s largest bird – the ostrich. The Little   displays awards presented to heart-transplant
 Karoo is rich in culture and history. Oudtshoorn,       pioneer, Prof. Chris Barnard, a son of this town.
 the world’s ostrich-feather capital, is the region’s      A township route introduces visitors to the
 main town.                                              Xhosa culture in the area. The Karoo National
   The Klein-Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees                  Park, on the town’s doorstep, is home to a variety
 (National Arts Festival) is held in the town            of game, as well as the highly endangered

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 riverine rabbit.                                            Further north, visitors encounter the Olifants
    Matjiesfontein, a national monument, offers           River Valley and the vast plains of the Knersvlakte
 tourists a peek into yesteryear and the opportunity      with its wealth of indigenous succulent plants.
 to overnight in Victorian splendour. The village            The citrus area in the Olifants River Valley is the
 houses a transport museum and the Marie                  third-largest in South Africa.
 Rawdon Museum.                                              The town of Darling draws visitors to its country
    Experience the vastness of the Great Karoo            museum and art gallery, annual wild flower and
 in Murraysburg, an ecotourist and hunter’s               orchid shows, basket factory and wine cellars.
 paradise.                                                   The entertainment venue “Evita se Perron”
    Laingsburg, a tiny village that was devastated        is situated at the old Darling Railway Station
 by floods about a century after it was established,      and offers top performances by South African
 was rebuilt afterwards. It is the best place to          entertainers.
 study the geology of the region.                            Malmesbury is the biggest town in the Swartland.
    Prince Albert is a well-preserved town at the         Major attractions include the Malmesbury
 foot of the Swartberg Mountains. It is the ideal         Museum and the historical walk-about.
 place to sample Karoo cuisine, see examples of              The Riebeek Valley is known for its scenic
 local architecture dating back to the early 1800s        beauty. The area has become a popular haven for
 and enjoy several scenic drives.                         well-known artists of various disciplines. Wines
    The Fransie Pienaar Museum introduces                 and olives can be tasted at various cellars.
 visitors to the cultural history of the area. It has a      Elands Bay is a popular holiday resort and
 fossil room and an exhibit covering the gold rush        surfer’s paradise. Khoi and San rock art can be
 in this area in the 19th century. The museum             viewed at the Elands Bay caves.
 has a licence to distil and sell “witblits” (white          Moorreesburg and Koringberg are major
 lightning). Prince Albert is the closest town by         wheat-distributing towns. Tourists can visit the
 road to Gamkaskloof.                                     Wheat Industry Museum, one of only three in
    The Hell, a little valley in the heart of the         the world. Bird watching, hiking, 4x4 routes,
 Swartberg Mountains, was the home of one of              clay-pigeon shooting, mountain-bike trails,
 the world’s most isolated communities for almost         canoeing and waterskiing at Misverstand are
 150 years. Gamkaskloof is a nature reserve and           popular activities.
 national monument managed by Cape Nature                    Yzerfontein is famous for its unspoilt beaches,
 Conservation. It has overnight facilities and can        fynbos, beautiful views and whale watching.
 be accessed by a 57-km long (but two-hour                Another major attraction is the historical lime
 drive) winding road which starts at the peak of          furnaces.
 the Swartberg Pass.                                         Langebaan, a popular holiday destination, is
                                                          home to the West Coast National Park. An
 West Coast                                               internationally renowned wetland that houses
 The West Coast is a region of outstanding                about 60 000 waterbirds and waders, the park
 beauty and contrast. The coast’s scenic beauty           attracts thousands of visitors each year. The
 is challenged only by culinary experiences of            oldest anatomically modern fossilised human
 mussels, oysters, calamari, crayfish and abalone         footprints were also discovered here.
 in season, or linefish pulled from the Benguela             The Langebaan Lagoon forms part of the park
 Current’s cold waters.                                   and is zoned for specific activities. The Postberg
    During April every year, Lambert’s Bay has the        section of the park, across the lagoon, is famous
 Crayfish and Cultural Festival. The area is not          for its wild flowers that bloom mainly during
 only a birder’s paradise, but every year migrating       August and September.
 whales visit the coastal waters from July.                  Cape Columbine at Paternoster is the last
     Vredenburg, the business centre of the area,         manned lighthouse build on the South African
 has a popular golf course with a bird hide.              coast. The Columbine Nature Reserve is home to
 Lambert’s Bay is a traditional fishing village, with     a variety of seabird species.
 Bird Island as a popular tourist attraction. It is a        Saldanha is a water sport enthusiast’s para-
 breeding ground for African penguins, the Cape           dise. Its attractions include Doc’s Cave, a land-
 cormorant and other sea birds.                           mark on the scenic breakwater drive, and the
    Within two months of the first good winter rains,     Hoedjieskoppie Nature Reserve.
 wild flowers on the West Coast explode in a                 There are various hiking trails in the SAS
 brilliant display of colour.                             Saldanha Nature Reserve.
    The Swartland region is known for its wheat              St Helena Bay is best known for the Vasco
 fields, vineyards, wineries and outdoor activities.      Da Gama Monument and Museum. Visitors

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