South Africa Defined

While standing on my balcony the other night, watching the Greenpoint Stadium in all it's glory, lighting up the sky with a glow that is nothing short of spectacular, I couldn't help but wonder what it's really going to be like during the World Cup? Admittedly I hadn't given it much thought till then, while moving to my new flat, I didn't give the 300 000 visitors a thought, not even a casual one. I'm sure it's going to be madness, people crowding, vuvuzelas sounding triumphantly in the distance and little me, in my Corsa Lite, trying desperately to get to work and back without injury. This might be a gross exaggeration but only time will tell.

So while conversing with fellow colleagues, the subject of the impending tourists came up and we all expressed excitement and a smidgen of fear. But of course, in this office, one cannot get away without a joke being told and unfortunately the tourists were the butt of this one. With a devilish grin one colleague said, "I'm going to tell all the attractive (that is clearly edited) women who come here that I used to wrestle Lions" and I as I laughed I came to a shocking realization, would there be tourists who would actually believe that? No..... it couldn't be......

So to ease my mind about the misconceptions of the country I adore, I googled some questions that tourists ask about us and the honest truth is, it's not good. Here are some examples:

Q: Does it ever get windy in South Africa? I have never seen it rain on TV, so how do the plants grow? (UK)

Q: Will I be able to see elephants in the street? (USA)

Q: I want to walk from Durban to Cape Town - can I follow the railroad tracks? (Sweden)

Q: Is it safe to run around in the bushes in South Africa? (Sweden)

Q: Are there any ATMs (cash machines) in South Africa? Can you send me a list of them in JHB, Cape Town, Knysna and Jeffrey's Bay? (UK)

Q: Can you give me some information about Koala Bear racing in South Africa? (USA)

Q: Which direction is north in South Africa? (USA)

Q: Can I bring cutlery into South Africa? (UK)

Q: Can you send me the Vienna Boys' Choir schedule? (USA)

Q: Do you have perfume in South Africa? (France)

Q: I have developed a new product that is the fountain of youth. Can you tell me where I can sell it in South Africa? (USA)

Q: Can you tell me the regions in South Africa where the female population is smaller than the male population? (Italy)

Q: Do you celebrate Christmas in South Africa? (France)

Q: Are there killer bees in South Africa? (Germany)

Q: Are there supermarkets in Cape Town and is milk available all year round? (Germany)

Q: Please send a list of all doctors in South Africa who can dispense rattlesnake serum. USA)

Q: I was in South Africa in 1969, and I want to contact the girl I dated while I was staying in Hillbrow. Can you help? (USA)

Q: Will I be able to speek English most places I go? (USA)


Now with this list came a list of sarcastic and admittedly hilarious answers, however I feel that anyone can come up with a witty and insulting comeback but if you simply cant resist, join the facebook group, "Dumb Questions asked about South Africa" and check out the answers. And yes I kid you not, a group like that actually exists. My point, if I can come back to it, is that people actually ask these types of questions. One American guy asked my boyfriend if we had Google in SA. Yes.....that's all he said while slowing shaking his head.

I think that when we are on the world's stage a lot of misconceptions will be cleared up and people will realize what a great country we have and hopefully.....stop asking stupid questions.

Plan to market Cape Town's Back Garden

<span style="font-style:italic;">This article is courtesy of IOL.com and was written by Murray Williams:


A bold initiative has been launched ahead of the World Cup to unlock the tourism potential of the rolling hills, farmlands and unspoilt beauty of Cape Town's back garden.

Genadendal, Villiersdorp, Riviersonderend, Caledon, Greyton and Elgin Valley make up the Theewaterskloof (TWK) municipality.

And while Greyton has long been a favourite green hamlet, much of the countryside over Sir Lowry's Pass has yet to tap into mainstream tourism in the way Stellenbosch, Hermanus and Franschhoek have done.

Now the Development Bank of South Africa has invested millions in the TWK municipality in a Local Economic Development Initiative which will forge the countryside into a tourism destination, rather than being regarded as the "gap" between Cape Town and the Garden Route.

"Tourism is primarily driven by the private sector, so we are investing in a destination-branding exercise to unlock the potential economic development, by letting the private sector do what they do best," said Joanna Dibden, local economic development and tourism manager for the Theewaterskloof municipality.

The towns will be united under a common brand accentuating the region's "unspoiled Cape countryside, welcoming to the entire family, on Cape Town's doorstep", as stated in a recent marketing workshop.

"Visitors from within South Africa and largely from the Cape metropolitan area are the backbone of tourism in the area. International visitors provide a significant and growing element in the tourist economy in the Theewaterskloof area," says a report by consultant Piers Relly.

"In particular, opportunities were identified around nature, the various dams in the area, sports, and in particular biking and hiking, and the possibility of developing a linked network of trains, developing a wine route and agri-tourism offerings, green tourism and, finally, cultural history."

In a region in which young locals are faced with a dire lack of employment opportunities, care is taken to "provide training to existing and new staff, especially from the formerly disadvantaged communities, to achieve the highest service standards, while expanding local participation and career progression", Relly wrote.

One of the most exciting initiatives is the Vintage Rail project that will revive the heritage of steam trains along the tracks between the Elgin Valley and Bot River.

As part of this, the historic sidings at Elgin station, next to the wine and fruit farm Oak Valley, and Bot River, at the foot of the Houwhoek Pass, are to be painstakingly restored.

The neglected town of Genadendal will get a boost to its potential as a cultural treasure, with a focus on its culture in food, religion and music.

TWK mayor Chris Punt said of the projects: "As part of our commitment to developing the local economy, we've identified tourism as our hidden jewel, and (are) partnering with the private sector to unlock the sector's potential."

In the past five years the region has become known as the Cape's mountain biking mecca, after hosting the Absa Cape Epic, a sporting event of international standing.

The Elgin Valley is also home to the Green Mountain Eco Route, a biodiversity wine route comprising wine estates committed to protecting their farmlands' natural vegetation.

The TWK municipality and its tourism partners plan to market the region urgently.

Good things come in sevens

The Big 5 have to make room in their animal kingdom for two more says South African Environmental Affairs Minister Buyelwa Sonjica. The question is, just which animals are we talking about here because honestly, what could be better than a lion, a leopard, an elephant, a rhino and a buffalo all in bed together?

I'll tell you what would be better than that...the inclusion of the whale, and the shark. Its like Finding Nemo meets the Jungle Book. So much for the bare necessities, we're going to get wet wet wet.

The minister was quoted as saying that the inclusion of these two creatures is "a very significant move for tourism because South Africa will become the only country in the world to boast a Big 7.

And the news just keeps getting better and better. Now, the South African tourism industry can offer visitors the classic safari and/or leave dry land for a shark cage dive or a whale watching expedition. What I know for sure is that the impact on tourism has nothing on the impact that tourists will experience when they witness the world's most fascinating creatures idle or frolicking along the coast. Put your cliche detector in storage, it is truly breathtaking.

So here's to seven! Seven is a much better number anyway, seven dwarfs, seven days in a week, seven years of good luck, seven continents and seven deadly sins. Whales and sharks...welcome to the family and that includes you too tourists! Welcome to South Africa, the land of predators and prey, the Big 5 that became 7.