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THE TMC SPACE<br />
Embracing technology<br />
SA TOURISM<br />
Local leisure at its best<br />
ZIMBABWE<br />
Clawing its way back<br />
TRAVELIT<br />
Simple yet Powerful<br />
ISSUE 119: SEPTEMBER 2017<br />
www.businesstravellerafrica.co.za
Thank You<br />
for Voting for Us<br />
Best Airline In Africa<br />
www.ethiopianairlines.com
John Smith<br />
@Modern<strong>Business</strong>Traveller<br />
No wonder Silverbirch @<br />
Birchwood won a Certificate of<br />
Excellence from TripAdvisor.<br />
September 2017<br />
Silverbirch @ Birchwood has been specially developed for the discerning and<br />
modern business traveller. 235 beautiful rooms, positioned and designed to<br />
ensure a comfortable and peaceful night’s rest. Set apart with access control in a<br />
tranquil part of the Birchwood grounds, far from the conference bustle.<br />
Express Check-in<br />
Exclusive Dining Options<br />
7km from OR Tambo<br />
Free Wi-Fi*<br />
Upmarket Meeting Facilities<br />
Free Shuttle and Airport Waiting Lounge<br />
To experience your finest business stay, call 011 897 0000 or email reservations@birchwoodhotel.co.za.<br />
www.birchwoodhotel.co.za
48<br />
Contents<br />
64<br />
58<br />
59<br />
18<br />
Tourvest<br />
Tourvest Travel Services is a leading integrated travel<br />
group, with products and services ranging from travel<br />
management companies through to foreign exchange<br />
bureaux. Its foray into the travel technology space has<br />
involved integrating travel arrangements onto a single<br />
platform by taking industry knowledge and technological<br />
expertise to create Travelit. The online solution drives<br />
cost savings, streamlines booking processes, improves<br />
reporting and provides full visibility of travel spend.<br />
16<br />
20<br />
48<br />
FEATURES<br />
TMCs in Africa<br />
Travel management companies the<br />
world over have had to change the<br />
way they do business and re-look<br />
their models, with technology driving<br />
this change. As a result, TMCs look<br />
a lot different to what they looked like<br />
10 years ago, with a nearly complete<br />
overhaul of the TMC offering.<br />
Zimbabwe<br />
As the country edges closer to its next<br />
general election, the world speculates<br />
about Robert Mugabe’s future and the<br />
possibility of a coalition government<br />
strong enough to unseat the long-time<br />
president. Despite rising political tension,<br />
Zimbabwe is still a fairly straightforward<br />
business travel destination to visit.<br />
REGULARS<br />
04<br />
06<br />
16<br />
17<br />
Message from the Team<br />
What’s the editor ranting about now?<br />
News<br />
Airline, hotel and other travel news<br />
from Africa and beyond<br />
W Hospitality Column<br />
Managing Director Trevor Ward gives<br />
us his take on the West African hotel<br />
industry<br />
ASATA Column<br />
The latest from Chief Executive Officer<br />
Otto de Vries<br />
58<br />
60<br />
62<br />
64<br />
Tried and Tested<br />
Hotel Check<br />
• Sun Meropa<br />
Flight Check<br />
• Virgin Atlantic<br />
Q & A Interviews<br />
• Sally George – Singapore Airlines<br />
• Andy Hedley – Amadeus<br />
People on the Move<br />
The movers and shakers –<br />
what they’re up to now<br />
Bite with the Editor<br />
Neil Bald – aha Hotels & Lodges<br />
Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za SEPTEMBER2017 | 3
ED’S LETTER<br />
Nigeria continues to struggle to bounce back<br />
from the troubles of the past few years.<br />
The latest reminder, a report on travel to<br />
Africa, produced by ForwardKeys, which predicts<br />
future travel patterns by analysing 17 million<br />
booking transactions a day. It showed overall double<br />
digit growth in flight arrivals to Africa for the first<br />
half of this year and little indication that the pace of<br />
growth will slow down soon. The wider report makes<br />
encouraging reading for airlines, governments and<br />
hoteliers, but not for those with a vested interest in<br />
Nigeria.<br />
Looking at Africa’s top ten destination countries,<br />
there were stand-out performances from Tunisia<br />
and Egypt, which are recovering from notorious<br />
terrorist attacks two years ago, up 33.5% and 24.8%<br />
respectively. In addition, Morocco and Tunisia<br />
received a huge boost in arrivals from China, up<br />
450% and 250% respectively, after they relaxed visa<br />
restrictions.<br />
Nigeria, though, remains the one disappointment,<br />
thanks to a 0.8% drop in the wake of the recession in<br />
2016 caused by a collapse in the oil price to a 13-year<br />
low. Further to that, if one looks at the scheduled<br />
capacity for the August-December 2017 period for the<br />
top ten airports in Africa, in terms of traffic, Lagos is<br />
the only city showing negative growth. Its domestic<br />
capacity is down 16% and international, 9%.<br />
Elsewhere, the picture is a little rosier.<br />
The report revealed that in the first seven months<br />
of the year, total international flight arrivals grew by<br />
14% over the same period in 2016. Most significantly,<br />
growth was stronger for travel to and from the<br />
continent than within Africa. Arrivals from Europe,<br />
which make up 46% of the market, were up 13.2%.<br />
From the Americas, arrivals were up 17.6%; from the<br />
Middle East, 14% and from Asia Pacific, 18.4%. By<br />
comparison, intra-African air travel, which makes up<br />
26% of the market, was up 12.6%.<br />
Looking ahead, the picture remains an<br />
encouraging one, according to the ForwardKeys<br />
report.<br />
Bookings for flights to Africa were – as of mid-<br />
August – 16.8% ahead of where they were on 31<br />
July, 2016. Bookings from Europe were 17.5% ahead,<br />
from the Americas 26.6% ahead, from Asia Pacific<br />
11.5% ahead, from the Middle East 8.2% ahead, and<br />
bookings for intra-African air travel were 11% ahead.<br />
All of which makes for great reading for those with<br />
a vested interest in Africa and the African business<br />
travel market.<br />
It’s been a tough few years and challenges remain,<br />
but reports like the ForwardKeys report are a<br />
reminder that the overall African picture is a positive<br />
one with much potential to still realise.<br />
PUBLISHER<br />
Richard Lendrum<br />
EDITOR<br />
Dylan Rogers<br />
dylan@thefuture.co.za<br />
JOURNALIST<br />
Kate Kennedy<br />
DESIGN AND LAYOUT<br />
Nadette Voogd<br />
SUBSCRIPTIONS AND PRODUCTION<br />
Mabel Ramafoko<br />
mabel@thefuture.co.za<br />
SOUTH AFRICAN OFFICE<br />
Postal Address:<br />
PO Box 1746, Saxonwold, 2132<br />
Physical Address:<br />
247 Jan Smuts Avenue, Randburg<br />
Telephone: +27 11 327 6107<br />
NIGERIAN OFFICE<br />
3rd Floor, EuniBrown House195,<br />
Ikorodu Road, Palmgrove,Lagos, Nigeria<br />
Tel: +234 1 740 3236<br />
Mobile: +234 803 963 0155<br />
PUBLISHER – NORTH & WEST AFRICA<br />
Tope Ogbeni-Awe<br />
tope.ogbeni-awe@topcommng.com<br />
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT<br />
Mohammed Abdullahi<br />
<strong>Business</strong> Traveller Africa is published under licence from Perry<br />
Publications Limited.<br />
Warwick House, 25 Buckingham Palace Road, London, SW1W 0PP.<br />
Tel: +44 20 7821 2740<br />
www.businesstraveller.com<br />
Dylan Rogers<br />
Editor<br />
dylan@thefuture.co.za<br />
Follow us on:<br />
4 | SEPTEMBER2017 Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za
Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za SEPTEMBER2017 | 5
NEWS<br />
Radisson Red Coming to Cape Town<br />
The V&A Waterfront’s newly revamped Silo District, which is shaping up to be a vibrant hive of cultural activity for<br />
travellers and Cape Town locals alike, is home to Africa’s very first Radisson RED – a unique hotel culture inspired by<br />
all things art, music and fashion. The hotel is set to shake up the South African hospitality industry with its bold new<br />
philosophy. The hotel offers an exuberant and unique take on modern hospitality as it embraces freedom, flexibility and<br />
fun. Radisson RED is inspired by the trends and lifestyle of the millennial, tapping into modern, high-tech travellers.<br />
In addition to the 252 contemporary rooms and fully equipped gym, the hotel will house four events and games studios<br />
for up to 90 guests – ideal for hosting meetings and social occasions. Guests are encouraged to use the ping pong tables<br />
in the events rooms while listening to their favourite tunes on the record player available. Furthermore, guests will be<br />
able to access super-fast free wi-fi and 24/7 entertainment tech throughout the property. Additional good news for all<br />
animal-lovers out there is that all animals of eight kilograms or under are welcome to stay at the hotel too. For the more<br />
chilled guest, the RED Roof is the ideal early-to-late hangout. Celebrating the best views of Table Mountain, this will be<br />
the spot to sit back and enjoy a local craft beer or take a splash in the pool. While food and drinks can be enjoyed at the<br />
OUIBar and KTCHN, the resident restaurant and bar, there will also be the option to order in via the RED app for those<br />
wanting some down time. The Cape Town Radisson RED Hotel follows successful launches in Brussels, Minneapolis and<br />
Campinas, with Glasgow set to launch soon.<br />
6 | SEPTEMBER2017<br />
For more news, visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za
ABTA<br />
Need some inspiration in your<br />
role as a Travel Buyer or Supplier?<br />
Look no further than the African <strong>Business</strong> Travel Association,<br />
where you can become part of a well-informed and<br />
performance-driven <strong>Business</strong> Travel community.<br />
Through a variety of ABTA Events and online platforms,<br />
ABTA Members have access to resources, cutting edge developments<br />
and peer-to-peer networking. This access to best practice information<br />
and practical guidance will give you the extra inspiration needed<br />
to perform at the top of your game and demonstrate true value<br />
for your organisation.<br />
ABTA Premium Membership<br />
R2 900.00 / $215.00 per annum<br />
- Complimentary attendance to all relevant local ABTA events<br />
(excl. Conference)<br />
- Individual Membership Certificate<br />
- Access to ABTA’s Information Station<br />
- Reduced rates for Visa processing in partnership with Visa’s &<br />
Passports Unlimited<br />
- Complimentary Data on Mobile Roaming device in partnership with ExecMobile<br />
- Reduced rate on lost luggage tracker with LugLoc<br />
Sign up online at www.abta.co.za<br />
More information: +27 11 888 8178
NEWS<br />
Four-Star Grading for Mayfair Hotel<br />
The Mayfair Hotel in Umtata (Eastern Cape) has been awarded a four-star grading by South Africa’s Tourism Grading<br />
Council. This makes the $9.8 million (R130 million) hotel the latest of just a handful of four-star graded establishments<br />
in the city which, until recently, lacked the accommodation and entertainment facilities which larger centres boast. Billion<br />
Group began investing in Mthatha two years ago with the development of the first major shopping centre in the region –<br />
the BT Ngebs City mall. The Mayfair Hotel adjoins the mall, with ground set to break on another first for the region later<br />
this year: a $11.3 million (R150 million) casino and entertainment complex, complete with state-of-the-art cinemas. The<br />
hotel boasts 96 rooms, including a luxury three-room penthouse suite, a two-room presidential suite, two executive suites,<br />
and 88 bed-and-breakfast suites. There are also several well-appointed conference halls.<br />
Air France Offers VR Entertainment<br />
In order to surprise its customers and offer them a new form of entertainment, Air France is rolling out a brand new<br />
immersive entertainment system in partnership with the start-up SkyLights. Customers will be offered a virtual reality<br />
headset in which films and series are screened in 3D or 2D. The system has been tested on the Paris-Charles de Gaulle<br />
– St. Martin and St. Martin – Paris-Charles de Gaulle routes. Customers travelling in business class onboard the A340<br />
operating on this route can now try this new form of in-flight entertainment for themselves. Four headsets will be offered<br />
on board with a selection of 40 films and series. At the end of this test period, this new system could be rolled out on other<br />
flights in the months ahead.<br />
8 | SEPTEMBER2017<br />
For more news, visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za
Faircity Hotels<br />
Welcomes Kievits Kroon<br />
Kievits Kroon Country Estate and Spa, situated<br />
in Pretoria to the north of Johannesburg, is now<br />
part of the Faircity portfolio. Negotiations to buy<br />
the property began at the end of 2014 and the<br />
sale was recently finalised. It will take a couple of<br />
months for the property transfer to be completed,<br />
so in addition to the purchase agreement, there is<br />
also a management agreement in place to ensure<br />
continuity for the transition period. Kievits Kroon<br />
– a high-end four-star property – will strengthen<br />
Faircity’s footprint in Pretoria, in terms of<br />
conferencing, events and functions. Faircity says it<br />
has big plans for Kievits Kroon, and after a period<br />
of consolidation, the group will start introducing<br />
new things to the hotel’s offering. The existing staff<br />
will be retained. Faircity now operates seven hotels<br />
in the Gauteng province.<br />
India Issues Multi-Entry<br />
Visas for SA<br />
The High Commission of India in Pretoria has<br />
announced that the government of India has<br />
decided to issue multi-entry business visas with<br />
10-years validity to South African business people<br />
with immediate effect. The business visa holders<br />
can continuously stay during each visit to India not<br />
exceeding 180 days without registration.<br />
Join the Avis Preferred Loyalty Programme<br />
today. Spend less time filling out forms,<br />
and more time enjoying the benefits of priority<br />
service, upgrades, free additional driver and<br />
free weekend rentals*<br />
Apply today<br />
Visit avis.co.za<br />
*Terms and conditions apply. Excludes contracted rates.<br />
For more news, visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za ASEPTEMBER017 | 9
NEWS<br />
Lufthansa Takes A350 to Hong Kong<br />
Lufthansa will be offering flights to Hong Kong on the Airbus A350-900 from 12 September. Due to the flight distance – at<br />
10,000 kilometres – Hong Kong will be served by two aircraft flying alternatively. These will be the fourth and fifth A350-<br />
900 aircraft due to be delivered to Lufthansa on 12 August and 2 September respectively. The A350’s maiden flight to Hong<br />
Kong will take off on 12 September at 22h30 and be welcomed for the first time in Hong Kong 11 hours later at 15h35 local<br />
time on 13 September. The first of 15 A350-900’s arrived in Munich in February. By September, five of these aircraft will<br />
be taking off from their home base of Munich to fly to Boston, Delhi, Mumbai and Hong Kong. The A350-900 has space<br />
for 293 passengers – 48 in business class, 21 in premium economy and 224 in economy class. It uses 25% less kerosene,<br />
produces 25% fewer emissions and is significantly quieter on take-off than comparable types of aircraft.<br />
Preferred Welcomes<br />
New Hotels<br />
Preferred Hotels & Resorts has announced the<br />
addition of 23 new member hotels and resorts<br />
across 13 different countries. Highlights of<br />
the new hotel additions include Hotel MiM<br />
Sitges in Spain, the Ambassador Chicago<br />
in the United States, the Cerulean Tower<br />
Tokyu Hotel in Japan, the Merchants Manor<br />
Hotel & Spa in the UK and the Iberostar<br />
Grand Hotel Rose Hall in Jamaica. Travellers<br />
can access exclusive member rates and earn<br />
reward points at many of these properties<br />
through the Preferred Hotels & Resorts iPrefer<br />
hotel rewards programme. Free to join, the<br />
programme extends points redeemable towards<br />
free nights and other on-property expenditures,<br />
elite status, and other complimentary benefits<br />
to guests. Bookings can be made online at<br />
PreferredHotels.com or on the iPrefer mobile<br />
app, available on Android and iOS.<br />
10 | SEPTEMBER2017<br />
For more news, visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za
Sun<br />
International<br />
Unveils New Hotel<br />
Sun International has opened a new<br />
hotel at the Sun Meropa complex<br />
in the city of Polokwane in South<br />
Africa’s Limpopo province. The group<br />
invested R76-million ($5.7 million)<br />
in the project and construction has<br />
been underway since September 2016.<br />
The new Sun Meropa Hotel flows<br />
seamlessly into the casino complex and<br />
has a Moroccan theme to it, reflected<br />
in the architecture and aesthetics.<br />
The hotel boasts 60 rooms, including<br />
four suites and two luxury suites. Sun<br />
Meropa is a vibrant entertainment<br />
hub at the heart of Polokwane.<br />
The complex features the upmarket<br />
Harvest Grill & Wine restaurant; the<br />
contemporary Jembe Tavern which<br />
hosts regular live entertainment; and a<br />
well-equipped and versatile conference<br />
centre. The casino itself boasts 417<br />
slot machines and 17 tables, including<br />
classics like Roulette, Blackjack and<br />
Poker. (See page 58)<br />
Get straight<br />
to business<br />
Same day return flights between<br />
Cape Town and Pretoria<br />
If time is money, we can help you spend it wisely.<br />
Our new weekday 06:45 flight makes travelling to Pretoria’s Wonderboom<br />
National Airport easy, quick and convenient, so you can get straight to what<br />
matters - business. Earn or redeem Voyager Miles and book your flight<br />
on www.flyairlink.com<br />
flyairlink.com @fly_airlink Fly Airlink<br />
Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za SEPTEMBER2017 | 11
NEWS<br />
British Airways Invests in First<br />
British Airways is continuing to invest in other improvements to its first class, including a refresh of its flagship Concorde<br />
Room at Heathrow Terminal 5, which is to be unveiled in October. The lounge, which is exclusive to First customers, will<br />
receive an updated look and feel, as well as improvements to the terrace area. Additionally, new Liberty London washbags<br />
have taken to the skies. The kits feature prints from Liberty’s vintage textile archive. The gentlemen’s washbag features<br />
Refinery’s revitalising moisturiser, lip balm, deodorant stick and shave gel, as well as a razor, brush and comb, toothbrush,<br />
toothpaste, eye mask, socks, ear plugs and pen. The ladies’ kit includes Aromatherapy Associates triple rose renewing<br />
moisturiser, hydrating hand lotion, renewing cleanser and deodorant stick, along with a lip balm, cotton wool pads,<br />
toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush and pen.<br />
XL Sandown Travel<br />
Kopanang BEE<br />
Accreditation<br />
XL Sandown Travel Kopanang has confirmed its<br />
existing Level 1 BEE official SANAS accreditation.<br />
The accreditation was run on the revised Codes<br />
of Good Practice. Servicing the corporate travel<br />
market, the Sandown Travel Group has been in the<br />
industry for over 45 years in South Africa. It is also a<br />
founding member of the XL Travel Group and global<br />
member of ATG international. The XL Sandown<br />
Travel Kopanang offering covers corporate travel,<br />
group and MICE specialist services, VIP and travel<br />
concierge services, travel data management, duty of<br />
care, online booking tools, and in-house visa and<br />
forex provision.<br />
12 | SEPTEMBER2017<br />
For more news, visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za
KWAZULU NATAL MIDLANDS<br />
SLOW XS Launches at<br />
Lanseria<br />
Comair Limited has launched SLOW XS, a new<br />
lounge at Lanseria International Airport to the<br />
north-west of Johannesburg. SLOW XS is the latest<br />
addition to the suite of existing SLOW Lounge<br />
experiences across South Africa. It opened at<br />
Lanseria’s domestic terminal and will be exclusively<br />
available to qualifying kulula.com, FNB, RMB<br />
and Comair Limited VIP guests. The SLOW XS<br />
concept has been specifically designed to address<br />
the discerning traveller’s need for dedicated transit<br />
spaces within smaller airport environments, such<br />
as Lanseria. The spatial constraints of its present<br />
location have led to a paring down of certain services,<br />
such as buffet catering, in-house spa and private<br />
washroom facilities. Partnering with design agency<br />
UNKNOWN in developing and realising the lounge<br />
concept, the notion of scale was extended across a<br />
range of elements, from a limited edition volume of<br />
hand-made guest books and sustainability-sensitive<br />
reusable water bottles to a taster-inspired menu, coldbrewed<br />
coffee selection and boutique, small-batch<br />
alcohol labels from micro-distilleries.<br />
Looking for the ultimate<br />
multifunctional<br />
conference destination?<br />
From high-level board meetings to interactive conferences, the<br />
Agility Hub at Brahman Hills is the first truly multifunctional venue in<br />
the KwaZulu Natal Midlands. With a host of other rooms, venues<br />
and breakaway spaces available on the property, it’s no surprise<br />
that Brahman Hills is considered the ultimate conference<br />
destination!<br />
Conference Venues<br />
• The Nguni Room seats up to 20 people<br />
• The Lake House seat seats up to 150 people<br />
• The Glass House seats up to 400 people<br />
• The Stables Boardroom seats up to 18 people<br />
• The Agility Hub seats up to 100 people<br />
Accommodation<br />
60 people (single occupancy) 120 people (shared occupancy)<br />
Accommodation is spread between our hotel rooms and cottages.<br />
+27(0)33 266 6965 reservations@brahmanhills.co.za<br />
For more news, visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za www.brahmanhills.co.za Brahman ASEPTEMBER017 Hills | 13
NEWS<br />
Airlink Starts Using New E190 E-Jets<br />
Airlink has put one of its three recently-delivered Embraer E190 E-jets into service, using the aircraft on the<br />
Pietermaritzburg and Bulawayo routes. Airlink’s new flagship aircraft type will slowly be phased in to replace the fleet of<br />
12 Avro RJ85s currently used on various routes, including Pietermaritzurg and Bulawayo. The E-Jets provide customers<br />
with additional seat pitch and a business class product that will be introduced on both of these routes. The E-Jets provide<br />
Airlink with superior operational performance range and efficiency, coupled with an enhanced cabin environment. The<br />
cabin layout features two plus two seating, with large eye-level windows. Under-seat areas are free of support railings, so<br />
that passengers can stretch out in greater comfort. The eight rows of economy seats forward of the emergency exit feature<br />
a 33-inch seat pitch, providing added personal space on longer sectors. Airlink will make use of air-bridges at O.R. Tambo<br />
International Airport in Johannesburg to facilitate quick and convenient boarding. The E-Jets are configured with six<br />
business and 92 economy class seats.<br />
Travelport and Mobacar<br />
Extend Partnership<br />
Travelport has extended its partnership with car rental<br />
and ground transportation technology Mobacar. Building<br />
on the success of the existing relationship, this longterm<br />
agreement now makes Mobacar a preferred global<br />
technology partner. Travelport, in partnership with<br />
Mobacar, intends to dramatically increase the global car<br />
rental and ground transportation content available to its<br />
travel agency customers. With this real-time connectivity to<br />
hundreds of car rental and ground transportation suppliers,<br />
Travelport can provide customers with the widest choice<br />
of relevant car transportation offers. With the Smartpoint<br />
tool and UAPI or mobile, Travelport-connected agencies<br />
have a one-stop-shop for their global car supply and<br />
ground transportation needs. The partnership will help<br />
car suppliers and travel agencies add a door-to-door driver<br />
service to the journey.<br />
14 | SEPTEMBER2017<br />
For more news, visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za
Mövenpick Ambassador Launches ‘Kilo of Kindness’<br />
Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel Accra in Ghana is one of 46 Mövenpick properties around the world calling on guests and<br />
residents to donate food, clothing and educational supplies to help local families in need, as it launches the 2017 ‘Kilo<br />
of Kindness’ charity drive. The global campaign, which marks the UN International Day of Charity on 5 September, will<br />
see donated items distributed to disadvantaged local communities by each hotel’s charity partner. Guests and visitors are<br />
invited to drop off at least one kilo of food, clothing and educational supplies in the hotel lobby during the two-week<br />
campaign, which runs from 1-15 September. They will be donated to Chance for Children, a local charity that looks after<br />
street children, keeping them safe and providing them with a school education and professional opportunities, with 150<br />
youngsters currently in its care. To date, more than 60 former street kids have completed school and professional training<br />
with the support of CFC and are now living independently or have been reintegrated into their families. Although each<br />
guest is encouraged to donate a ‘Kilo of Kindness’, all contributions are welcome. Educational supplies in demand include<br />
books, notebooks and stationery such as pens, pencils, rulers, erasers, sharpeners, glue and scissors. Clothing donations<br />
will be well received too, as well as canned and dried (non-perishable) foods such as rice, beans, oats, pasta, cereals, flour<br />
and powdered milk.<br />
BACK TO BUSINESS<br />
IT’S OUR BUSINESS TO ENSURE YOU HAVE<br />
GREAT VENUES TO ATTEND TO YOUR BUSINESS<br />
Conference with us FROM NGN 12 100 per delegate<br />
TO BOOK visit www.bonhotels.com<br />
BON Hotel Abuja, Maitama<br />
BON Hotel Stratton Asokoro, Abuja<br />
BON Hotel Grand Pela, Abuja<br />
BON Hotel Delta, Warri<br />
Protea Hotel Victoria Island operated by<br />
BON Hotels, Lagos<br />
Protea Hotel Ikeja operated by<br />
BON Hotels, Lagos<br />
Get Social<br />
on Twitter,<br />
Facebook or<br />
Instagram using;<br />
#BONBUZZAfrica<br />
For more news, visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za ASEPTEMBER017 | 15
COMMENT<br />
An Eye on<br />
West Africa<br />
Trevor Ward<br />
MD: W Hospitality<br />
Group<br />
There is no doubt that<br />
the arrival of so-called<br />
disruptive business<br />
models like Uber and Airbnb has<br />
generated more heated discussions<br />
on government regulation, ethics<br />
and the limits of free enterprise<br />
than any business model in<br />
history. Not surprising, as these<br />
business models question the very<br />
foundations of commerce as we<br />
have always experienced it. Well…<br />
as we have always experienced it…<br />
that’s probably a very subjective<br />
statement given that we evolved<br />
from trading by barter to the<br />
use of standardised, universallyaccepted<br />
currency, a change which<br />
must have been quite disruptive in<br />
its days.<br />
So what exactly is disruptive<br />
about renting an apartment in<br />
Arequito, Bansko or Calapan,<br />
anyway? I’ll wager my $10 that<br />
you’d be hard pressed even to find<br />
these cities on a map. But that’s<br />
the point. From a consumer’s<br />
perspective, perhaps a disruptive<br />
business model is what is needed<br />
to find flexible, convenient and<br />
affordable accommodation in a<br />
little corner of the world. That’s<br />
the whole idea. Airbnb, quite<br />
simply, is a means for homeowners<br />
to connect with bargain seekers<br />
for short stay accommodation.<br />
The statistics bear witness to the<br />
fact that more and more people<br />
are buying into the idea. Airbnb<br />
currently operates in 191 countries<br />
(heck, there are only 196) with in<br />
excess of 200 million users to date.<br />
That’s roughly the population of<br />
Brazil!<br />
And where does Africa feature<br />
in all of this? There are an<br />
estimated 77,000 property listings<br />
in Africa, according to Airbnb<br />
CEO Brian Chesky. With around<br />
17 countries in Africa operating<br />
on the Airbnb platform, South<br />
Africa is by far the largest market,<br />
where the concept has had a<br />
presence since 2015. Today the<br />
list of African locations includes a<br />
host of cities in Kenya, Morocco,<br />
Nigeria, Ghana, Mozambique,<br />
Namibia, Rwanda…and yes, even<br />
Somalia. Talk about expanding a<br />
global brand into the unknown –<br />
as many people refer to business<br />
in Africa.<br />
If South Africa is the key<br />
player, what do the numbers say<br />
about the West African region?<br />
Well, there are an estimated<br />
2,600 properties listed in the<br />
sub-region, with new ones added<br />
on a daily basis. When you look<br />
at W Hospitality Group’s 2017<br />
dataset of rooms in the hotel chain<br />
development pipeline in West<br />
Africa, it stands at a little over<br />
20,000. Working the maths, that<br />
means that the since the launch of<br />
Airbnb on the continent in 2015,<br />
the platform has grown to be over<br />
10% of the planned hotel rooms.<br />
If the number of listings continues<br />
to rise as is predicted, then in the<br />
next two years Airbnb could be<br />
a significant competitor for the<br />
traditional hotel sector.<br />
There are questions about how<br />
sustainable this model is, but<br />
also several reasons why Airbnb<br />
will continue to work in Africa.<br />
The opportunity for homeowners,<br />
up-and-coming entrepreneurs,<br />
to share easily in the economic<br />
benefits of a global brand by<br />
offering their apartments is one,<br />
bringing income direct to the<br />
individual. Nigeria, for instance,<br />
has one of the youngest techsavvy<br />
demographics in the world,<br />
and can readily take advantage of<br />
an online business platform such<br />
as Airbnb. Secondly, adventure<br />
seekers can have a real feel of<br />
what life is like in Africa at<br />
the grass roots, living ‘just like<br />
the locals’. And not every city<br />
has a hotel that appeals to the<br />
international traveller, so with<br />
Airbnb visitors have access to<br />
secure and trusted accommodation<br />
almost wherever they choose to<br />
travel. Nicola D’Elia, Airbnb’s<br />
Regional Manager for Africa and<br />
Middle East comments: "We want<br />
to bring tourists to parts of the<br />
continent that aren't covered by<br />
traditional accommodations —<br />
only places where you could stay<br />
in other people's homes".<br />
The highly successful model<br />
of sharing one’s personal space<br />
with virtual strangers can raise<br />
issues, at least in more developed<br />
countries. In an age when terror<br />
attacks are frequent, communities<br />
which now find themselves<br />
hosting strangers, who have no<br />
ties nor accountability to those<br />
communities, express concerns<br />
relating to the safety and security<br />
of their permanent residents.<br />
This is, of course, not only an<br />
African issue – the Department<br />
of <strong>Business</strong> Affairs and Consumer<br />
Protection in Chicago recently<br />
announced plans to register<br />
Airbnb hosts, with penalties for<br />
non-compliance.<br />
Opposition from governments<br />
has been rising over the years,<br />
as the number of Airbnb listings<br />
increases. Evidence of this was<br />
clearly shown recently with new<br />
legislation passed in New York<br />
protecting local housing, a move<br />
which is set to redefine the very<br />
business model on which Airbnb<br />
is built. The main reason for the<br />
Nee York law was the misuse of<br />
Airbnb by commercial landlords,<br />
and the loss of badly-needed<br />
residential space in the city centre.<br />
Such regulation has been seen<br />
in other cities such as Berlin and<br />
even San Francisco, the home of<br />
Airbnb.<br />
And the hotel sector complains<br />
about the entry into the market of<br />
accommodation providers who are<br />
not regulated, encounter very few<br />
barriers to entry, and are largely<br />
untaxed.<br />
Whilst Airbnb claims to be<br />
increasing its penetration of<br />
the corporate market, its real<br />
role in Africa is to expand the<br />
reach of product available to<br />
the leisure market. Sadly, many<br />
traditional hotels which are ‘off<br />
the beaten track’ in West Africa<br />
are sometimes unappealing even<br />
to the hardy backpacker, and the<br />
home stay, with an endorsement<br />
from Airbnb, has the potential to<br />
readily fill that gap, without the<br />
capital investment required to<br />
build a new hotel. C<br />
www.w-hospitalitygroup.com<br />
16 | SEPTEMBER2017 Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za
COMMENT<br />
Does South Africa need its own<br />
‘travel warnings’?<br />
The recent release of Stephen<br />
McGowan has prompted<br />
security experts to call upon<br />
the government to do more to warn<br />
South Africans about the dangers<br />
when travelling abroad.<br />
Terrorism expert Jasmine<br />
Opperman told <strong>Business</strong> Day she<br />
believes the government should<br />
be issuing travel warnings and<br />
advisories to South Africans<br />
travelling to countries such as Mali<br />
and Somalia. Ryan Cummings‚<br />
Director at Signal Risk‚ agreed<br />
with Opperman‚ saying the South<br />
African government should be<br />
providing information to citizens<br />
about "where it is safe to travel<br />
and where it isn’t". However,<br />
the Department of International<br />
Relations and Co-operation (Dirco)<br />
says South Africa doesn’t have a<br />
policy to issue travel warnings to<br />
fellow African countries.<br />
Although the government<br />
might not have a policy in place<br />
to issue travel warnings, travel<br />
consultants and TMCs associated<br />
with the Association of Southern<br />
African Travel Agents have a duty<br />
to divulge information about<br />
‘dangerous’ destinations as well<br />
as unusual threats to their clients.<br />
Your peace of mind when travelling<br />
is a top priority for any ASATAaccredited<br />
travel consultant. That<br />
is why they will make sure they<br />
disclose any red flags or warnings<br />
about a destination, including<br />
terror threats and tropical diseases.<br />
<strong>Business</strong> travel has grown<br />
significantly over the last decade<br />
with businesses sending employees<br />
to a wider range of territories<br />
including high risk or extreme risk<br />
regions. In these cases, your travel<br />
consultant will be able to update<br />
you on the latest security measures<br />
and highlight risks. However, the<br />
truth is that today even the most<br />
low-risk destinations can become<br />
high-risk in a matter of just a<br />
couple of hours.<br />
When disaster strikes in what is<br />
considered a ‘low risk’ destination,<br />
it is a huge relief for the traveller<br />
to know that their ASATA travel<br />
consultant is available to assist<br />
with advice and solutions. The<br />
modern 21st century travel agent<br />
has the right expertise and will<br />
endeavour to resolve travel issues<br />
if they arise, including making<br />
alternative travel arrangements,<br />
or at least provide the traveller<br />
with useful information to manage<br />
travel issues and reduce the<br />
travellers’ levels of uncertainty and<br />
feelings of helplessness.<br />
So, although travel warnings are<br />
invaluable for business travellers,<br />
what’s more important still, is to<br />
have a true travel professional at<br />
their side at all times. C<br />
Otto de Vries<br />
ASATA CEO<br />
Walkersons Hotel & Spa has captivated visitors to Dullstroom<br />
for more than twenty years – the stunning views, the wellstocked<br />
trout dams, the spa, accommodation with all the<br />
modern comforts and fine country dining, make Walkersons a<br />
charming and memorable destination.<br />
This haven of serenity in Mpumalanga, with elegant dining<br />
rooms, a gorgeous terrace, the cosy Peggy’s Bar and lovely<br />
lawns leading to the hidden swimming pool and a stylish, old<br />
world country atmosphere, has the perfect balance of proximity<br />
and distance (both Johannesburg and Pretoria being three<br />
hours away), making it an ideal location to hold a conference.<br />
The hotel has two dedicated conference venues available for<br />
use, with the Walker Room able to accommodate a capacity<br />
of up to 100 delegates. Alternatively, retreat to the seclusion of<br />
the Tapestry Room for a more private and exclusive meeting.<br />
Day and overnight special packages are available.<br />
Tel: 013 253 7000 • Email: reservations@walkersons.co.za<br />
• Web: www.walkersons.co.za<br />
Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za SEPTEMBER2017 | 17
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18 | SEPTEMBER2017 Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za
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FEATURE – TMCs<br />
Embracing<br />
Technology<br />
The traditional travel management company model has had to evolve,<br />
largely due to the technological advancement that has changed our lives<br />
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20 | SEPTEMBER2017 Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za
Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za SEPTEMBER2017 | 21
FEATURE – TMCs<br />
It’s a different world out there.<br />
The times are changing<br />
and they are changing<br />
quickly. Technology dominates<br />
our lives and it’s technology that<br />
is ever evolving, with increased<br />
information at our fingertips<br />
and trends changing all the<br />
time. Throw in some economic<br />
uncertainty and increased<br />
competition, and you have a<br />
challenging environment in which<br />
to operate.<br />
That applies to just about<br />
every industry, but what does<br />
it mean for the travel industry,<br />
and specifically those in travel<br />
management?<br />
Well, quite simply, the role of<br />
a travel manager has become<br />
increasingly complex. The influx<br />
of online travel agencies and<br />
platforms has meant that more<br />
and more consumers are opting to<br />
be their own travel manager.<br />
The demands of the corporate<br />
traveller are becoming more<br />
challenging too. Budgets have<br />
contracted, yet the travel needs of<br />
businesses have largely remained<br />
the same. In fact, many travel<br />
managers believe the cost of travel<br />
is actually increasing.<br />
So, where does that leave the<br />
travel management company?<br />
“Defining our value as travel<br />
professionals is perhaps the<br />
biggest challenge facing TMCs<br />
today,” says Euan McNeil,<br />
General Manager of FCM Travel<br />
Solutions, part of the Flight<br />
Centre group in South Africa.<br />
“Corporate travel agents were<br />
in the past transactional and<br />
earned their revenue based on the<br />
transactions they performed on<br />
behalf of the client – booking a<br />
flight or hotel, changing the date<br />
of a ticket etc. With the advent of<br />
travel technology, customers have<br />
become empowered (although not<br />
necessary inclined) to conclude<br />
some of these transactions<br />
themselves. The result is that the<br />
transactional part of the job of<br />
travel agent has been eroded, and<br />
the requirement by customers is<br />
thus a more consultative approach.<br />
Herein lies the challenge, as TMCs<br />
work to define and communicate<br />
effectively the consultative value<br />
they bring to the end customer<br />
and determine what to charge for<br />
that value.”<br />
McNeil touches on the essence<br />
of the thread that will be explored<br />
throughout this piece, as there<br />
is no doubt that technological<br />
advancement has had the greatest<br />
impact on the role that TMCs now<br />
play, as it relates to their clients.<br />
“Every TMC is currently under<br />
“ Defining our value as<br />
travel professionals is<br />
perhaps the biggest challenge<br />
facing TMCs today. ”<br />
pressure to showcase their<br />
value to clients due to enhanced<br />
technology available in the<br />
market,” says Yasmeen Khan,<br />
Head: <strong>Business</strong> Development,<br />
Corporate at Wings Travel. “This<br />
requires a consistent approach in<br />
terms of managing the clients’<br />
travel spend and demonstrating<br />
in various ways the true value of<br />
our partnership.”<br />
“Our challenges are the same<br />
as most TMCs,” says Bronwyn<br />
Humphries, Marketing Co-<br />
Ordinator, Harvey World Travel<br />
Franchise Support Team. “This<br />
would be new competitors in<br />
the market as well as online<br />
travel agents. There’s also a<br />
definite shift to online tools for<br />
corporate clients, with corporates<br />
more likely to book their own<br />
‘bleisure’ trips, for example,<br />
along with cutting their costs.”<br />
22 | SEPTEMBER2017 Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za
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FEATURE – TMCs<br />
TECHNOLOGY<br />
“Corporate travel is finally<br />
starting to learn lessons from the<br />
consumer travel space, mostly<br />
because business travellers have<br />
been trained by their leisure travel<br />
to expect robust booking tools<br />
and more control over their trips,”<br />
says Andrew Sheivachman, Senior<br />
Writer at Skift, an intelligence<br />
platform providing media, insights<br />
and marketing to key sectors of<br />
travel. “The travel management<br />
companies that focus the most on<br />
improving their traveller-facing<br />
technology will win this battle,<br />
and improve their clients’ travel<br />
experience in the process.”<br />
So, what are TMCs doing to<br />
stay ahead of the game and<br />
remain relevant? Specifically, what<br />
technology and services are they<br />
developing to remain of value to<br />
their clients? One way is to go the<br />
‘whole hog’ and develop your own<br />
tech.<br />
“At Tourvest Travel Services we<br />
have developed our own online<br />
travel management solution<br />
called Travelit (see page 18), which<br />
was developed not just with the<br />
customer in mind, but also the<br />
travel consultant,” says Claude<br />
Vankeirsbilck, Chief Sales &<br />
Marketing Officer. “This means<br />
our travel consultants work on<br />
the same technology platform<br />
as our clients, offering full<br />
transparency and a more efficient<br />
service delivery process. There are<br />
weekly product enhancements and<br />
developments driven by our own<br />
developmental team. This allows<br />
TTS to be more competitive, more<br />
efficient in service delivery, and<br />
ultimately offer more value to<br />
our customers, as our technology<br />
solution adds value to the<br />
customer’s bottom line.”<br />
That’s the key, isn’t it?<br />
Adding value by recognising<br />
the complementary relationship<br />
between the TMC and the<br />
technology. It seems almost<br />
obvious to say that those TMCs<br />
who view technology as a threat<br />
are dead in the water. It’s all<br />
about embracing the tech out<br />
there, identifying which tech<br />
complements the TMC’s existing<br />
offering, and then rolling it out in<br />
a way that provides the customer<br />
with that value and ultimately<br />
strengthens the supplier-customer<br />
relationship.<br />
“One of the biggest challenges<br />
is the accessibility that a traveller<br />
now has to a range of pricing<br />
across various consolidator<br />
websites etc,” says Khan. “In<br />
order to be ahead of the game,<br />
Wings Travel Management has<br />
developed its own proprietary<br />
technology in order to integrate<br />
such developments outside of<br />
our normal reservations system,<br />
thereby enhancing content and<br />
ensuring that we offer the best<br />
price to our customers.”<br />
The Wings model is slightly<br />
different from other TMC<br />
models in that the group favours<br />
wholly-owned global offices over<br />
franchise agreements, but the<br />
benefits of that model extend into<br />
the tech space.<br />
“Our Wings ® globallyowned<br />
offices allow us to truly<br />
standardise our sales platforms<br />
across the globe by giving our<br />
“ <strong>Business</strong> travellers have<br />
been trained by their leisure<br />
travel to expect robust<br />
booking tools and more<br />
control over their trips. ”<br />
24 | SEPTEMBER2017 Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za
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FEATURE – TMCs<br />
clients consistent and reliable<br />
data, and offering them access<br />
to all our proprietary products,”<br />
says Khan. “Wings ® boasts a<br />
reporting tool which is accessible<br />
via URL and includes live data<br />
with many enhanced features,<br />
offering clients a snapshot view of<br />
their travel spend, travel patterns<br />
and detailed insights into traveller<br />
behaviour, allowing a proactive<br />
approach in terms of managing<br />
their spend.”<br />
Another area where Wings has<br />
focused its technological efforts<br />
is the increasingly important duty<br />
of care space. It recently launched<br />
goSecure, a risk management<br />
solution for their clientele<br />
that allows them to track and<br />
communicate directly with their<br />
travellers via a mobile application,<br />
coupled with the Wings24<br />
emergency contact centre, which<br />
manages risk and traveller safety<br />
on behalf of Wings’ clients.<br />
For McNeil, the technology<br />
has to be complementary, and he<br />
believes a lot more thought needs<br />
to be given to this area before<br />
a TMC rolls out the latest tech.<br />
Specifically, he believes there<br />
almost needs to be a ‘division<br />
of labour’ between what the<br />
technology can offer and what<br />
the TMC and its staff are best<br />
equipped to focus on.<br />
“To remain relevant and<br />
viable, it is essential that we use<br />
technology to drive automation<br />
and improve service for our<br />
mutual benefit,” he says. “Noncomplex<br />
bookings should be<br />
automated, freeing up skilled<br />
travel professionals to focus on<br />
areas in which they can truly add<br />
value beyond the transaction,<br />
for example in the areas of data<br />
analysis, duty of care and supplier<br />
negotiations.”<br />
To this end, FCM has developed<br />
a chatbot (see sidebar) in the<br />
United States. It’s called ‘Sam’ and<br />
promises the expertise of a skilled<br />
FCM consultant available at all<br />
times: pre, during, and post-trip.<br />
Sam is a travel-savvy chatbot<br />
that can assist with all aspects of<br />
travel – itineraries, gate changes,<br />
driving directions, weather,<br />
restaurant recommendations and<br />
reservations. There’s also ‘call or<br />
SMS my consultant’ functionality,<br />
which gives travellers access to a<br />
live FCM consultant 24 hours a<br />
day for live assistance on the go.<br />
“Every travel programme should<br />
have technology that clearly<br />
focuses on improving the traveller,<br />
travel booker and travel manager's<br />
experience,” says McNeil. “That’s<br />
whether it be by improving the<br />
booking experience through<br />
mobile apps, improving security<br />
through better duty of care tools,<br />
or maximising spend visibility<br />
through enhanced data analytics.<br />
As we look to the future, the<br />
discussion around artificial<br />
intelligence (chat bots, virtual<br />
assistants, etc.) is beginning<br />
to become common-place<br />
internationally – once again to<br />
fulfil a certain type of transaction<br />
through technology. This in<br />
turn helps to improve the level<br />
of efficiency for our clients, but<br />
also help to enhance the TMC’s<br />
ability to leverage their expertise<br />
and personalise the customer’s<br />
experience through technology.”<br />
While it’s interesting that FCM<br />
has delved into the chatbot space<br />
with Sam, Humphries of Harvey<br />
World Travel makes a telling<br />
observation regarding the uptake<br />
of technology, as it relates to this<br />
group’s clients.<br />
“ Every travel programme<br />
should have technology<br />
that clearly focuses on<br />
improving the traveller,<br />
travel booker and travel<br />
manager's experience. ”<br />
26 | SEPTEMBER2017 Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za
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FEATURE – TMCs<br />
ABTA SURVEY<br />
Almost 60% of corporates say TMCs<br />
are ‘good to great’ at helping them<br />
manage compliance within their travel<br />
policy, according to a recent study<br />
conducted by FCM Travel Solutions<br />
and the African <strong>Business</strong> Travel<br />
Association (ABTA) among travel buyers<br />
in South Africa.<br />
Over 80% of South African corporates<br />
polled in the study indicated that their<br />
employees rarely or only occasionally<br />
booked out of policy and that in most<br />
cases, this non-compliance was from<br />
senior management.<br />
Achieving compliance at a time<br />
when corporate travel is becoming<br />
increasingly consumerised requires a<br />
more flexible approach, according to<br />
ABTA founder Monique Swart.<br />
“<strong>Business</strong> travellers are demanding<br />
personalisation and relying on the same<br />
tools they use and travel experiences<br />
they have in their personal lives,”<br />
she says. “The indication, thus, that<br />
over 70% of surveyed corporates’<br />
policies are strict or rigid should raise<br />
concerns.”<br />
“The survey also indicated that only<br />
30% of corporates actually consider<br />
and cater to the needs of their<br />
business travellers regularly and more<br />
than half were not concerned about<br />
the negative impacts of business travel<br />
on their travelling staff and trying to<br />
mitigate these. Traveller friction has an<br />
impact not only on the staff member,<br />
but also their ability to perform to<br />
achieve company goals.”<br />
Among those most-cited areas of<br />
anxiety for South African business<br />
travellers were flight delays, missed<br />
flights and perceived poor service from<br />
airlines and hotels. Corporates that<br />
are aware of the impact of traveller<br />
friction say they are looking at ways in<br />
which to mitigate the effects, including<br />
limiting travel where possible and<br />
introducing traveller-centric policies,<br />
including ‘bleisure’ and wellness<br />
programmes.<br />
The study further showed that among<br />
those most desired ancillaries by<br />
business travellers in South Africa<br />
are seat selection, access to airport<br />
lounges and good service, with onboard<br />
entertainment and on-board wi-fi<br />
being the least-demanded ancillaries.<br />
From a sharing economy perspective,<br />
almost 90% of business travellers are<br />
using Uber and Airbnb for business<br />
travel purposes, according to the study.<br />
As many as 40% are doing so without<br />
the permission or endorsement of their<br />
companies.<br />
Technology in the corporate travel<br />
space is clearly important to South<br />
African companies.<br />
“The survey found that over 65%<br />
of corporates like to use all the<br />
technology that is relevant to them,”<br />
says Swart. “There is a cost associated<br />
with this, however, and with cost<br />
savings being one of the key objectives<br />
of a company’s travel programme,<br />
technology should be used to help with<br />
cost cutting efforts.”<br />
“We offer our own in-house<br />
corporate booking tool for clients<br />
who require this,” she says.<br />
“However, interestingly, in recent<br />
months we have seen a shift in<br />
business from online travel agents<br />
back to the traditional Harvey<br />
World Travel Stores.”<br />
So, whilst technology obviously<br />
has a huge role to play in travel<br />
management going forward, there<br />
are going to be instances where<br />
travel managers and/or travellers<br />
will defer to the consultant for<br />
that human touch. How the two<br />
elements co-exist is explored<br />
further in the chatbot sidebar.<br />
PRESSURE ON FEES<br />
Of course, the threat of, or greater<br />
influence of, technology is not<br />
the only challenge facing travel<br />
management companies.<br />
Spend is down in the corporate<br />
space and TMCs are having<br />
to fight hard to justify their<br />
fees. Again, as is the case with<br />
technology, these TMCs are under<br />
pressure to ‘show value’ and prove<br />
their worth.<br />
“We do find an extraordinary<br />
amount of focus on a cost that<br />
equates to less than 8% of the<br />
overall total costs of a corporate<br />
travel programme,” says<br />
Vankeirsbilck. “Our focus as TTS<br />
is to find value opportunity where<br />
we actively encourage clients to<br />
focus their attention on the overall<br />
cost of their travel programme,<br />
rather than just the service fees,<br />
by focusing on travel policy<br />
adherence, traveller behaviour,<br />
travel supplier consolidation, and<br />
technology solutions, which will<br />
achieve far greater savings on<br />
their total cost of travel rather<br />
than saving a relatively small<br />
amount on service fees. It is<br />
imperative for a TMC to add value<br />
to a client’s total cost of travel<br />
programme, and this is where the<br />
true value is derived.”<br />
McNeil agrees that the<br />
discussion needs to move away<br />
from the transaction fee.<br />
“In the current economic<br />
environment, procurement<br />
departments are under pressure<br />
to drive cost savings, and one<br />
of the easiest targets within the<br />
travel procurement space is the<br />
28 | SEPTEMBER2017 Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za
Engage<br />
travellers<br />
with options that work<br />
for them and for your<br />
company.<br />
To learn more about how BCD Travel can help you and your organization’s<br />
travel programme, contact us at sales@bcdtravel.co.za or on +27 11 274-4000<br />
or visit www.bcdtravel.com<br />
Copyright © 2017 BCD Travel. Unauthorized reproduction strictly prohibited.
FEATURE – TMCs<br />
transaction fee,” he says. “While<br />
TMCs could add great value in<br />
helping procurement departments<br />
derive savings within their<br />
travel programme by proactively<br />
managing their travel spend,<br />
the knee-jerk requirement to cut<br />
costs sees corporates appointing<br />
TMCs based on the cost of the<br />
transaction fee and the result then<br />
is a zero-sum game where TMCs<br />
are introducing unsustainable<br />
pricing levels just to stay in the<br />
game. Standard annual increases<br />
are becoming harder to pass in<br />
an environment where customer<br />
expectations from their TMCs are<br />
increasing: better service, more<br />
expertise and technology. We are<br />
increasingly seeing customers<br />
wanting commission and override<br />
payments without any expectation<br />
that their TMC’s service<br />
fees would have to increase<br />
commensurately.”<br />
Ole Mortensen is a partner in<br />
AMM Consulting in Denmark, and<br />
he believes that fee structures need<br />
to change, if TMCs “want to regain<br />
some of the power they’ve lost.”<br />
TRAVEL BOTS<br />
FCM has its own travel bot called Sam, an “itinerary<br />
management tool on steroids”, according to Euan McNeil,<br />
FCM GM for South Africa. Sam has been released in the<br />
USA and is expected to be launched early in 2018 in South<br />
Africa.<br />
McNeil believes Sam will be how most business travellers<br />
interact with their travel programme in the future and<br />
explains that corporate travellers can book a car and hotel<br />
themselves and complete the booking without having to<br />
work with a consultant.<br />
Travel policy will also not be a problem for Sam.<br />
“We will have a generic policy based on best practice in<br />
the market,” says McNeil. “Then, if customers want to take<br />
their full travel policy and load that into Sam, there will be<br />
a level of commercial uplift.”<br />
Ben Lamm, CEO of Conversable, agrees that if successfully<br />
integrated with a company’s travel policy, bots will be able<br />
to match the user’s preferences and information with the<br />
businesses’ requirements around travel.<br />
“To keep track of all travel, most policies require that<br />
travel is booked through a specific company or channel,”<br />
he says. “Because bots serve as a single access point for<br />
multiple sources of information, travellers will be able to<br />
access more options from more places, giving them more<br />
flexibility within the framework of the travel policy.”<br />
So, is there a ‘shared’ future for TMCs and travel bots?<br />
“Travel bots, such as Sam, have been developed to provide<br />
an additional interface for travellers, which will complement<br />
but never replace the skills and insights of the TMC,” says<br />
McNeil. “The travel expert will always have a key role to<br />
play when it comes to managing business travel for large<br />
corporations as well as SMEs.”<br />
According to Norm Rose, President of Travel Tech<br />
Consulting, travel chatbots could also be deployed to<br />
handle redundant questions such as policy questions,<br />
baggage fees, customer support, and limited booking<br />
capabilities.<br />
“Progressive TMCs could use chatbots to reduce call<br />
volumes by answering simple questions about policy or<br />
travel options,” he says.<br />
With smartphone adoption nearing 100% and considering<br />
that an average business traveller checks their smartphone<br />
34 times a day, it’s not difficult to understand the<br />
popularity and attraction a mobile or virtual assistant holds.<br />
The nearly ubiquitous adoption of smartphones by the<br />
modern business traveller, says Lamm, means that a digital<br />
solution to travel needs is now a business imperative for<br />
the corporate travel industry.<br />
The travel bot is the perfect technological answer to<br />
address the business traveller’s need and desire to manage<br />
their trip on their own, and give them much-needed<br />
freedom within framework. TMCs can make use of bots to<br />
improve their service to travellers in a format the travellers<br />
desire in a cost-effective way.<br />
“If corporations are going to succeed in winning over the<br />
largest generation in the world today and improve retention<br />
rates within a group that is notorious for changing paths<br />
quickly, building in freedom within framework will certainly<br />
be a company imperative,” says Lamm.<br />
30 | SEPTEMBER2017 Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za
According to Mortensen,<br />
that ‘power’ has decreased<br />
substantially because:<br />
- The internet suddenly made<br />
the opaque airfare structure<br />
transparent<br />
- Customers insisted on working<br />
with transparency, showing<br />
and selling net fares<br />
- Online booking engines<br />
enabled the traveller control<br />
over their booking<br />
- Metasearch engines increased<br />
transparency<br />
- Low-cost carriers launched<br />
new business models<br />
“It has become clear that the<br />
business model needs to change<br />
to benefit not only the TMC but<br />
also the airlines, other vendors<br />
and the travel managers,” says<br />
Mortensen.<br />
“I still strongly believe in<br />
making a retail multi-source<br />
structure where customers are<br />
forced to compare total price, as<br />
it will benefit the travel managers<br />
and suppliers in the long run.<br />
Travel managers will have a<br />
harder time considering and<br />
identifying the right supplier and<br />
evaluating their offerings and<br />
differential advantages. However,<br />
competition will force TMCs<br />
to develop more products and<br />
services.”<br />
In closing, what Mortensen<br />
suggests is the following, in terms<br />
of “future pricing models”:<br />
- Subscriptions based on the<br />
hours a travel manager/<br />
company may need for a TMC<br />
- Consulting, including<br />
management information and<br />
other soft services, at hourly<br />
pricing<br />
- If the TMC offers duty of<br />
care, a subscription based on<br />
number of travellers<br />
- Vendor negotiation per hour<br />
- Concierge arranging VIP<br />
and group travel charges<br />
reasonable fee structure<br />
ensuring profit for the vendor<br />
“Many other services have a<br />
similar structure and while it will<br />
move focus away from bookings, it<br />
will start a much-needed change<br />
for the industry,” he says.<br />
Food for thought.<br />
CONCLUSION<br />
All of this adds up to a<br />
challenging environment for TMCs<br />
and a difficult one in which to<br />
prosper.<br />
As always, those that survive<br />
and indeed are successful, are<br />
going to be those that embrace the<br />
change that technology offers, use<br />
it to their advantage, and integrate<br />
it in such a way as to remain<br />
relevant and of value to their<br />
customers.<br />
That will be key to the TMC<br />
success of the future. C<br />
MEASURING<br />
PROGRESS,<br />
EXPANDING<br />
OPPORTUNITIES.<br />
Copyright © 2015 CWT<br />
SHINE WITH PROGRAM SERVICES BY CWT<br />
Turning data into information to understand your travel program’s performance can be<br />
complex and time‐consuming. Carlson Wagonlit Travel helps you put all the facts into context,<br />
providing insight and analysis to drive action planning for the greatest results. Our teams of<br />
program managers and consultants continually improve how your travellers engage with<br />
your travel program, and how your organisation performs against benchmarks. And we keep<br />
your data organised through an online travel management information centre that visually<br />
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LEVEL 1 B-BBEE CERTIFICATION
‘Local Leisure at its Best’<br />
campaign shows business<br />
travellers the benefits of<br />
taking a relaxing sho’t left<br />
southafrica.net<br />
asata.co.za<br />
Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za SEPTEMBER2017 | 33
SOUTH AFRICAN TOURISM PROMOTION<br />
South Africa is a beautiful and multi-faceted country. The sun shines almost all year<br />
round. The beaches, mountains, bushveld, large cities and small towns across all nine<br />
provinces offer unforgettable experiences, and of course, South Africans are friendly and<br />
warm people. Travelling around and exploring our country is the perfect antidote to our<br />
everyday workplace and personal stresses, yet nowhere near enough South Africans take<br />
the time to enjoy a sho’t left (a short leisure trip or getaway).<br />
This is exactly what the<br />
‘Local Leisure at its<br />
Best’ project is all about:<br />
helping to entrench a<br />
culture of holiday travel by adding<br />
a rejuvenating leisure component<br />
to business trips.<br />
Spearheaded by South African<br />
Tourism and the Association of<br />
Southern African Travel Agents<br />
(ASATA), the campaign aims<br />
to show corporates the benefits<br />
of extending their employees’<br />
business trips to include a few<br />
days of leisure experiences by<br />
putting the rejuvenation back<br />
into business travel through a<br />
selection of affordable tailored<br />
travel deals.<br />
“The health and wellness<br />
benefits of leisure travel are well<br />
documented,” says Sthembiso<br />
Dlamini, Chief Operating Officer<br />
at South African Tourism.<br />
“People who are encouraged<br />
to take time out to enrich<br />
themselves with holidays – even<br />
short weekend trips – tend to<br />
be more relaxed, motivated and<br />
productive employees. They are<br />
less likely to be stressed and more<br />
likely to stay in the company’s<br />
employ, as they feel valued and<br />
incentivised.”<br />
She says that business travel<br />
offers the ideal opportunity for<br />
corporates to reward employees<br />
in a cost-effective manner, by<br />
combining business travel with<br />
holiday add-ons.<br />
The campaign started with a<br />
process to upskill more than 50<br />
travel consultants to sell domestic<br />
business-to-leisure travel.<br />
“Equipping these agents, who<br />
traditionally deal with business<br />
travel, with the skills to sell leisure<br />
travel add-ons is immensely<br />
beneficial to their business as<br />
well as enhancing their business<br />
offering,” says Dlamini.<br />
The pilot phase of the ‘Local<br />
Leisure at its Best’ project was<br />
rolled out in Gauteng in the<br />
second half of 2016, and was<br />
so successful that it has now<br />
been extended to the rest of<br />
the country, with dozens of<br />
activations taking place at various<br />
companies between February and<br />
December this year.<br />
“We are very pleased with<br />
the success of this campaign<br />
so far,” says Dlamini. “It has<br />
already surpassed its target<br />
of reaching 10,000 potential<br />
business-to-leisure travellers. By<br />
the end of July, we had already<br />
completed 16 on-site activations<br />
at corporates, reaching more than<br />
13,000 prospective travellers and<br />
generating close to 100 enquiries.<br />
Another 16 activations have been<br />
secured for the remaining five<br />
months of the campaign, and<br />
there are over 40 customers in the<br />
pipeline.”<br />
The campaign ties in with<br />
South African Tourism’s new ‘5 in<br />
5’ strategy to attract five million<br />
tourists (four million additional<br />
international and one million<br />
more domestic) in the next five<br />
years.<br />
Dlamini expressed confidence<br />
that through this partnership and<br />
working with top corporates in<br />
various industries, including the<br />
banking, telecommunications and<br />
government sectors, more South<br />
Africans will get the opportunity<br />
to take a sho’t left and enjoy<br />
the country’s abundance of<br />
attractions.<br />
“ We are very pleased with<br />
the success of this campaign so<br />
far. It has already surpassed<br />
its target of reaching 10,000<br />
potential business-to-leisure<br />
travellers. By the end of July,<br />
we had already completed<br />
16 on-site activations at<br />
corporates, reaching more<br />
than 13,000 prospective<br />
travellers and generating close<br />
to 100 enquiries. Another<br />
16 activations have been<br />
secured for the remaining<br />
five months of the campaign,<br />
and there are over 40<br />
customers in the pipeline. ”<br />
September is Tourism Month in South Africa,<br />
making it the perfect time to get out and explore the<br />
country. It overlaps with International Tourism Day<br />
on 27 September, when the whole world highlights<br />
the value of social, cultural, political and economic<br />
tourism.<br />
The timing of World Tourism Day comes at the end<br />
of the northern hemisphere’s high season and the<br />
beginning of the season in the southern hemisphere,<br />
when tourism is on the minds of millions of people<br />
worldwide.<br />
34 | SEPTEMBER2017 Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za
Eastern Cape<br />
South Africa’s ‘wild’ province, the Eastern Cape features expanses of untouched beach, bush and forest. This was Nelson<br />
Mandela’s home province, and is an area with some enticing attractions – among them the Addo Elephant National Park,<br />
with the densest elephant population in the world; the dramatic Wild Coast; and, of course, Mandela’s home at Qunu.<br />
WILD COAST<br />
Tap your inner explorer and head to the Wild Coast,<br />
so named for its rugged natural beauty and myriad of<br />
adrenaline-filled adventures. From fishing expeditions and<br />
horseback rides, to hiking and 4x4 trails, the Wild Coast is<br />
an unspoiled natural treasure. The Wild Coast is also known<br />
for its shipwrecks, a legacy of its wild and tempestuous<br />
nature. Water activities like snorkelling and diving provide<br />
a spectacular view of the world beneath the waves while<br />
spotting lost treasure and other relics from shipwrecks.<br />
HOGSBACK<br />
Named after three distant ridges of the Amathole range<br />
of mountains that resemble the back outlines of running<br />
wild pigs, the little town of Hogsback has become an<br />
arts and crafts colony, a photographer’s picture perfect<br />
setting, a nature lover’s haunt and romance personified for<br />
honeymooners.<br />
PORT ELIZABETH<br />
With stunning beaches, interesting museums and memorials,<br />
award-winning wildlife destinations, it’s easy to see why<br />
Port Elizabeth is home to South Africa’s friendliest folk!<br />
This coastal hub has a range of mesmerising cultural and<br />
historical experiences that are worth exploring, including the<br />
Red Location Museum, the Donkin Reserve and the Nelson<br />
Mandela Metropolitan Museum.<br />
ADDO ELEPHANT PARK<br />
The 2,500 hectare Addo Elephant Park near Port Elizabeth<br />
is rated as one of the best places in Africa to see elephants<br />
up close. It is also South Africa’s third-largest reserve,<br />
encompassing five of South Africa’s nine biomes, with an<br />
enormous diversity of species and vegetation. The park is<br />
also home to buffalo, lion, leopard and rhino, and in the<br />
marine section you will find great white sharks and southern<br />
white whales, which means that South Africa’s Addo is one<br />
of the few reserves in the world that can boast having the<br />
Big Seven!<br />
NELSON MANDELA<br />
To give a true overview of Nelson Mandela in all phases of<br />
his life, from his youth in Qunu to his role as statesman,<br />
the Nelson Mandela Museum built in his honour comprises<br />
three separate structures: the Bhunga Building in Mthatha,<br />
accommodates an exhibition tracing Nelson Mandela’s<br />
journey, as told in his own words, and narrated in part from<br />
his acclaimed biography A Long Walk to Freedom; the Qunu<br />
component and an open-air museum at Mvezo where Madiba<br />
was born.<br />
Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za SEPTEMBER2017 | 35
Gauteng<br />
Be a GeePee and enjoy South Africa’s smallest province, an urban playground with large shopping malls, bars, hotels,<br />
casinos, and a vibrant cultural and entertainment scene. For heritage buffs, there are a myriad of attractions of historical<br />
interest that tell the story of the country’s emerging democracy.<br />
THE CRADLE OF HUMANKIND<br />
The Cradle of Humankind, one of eight World Heritage sites<br />
in South Africa, and the only one in Gauteng, is touted as<br />
the place where humankind originated. The area boasts 13<br />
excavation sites that are recognised as national heritage<br />
sites. For those wanting to experience the birthplace of<br />
humankind first-hand, the official visitor centres for the<br />
Cradle of Humankind, Maropeng and the Sterkfontein<br />
Caves, are within an easy hour’s drive from Johannesburg.<br />
Maropeng is a world-class exhibition centre that focuses on<br />
the development of humans and our ancestors over the past<br />
few million years.<br />
CULLINAN<br />
The attractive little village of Cullinan, about a 30-minute<br />
drive east of Pretoria, was a pioneering mining settlement<br />
that made its name with the discovery in 1905 of the<br />
world’s biggest diamond, the 3,106-carat Cullinan Diamond.<br />
Highlights in Cullinan include rides on the vintage steam<br />
train, Dinokeng’s Big Five reserve, adrenalin-filled activities<br />
at the adventure zone and the opportunity to learn about the<br />
area’s mining heritage.<br />
SHOPPING<br />
Gauteng is a shopping mecca. From Sandton City to the Mall<br />
of Africa, Menlyn in Pretoria and Maponya in Soweto, there’s<br />
a bustling shopping centre to tame your credit card around<br />
every corner. Gauteng hosts an annual shopping festival<br />
every year in September or October, with mall promos held<br />
throughout the year. There are also a range of flea markets<br />
that are definitely worth a visit, the most popular being the<br />
Rosebank Sunday Market, the Neighbourgoods Market in<br />
Braamfontein and the Bryanston Organic Market.<br />
SOWETO<br />
Soweto is a must for people from all over the world, and<br />
all South Africans should visit this iconic township. The<br />
Hector Pieterson Museum recounts the 1976 Soweto Student<br />
uprisings and some of the heroes of the protest and victims<br />
of the aftermath. Nearby is the Mandela House in Vilakazi<br />
Street, the only street in the world that contains the houses<br />
of two Nobel Prize Laureates, the other one being Desmond<br />
Tutu. There is also a string of vibrant restaurants including<br />
Sakhumzi’s Restaurant, Nexdor, Thrive Café and the Corner<br />
House which usually have a fascinating variety of regular<br />
patrons plus a vibrant selection of street musicians and<br />
performers who are usually brilliantly entertaining.<br />
APARTHEID MUSEUM & GOLD REEF CITY<br />
Located alongside each other, Gold Reef City and the<br />
Apartheid Museum are both must-visits on any trip to<br />
Gauteng. Modelled to resemble a gold rush town and<br />
showcase the gold-rich history of Johannesburg, Gold Reef<br />
city comprises a theme park, casino, restaurants, movie<br />
theatre and the Lyric Theatre that is well-known for its<br />
live performances. The theme park has some of the most<br />
modern and scariest rides in Africa – such as the Tower of<br />
Terror which has a 50m drop at a speed of 100 kilometres<br />
per hour and a fear factor of 10/10. To remember our past<br />
while moving forward into a more stable political future,<br />
Gauteng’s Apartheid Museum serves to document the racial<br />
and economic divide that once plagued our nation. One<br />
cannot visit Gauteng without spending an afternoon at this<br />
incredible place.<br />
36 | SEPTEMBER2017 Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za
Free State<br />
The Free State’s appeal lies in its scenic beauty, rural tranquillity and natural attractions. The eastern part of the<br />
province is the most beautiful, with its sandstone rock formations and rolling grassland. It also lies in the heart of South<br />
Africa and it borders six of the country’s nine provinces, as well as the kingdom of Lesotho.<br />
CLARENS<br />
The town of Clarens is known as ‘The Jewel of the Free<br />
State’ and is a must-see on any Free State trip. Take a walk<br />
down the main street and sample eateries, art galleries<br />
and arts and crafts shops galore. If you enjoy the outdoors,<br />
you’re in for a treat – experience white water rafting,<br />
4x4 safaris, horse trails and hikes in a truly spectacular<br />
landscape.<br />
BASOTHO CULTURAL VILLAGE<br />
On your way through the Golden Gate Highlands<br />
National Park, pop in at the Basotho Cultural Village for<br />
an interactive tour of traditional Sotho life from the 16th<br />
century to present day. You can also take a two-hour guided<br />
hiking trail to explore a nearby rock-art site and learn about<br />
the area’s medicinal plant growth.<br />
VREDEFORT DOME<br />
The oldest and largest crater on earth, the Vredefort Dome<br />
was caused when a massive meteorite struck the earth<br />
2,000 million years ago. The force of the impact caused<br />
the rock layers to bend, resulting in a semi-circular ring of<br />
mountains that are home to abundant bird and plant life –<br />
and the world’s only pink granite. Both Parys and Vredefort<br />
are located within the Vredefort Dome’s original impact<br />
area.<br />
CHERRY FESTIVAL<br />
Ficksburg presents the spectacular Cherry Festival each<br />
November. With live entertainment provided by well-known<br />
South African artists, festival activities include cherry tours,<br />
a golf classic, a half-marathon, cherry product competitions,<br />
veteran vehicle displays, equestrian events, beerfests and<br />
a food and wine fiesta. Watch the popular ‘Ready, Steady,<br />
Bake’ competition and see how cherry mampoer is made.<br />
GARIEP DAM<br />
The Gariep Dam is a staggering 100 kilometres long and 24<br />
kilometres wide. Take a guided tour through the passages<br />
inside the wall of South Africa’s largest dam, or sample the<br />
many water sport activities on offer: fishing, windsurfing,<br />
sailing, jet skiing, canoeing, rowing… and even gameviewing<br />
by boat! That’s right – there’s a well-stocked<br />
11,237-hectare game sanctuary on the dam’s northern shore.<br />
If you’re visiting in February, don’t miss the annual Gariep<br />
500 Rubber Duck Race and Watersport Festival.<br />
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KwaZulu-Natal<br />
Welcome to the Zulu Kingdom: an enticing, spectacular and fascinating multi-cultural showpiece destination flanked by<br />
the warm Indian Ocean on the east and soaring peaks to the west. KwaZulu-Natal has a wealth of scenic and cultural<br />
attractions that include the country’s most popular beaches lying to the south and north of Durban. Add to that its<br />
bushveld reserves to the north, historic battlefields and the dramatic Drakensberg mountains, and you can see why it’s<br />
popular with travellers.<br />
BATTLEFIELDS<br />
The battles fought in the rolling hills and valleys of northern<br />
KwaZulu-Natal some 120 years ago changed the course of SA<br />
history and still today, the area now known as the Battlefields<br />
seems to echo with heroic and tragic deeds of the past. The<br />
sites of famous skirmishes that rocked the British, weakened<br />
the Boers and broke the mighty Zulu nation continue to draw<br />
visitors. Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift are two of the most<br />
famous battlefields.<br />
UKHAHLAMBA-DRAKENSBERG<br />
The uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park is one of the province’s<br />
two World Heritage sites. This one is part of a much longer<br />
mountain range that stretches some 1,600 kilometres from<br />
South Africa’s northernmost provinces to the Eastern Cape.<br />
Not only does the site protect a stunning natural mountain<br />
wilderness area, it also protects an amazing cultural legacy of<br />
ancient rock art in Africa pained by the San.<br />
ELEPHANT COAST<br />
The Elephant Coast borders Mozambique, Swaziland and the<br />
Indian Ocean. The region comprises 21 different ecosystems<br />
and is a veritable paradise of natural wonders. There are few<br />
places in Africa that can claim to have such an incredible<br />
diversity of fresh water ecosystems, which is why a large<br />
portion of the Elephant Coast, the iSimangaliso Wetland<br />
Park, has been designated a World Heritage site. The coastal<br />
dune system that runs along the 220km stretch of protected<br />
coastline comprises dunes that are among the highest<br />
forested dunes in the world, up to 180 metres high.<br />
DURBAN<br />
There is no city in SA quite like Durban. Due to its<br />
subtropical coastal climate, warm seas, beautiful swimming<br />
beaches and the variety of restaurants and nightlife, Durban<br />
has always been regarded as a holiday city. Durban’s rich<br />
cultural diversity is what gives it a vibrancy enjoyed by few<br />
other South African cities. The wonderful food, ceremonies<br />
and festivals have greatly enriched the city’s cultural<br />
landscapes.<br />
SOUTH COAST<br />
KZN’s south coast, with its string of small villages stretching<br />
from Port Edward in the south to Amanzimtoti in the north,<br />
and its pretty beaches and warm sea, has long been one of<br />
South Africa’s favourite year-round holiday destinations.<br />
Many of the south coast’s activities revolve around the ocean.<br />
For example, you can go snorkelling or scuba diving, surfing<br />
or whale watching. The Aliwal Shoal off Umkomaas and<br />
Scottburgh, and the Protea Banks off Shelley Beach are rated<br />
as some of the top shark diving sites in the world.<br />
38 | SEPTEMBER2017 Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za
Limpopo<br />
Limpopo has become a sought-after tourist destination for its big game, exceptional birding, untamed bush landscapes<br />
and an ancient African kingdom, the centre of which was located at Mapungubwe National Park. It is also the northern<br />
gateway to the Kruger National Park.<br />
THE WATERBERG<br />
The Waterberg is a true natural wonder, featuring ancient<br />
mountains, a rich tapestry of biodiversity, thousandsyear-old<br />
rock art and a site of critical archaeological and<br />
palaeontological importance. Its rolling savannahs also make<br />
it a popular safari destination where large herds of buck and<br />
the Big Five can be seen.<br />
MAPUNGUBWE<br />
About the time of the Dark Ages of Europe, the royal court<br />
at Mapungubwe in Limpopo welcomed traders and men<br />
of influence from Arabia and the Far East. Only in recent<br />
decades have the fascinating details of this ancient city been<br />
uncovered. The UNESCO World Heritage site of Mapungubwe<br />
was once the capital of a country as large as Swaziland,<br />
surrounded by more than 200 satellite towns. The most<br />
intact artefact found at Mapungubwe is that of a gold rhino<br />
figurine which today is under safekeeping at the University of<br />
Pretoria.<br />
MODJADJI CYCAD RESERVE<br />
The Modjadji Cycad Reserve holds the largest concentration<br />
of a single cycad species in the world. These majestic plants<br />
are some of the oldest and largest of their kind on the planet<br />
and are found in the realm of the legendary Rain Queen. The<br />
Modjadji Cycad Reserve is set in the foothills of blue-green<br />
mountains above the village of Modjadji near Tzaneen. Some<br />
of the cycads here reach heights of 13m and bear cones that<br />
weigh in at a hefty 34 kilograms.<br />
PAFURI<br />
The Kruger National Park is not just about big game. In the<br />
north is the Pafuri region, a wilderness area of great natural<br />
beauty where you can discover ancient forests, brilliant<br />
birding and traces of early humankind. The northern section<br />
of the Kruger National Park is an area of unique biodiversity.<br />
It’s one of the few places where fever tree forests grow side by<br />
side with forests of giant baobabs. The trees line the banks of<br />
the Limpopo and Luvuvhu rivers.<br />
PRIVATE GAME RESERVES<br />
Limpopo offers dozens of superlative private game lodges<br />
situated in prime wildlife areas, including the Waterberg,<br />
Welgevonden, Klaserie and Timbavati reserves. Sometimes<br />
more affordable than some of the other lodges in northern<br />
South Africa, these reserves boast game galore, including the<br />
Big Five, scenic beauty and often fewer visitors.<br />
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Mpumalanga<br />
Mpumalanga means ‘the land of the rising sun’ in the local siSwati and Zulu languages, a name it derives from lying<br />
on the eastern border of the country. It is most famous for being the southern gateway to the country’s premier wildlife<br />
reserve, the Kruger National Park. It is a place of game, adventure and rich history.<br />
PANORAMA ROUTE<br />
On the Panorama Route in Mpumalanga, with its breathtaking<br />
vistas around every mountain corner, waterfalls<br />
plunging down faces of sheer rock, memories of the gold rush<br />
following you as you meander down an endless river canyon,<br />
and eagles hovering above your head – you can’t help walking<br />
with your head in the clouds. Attractions include the Blyde<br />
River Canyon, Bourke’s Luck Potholes and God’s Window.<br />
KRUGER NATIONAL PARK<br />
The Kruger National Park is renowned not only for its<br />
diversity of wildlife, but also for its conservation record. You<br />
can see the famed Big Five, but you’ll also be dazzled by<br />
hundreds of birds, ancient trees, mighty rivers and much,<br />
much more. The Kruger National Park gets over 1.4 million<br />
visitors a year, but because it’s so big – 352 kilometres from<br />
north to south, and covering over 1.9 million hectares – you<br />
will be amazed at how often you are alone watching game on<br />
a 2,500-kilometre network of tar and dirt roads.<br />
PILGRIM’S REST<br />
The village of Pilgrim’s Rest is a settlement lost in time. Here<br />
you can walk in the footsteps of early gold prospectors and<br />
relive the heady days of pioneers, garter-snapping barmaids<br />
and highway robbers. You can also stay over in an historic<br />
hotel and drink in a legendary bar. Pilgrim’s Rest is situated<br />
on the magnificent Panorama Route of the Mpumalanga<br />
province. The entire village is a tourist attraction and was<br />
declared a National Monument in 1986. Today, Pilgrim’s Rest<br />
is a living monument to the feverish gold rush days of the late<br />
1800s.<br />
WATERFALL ROUTE<br />
Mpumalanga is one of South Africa’s most scenic provinces<br />
and when you drive through the Panorama region or visit<br />
the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve, you’ll see why. But<br />
it’s not only canyons, mountains and seemingly limitless<br />
horizons that are waiting for you, there’s also the Sabie<br />
Waterfalls Route. There are more waterfalls here than<br />
anywhere else in southern Africa, and you’ll be astonished<br />
by their beauty and diversity. Forget the Big Five and that<br />
magnificent canyon for a while, set aside a day or two, and<br />
take yourself on a waterfalls tour.<br />
BARBERTON<br />
The ‘Gold Rush’ town of Barberton is situated in the heart of<br />
Mpumalanga’s Makhonjwa Mountains. With its mild Lowveld<br />
winters, rich history and wide array of things to see and<br />
do, Barberton is the perfect year-round holiday destination.<br />
Monuments to Barberton’s golden past can still be seen along<br />
the Heritage Walk, while mining tours and gold panning<br />
experiences give a taste of what life would be like. Yet there<br />
is more to Barberton than gold. The mountains that surround<br />
Barberton contain some of the rarest rocks on the planet and<br />
the Geotrail transports visitors 3.5 billion years back in time<br />
to witness some of the earliest life on Earth!<br />
40 | SEPTEMBER2017 Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za
North West<br />
The North West province features premier wildlife destinations, among them the Pilanesberg Game Reserve and the<br />
Madikwe Game Reserve; parts of two UNESCO World Heritage sites (the Vredefort Dome and the Taung Fossil Site, part<br />
of the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site); and the world-famous Sun City gaming and entertainment resort.<br />
MADIKWE GAME RESERVE<br />
Located near the border of Botswana, Madikwe Game<br />
Reserve, one of South Africa’s foremost Big Five malariafree<br />
reserves, was envisaged not by conservationists, but<br />
by economists. They found conservation would create more<br />
income and jobs than the existing land-use, which was cattlefarming.<br />
This successful reserve is now a model that has<br />
inspired South African conservation. The reserve has a host<br />
of private game lodges providing luxurious bush experiences.<br />
PILANESBERG GAME RESERVE<br />
See the Big Five just two hours from Johannesburg and<br />
Pretoria in one of the country’s most popular wildlife areas –<br />
Pilanesberg Game Reserve. Set in an ancient volcanic crater,<br />
this well-stocked reserve has a dramatic landscape that<br />
supports a wide variety of plants, animals and birds. As a<br />
true Big Five area it features elephant, lion, buffalo, leopard<br />
and rhino. But there’s a lot more wildlife to discover. Some<br />
of the other animals that roam the park include African wild<br />
dogs, brown hyenas and sable antelope.<br />
MAGALIES MEANDER<br />
The Magaliesberg Mountains is home to the inviting Magalies<br />
Meander arts and craft route. You’ll also encounter warm<br />
country hospitality when you visit the art galleries, arts and<br />
craft centres and interesting boutiques the area is famed for,<br />
before coming to roost at any one of many attractive lodges<br />
and restaurants along the Magalies Meander. The mountains<br />
are also home to an amazing variety of indigenous woodland,<br />
plants, birds and wildlife – a nature lover’s paradise.<br />
SUN CITY<br />
The Sun City theme park in the North West province is part<br />
of the Sun City resort and entertainment complex, offering a<br />
myriad of leisure and recreation options for the entire family.<br />
Known worldwide for its exotic entertainment options, the<br />
Sun City theme park is more a mini-city than a park, with so<br />
many attractions and entertainment options that first-time<br />
visitors may find it pleasantly bewildering. Activities run the<br />
gamut from adventure sports and safari options to a worldfamous<br />
golf course and a wide variety of rides and games to<br />
keep the children happily busy.<br />
HARTBEESPOORT DAM<br />
Hartbeespoort Dam is a popular weekend and day trip. The<br />
dam and surrounding areas offer a host of outdoor activities,<br />
from a variety of water sports to flights of every description.<br />
Hikes, walks and trails complete the region’s compelling<br />
outdoor adventure activities. Hartbeespoort Dam is the area’s<br />
major attraction and the heart of this tourism region. A<br />
mecca for adventure pursuits, the majority of Hartbeespoort<br />
adventure activities are centred on the dam and its<br />
magnificent mountain and bushveld surrounds.<br />
Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za SEPTEMBER2017 | 41
Northern Cape<br />
The Northern Cape is the largest of South Africa’s provinces but has the smallest population, making it one of the more<br />
remote areas of the country. Among its key selling points are its vast, open spaces, unique vegetation – including the<br />
beautiful spring flower spectacle that transforms a semi-desert landscape – and the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, which is<br />
famous for its lions.<br />
AUGRABIES FALLS<br />
At the Augrabies Falls you will be awed by the water<br />
thundering down the gorge. Particularly when there has been<br />
plenty of rain and the Orange River is overflowing, you will<br />
experience the full might of the water as it thunders down the<br />
56-metre-high falls. There are also plenty of other attractions<br />
to explore nearby, including a wide variety of flowers and<br />
animals, and the inimitable views from the Moon Rock.<br />
KGALAGADI TRANSFRONTIER PARK<br />
The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park was declared in 2000,<br />
formalising an ecological entity that was already there.<br />
Tourists love it, but this inspiring wilderness has given rise<br />
to something more. Now there are ideas of linking this<br />
gigantic conservation area to others nearby. The Kgalagadi<br />
Transfrontier Park straddles the border between South Africa<br />
and Botswana, a semi-desert of red dunes and starry skies.<br />
KIMBERLEY<br />
Kimberley, thanks to the fevered diamond rush of the 1870s,<br />
has a glittering past. Take a guided tour of a once-operational<br />
diamond mine, which descends a staggering 840 metres<br />
below the earth. Start your exploration of the city at its main<br />
attraction: the Big Hole. Imagine a hand-dug hole the size of<br />
eight football fields and you have some idea of the labour that<br />
went into creating the Big Hole. Adjacent to the Big Hole is<br />
the Kimberley Mine Museum, which brings to life the way of<br />
the city during the frenetic days of the diamond rush.<br />
NAMAQUALAND<br />
In spring the Namaqua National Park is painted orange by<br />
exuberant daisies. The distant mountains, the roads, the<br />
rocks, the trees and straggly shrubs of the succulent Karoo<br />
are completely transformed by a lively array of spring flowers.<br />
Every year the timing of the flowers and their quantities<br />
vary somewhat. But somewhere between August and the<br />
beginning of October, this dusty stretch of land springs to<br />
flowering life for a few intense weeks.<br />
SUTHERLAND<br />
Sutherland is a world-renowned astronomical centre in South<br />
Africa. The Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) is<br />
situated on a mountain top 14 kilometres out of town and is<br />
known to be one of the best star-viewing destinations in the<br />
southern hemisphere. Sutherland is also a great place from<br />
which to explore the Upper Karoo.<br />
42 | SEPTEMBER2017 Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za
Western Cape<br />
The scenic splendour of the Western Cape has long been a drawcard in South Africa. This is where you’ll find the Cape<br />
Winelands and a beautiful stretch of coastline. Most visitors list Table Mountain, Robben Island (where the late Nelson<br />
Mandela was incarcerated) and a visit to the Cape of Good Hope, at the tip of the Cape Peninsula, as priorities.<br />
TABLE MOUNTAIN<br />
Table Mountain is South Africa’s best-known landmark, but<br />
what many don’t know is that it is also a hiker’s paradise<br />
with numerous trails, amazing views and plenty of interesting<br />
facts to learn. Table Mountain has some remarkable features<br />
that make it a great destination for nature-lovers, deserving<br />
of more than just a quick cable car ride to see the view from<br />
the top. The mountain forms part of Table Mountain National<br />
Park, which is globally recognised for its biodiversity, and<br />
contains truly unique fauna and flora.<br />
ROBBEN ISLAND<br />
At times a leper colony, mental hospital and defence training<br />
base, the Robben Island World Heritage site is more famed<br />
as the prison to which anti-apartheid activists, among them<br />
former president Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, were banished.<br />
Visitors to the island are able to see the cell in which<br />
Mandela, the world’s most famous prisoner, as he was known<br />
for many years, spent 18 years of his 27-year incarceration.<br />
GARDEN ROUTE<br />
The Garden Route is a mix of modern golf courses, ancient<br />
forests, secluded artists’ communities, retirement estates,<br />
modern malls, craft centres, mountain hideaways and beach<br />
holidays. A large number of interesting and creative people<br />
drawn to this magnificent stretch of coastline have made it<br />
home. The main arterial highway through The Garden Route,<br />
a highlight on most visitors’ itineraries, is the N2 stretch<br />
running from Heidelberg in the Southern Cape to Storms<br />
River Village on the Eastern Cape border.<br />
CAPE WINELANDS<br />
The Cape’s 18 official wine routes and two brandy routes<br />
are among the most scenic in the world, featuring many<br />
historic wine estates that date back centuries. Take your time<br />
exploring this magnificent part of South Africa’s Western<br />
Cape province and enjoy sampling its magnificent wines<br />
and brandies. Most Cape wine estates are characterised by<br />
classic Cape Dutch-style buildings and massive vineyards<br />
with picturesque mountains as a backdrop. Wine tasting,<br />
winemaking tours, excellent cuisine and magnificent scenery<br />
collectively create an irresistible attraction for international<br />
and local travellers alike.<br />
CAPE WHALE ROUTE<br />
The Cape Whale Route is a superb outdoor adventure family<br />
holiday destination. Incorporating towns such as Betty’s Bay,<br />
Kleinmond, Hermanus, Pringle Bay, Stanford and Gansbaai,<br />
the route offers some of the best land-based whale-watching<br />
spots on the planet, as well as many activities for the whole<br />
family. The road trip from Betty’s Bay along the coast toward<br />
the other towns on the Cape Whale Route is a peaceful<br />
experience, with the Atlantic Ocean on the one side and<br />
mountainous, fynbos terrain on the other.<br />
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PACKAGES<br />
EASTERN CAPE<br />
STORMS RIVER ADVENTURE<br />
Spend a day kayaking up the Storms River mouth, under the<br />
suspension bridge and up through the gorge with its ancient<br />
forests and deep caves. Swap from kayaks onto relaxing<br />
inflatable lilos and float deeper into the gorge. For the<br />
adventurer, there is an opportunity to dive off an overhanging<br />
cliff into the cool waters of the river below. Your base for the<br />
weekend is a private log cabin deep in the Tsitsikamma Forest<br />
and we also include a canopy tour through the forest to enjoy<br />
during your stay.<br />
Includes: Two nights’ accommodation at the Tsitsikamma Lodge with<br />
breakfast and dinner daily. 2h30 kayak and lilo trip up the Storms<br />
River. 2h30 Tsitsikamma Canopy tour.<br />
TSITSIKAMMA SCUBA<br />
Learn the basics of scuba diving on a visit to the Tsitsikamma<br />
Marine Park situated on the beautiful Garden Route. Spend<br />
two nights staying at the Tsitsikamma Lodge within close<br />
proximity to the many attractions in the area. Take part in a<br />
four-hour beginners scuba course (or book a dive if you are<br />
more experienced) setting off from Storms River mouth, which<br />
will give you a taste for open water diving. It is a real privilege<br />
to dive in the protected marine park and the Tsitsikamma reefs<br />
are abundant with soft corals and fish life.<br />
Includes: Two nights’ accommodation at Tsitsikamma Lodge<br />
with breakfast and dinner daily. Half-day introduction to scuba<br />
diving course.<br />
GAUTENG<br />
SANDTON, SUSHI AND SHOPPING<br />
Enjoy a luxurious weekend at the five-star Hilton Hotel in<br />
Sandton, within close proximity to the newly revamped<br />
Sandton City Shopping Complex, one of the most upmarket<br />
malls in Johannesburg. Learn from the head chef at the<br />
hotel’s well-known sushi bar how to make beautiful and tasty<br />
creations from basic maki to the more complicated Californian<br />
roll.<br />
Includes: Two nights’ accommodation at the five-star Hilton Hotel in<br />
Sandton. R500 per person shopping voucher at Sandton City. Evening<br />
at Lotus Restaurant, including a sushi course, dessert buffet and<br />
certificate.<br />
PRETORIA GASTRO EXPERIENCE<br />
The luxurious Orient Hotel located in the Frankolin<br />
Conservancy in the Crocodile River Valley in Pretoria is a<br />
wonderful spot for a breakaway within easy driving distance of<br />
both Johannesburg and Pretoria. The boutique hotel is furnished<br />
in a Moorish style featuring intricate wooden carvings, temple<br />
pillars, smoky fireplaces and wooden balconies overlooking the<br />
valley. Enjoy nature walks in the conservancy, explore the inhouse<br />
Tienie Pritchard Sculpture Museum and enjoy a meal at<br />
the renowned Mosaic restaurant known for providing ethically<br />
sourced farm to table gastronomic experiences.<br />
Includes: Two nights’ bed and breakfast accommodation at The Orient<br />
Hotel. R500 per person voucher towards dinner at Mosaic.<br />
FREE STATE<br />
FICKSBURG STEAM TRAINS<br />
Bright pink cherry blossoms and historic steam trains make<br />
the quaint Eastern Free State town of Ficksburg a popular<br />
weekend holiday hotspot and base from which to explore the<br />
magnificent Maluti mountains. A visit in April or May will<br />
see you exploring all things ‘choochoo’ at the Steam Heritage<br />
Festival, where you’ll have an opportunity to travel aboard the<br />
restored locomotives as the collection sets out on its annual<br />
journey chugging out of Ficksburg and along the tracks that<br />
meander through the mountains. Alternatively, a visit during<br />
November will coincide with the renowned Cherry Festival.<br />
Includes: Two nights’ accommodation in a three-star guest house in<br />
Ficksburg with breakfast and dinner daily.<br />
PARYS ART AND ADVENTURE<br />
The home of artists and adventurers – Parys is just a short<br />
hop from Johannesburg and a great spot for a weekend escape.<br />
Visit the many art galleries, antique and craft shops located<br />
in town, enjoy a craft beer at one of the three breweries or try<br />
out the 52 flavours of mampoer available at the local distillery.<br />
The Vaal River and nearby Vredefort Dome offer a plethora<br />
of outdoor and adventure sport opportunities. From golf to<br />
hiking, cycling, rafting, horse riding, fishing, kayaking and<br />
sky diving, there is more than enough to keep one entertained.<br />
Includes: Two nights’ accommodation bed and breakfast at a three-star<br />
guest house in Parys. Sunday lunch ferry cruise down the Vaal River.<br />
44 | SEPTEMBER2017 Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za
KWAZULU-NATAL<br />
MIDLANDS BREAK AND BEER TASTING<br />
The rolling green hills of the Natal Midlands offer a meander<br />
with a difference - arts, crafts, leisure and cuisine experiences<br />
for every age and taste abound. Spend the weekend at<br />
Rawdons, a charming country hotel located on the edge of a<br />
lake. Notting Hill Brewery is located in the grounds and offers<br />
brewery tours and tastings of its cheekily named range of<br />
beers including the Pickled Pig Porter, Wobbling Wombat Ale,<br />
Tiddly Toad Lager, Tipsy Tiger IPA and the Pye-Eyed Possum<br />
Pilsner.<br />
Includes: Two nights’ bed and breakfast accommodation at Rawdons<br />
Hotel and Estate. Nottingham Road Brewery tour.<br />
SODWANA SCUBA<br />
Sodwana Bay, located on the North Coast of KwaZulu-Natal,<br />
is South Africa’s prime diving spot. The warm tropical waters<br />
of the Indian Ocean are home to miles of coral reefs and are<br />
a diver’s underwater paradise. Spend five days at this coastal<br />
resort exploring the different reefs underwater. Diving courses<br />
are also available on request.<br />
Includes: Three nights’ accommodation in Sodwana in an en suite<br />
cabin. Dinner and breakfast daily, and five dives.<br />
LIMPOPO<br />
GOLF AND GAME<br />
Tee off in paradise, but don’t lose your wits or your ball on<br />
the spectacular Extreme 19th Hole, the world’s longest and<br />
highest par-3, a 351-metre shot to the green 400 metres below.<br />
Legend Golf and Safari Resort is located within the 22,000<br />
hectare Entabeni Safari Conservancy in the Waterberg Region<br />
of Limpopo Province and offers great golf, as well as luxury<br />
accommodation with sliding glass windows and private patios<br />
offering panoramic views of the African wilderness. Wake up<br />
early for a morning game drive in the Big Five game reserve.<br />
Includes: Two nights’ accommodation bed and breakfast at the Legend<br />
Golf and Safari Resort. R1000 per person voucher for golf or game<br />
viewing.<br />
LUXURY TIMBAVATI SAFARI<br />
Situated in the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, part of the<br />
2.2 million hectare Greater Kruger Park, lies Kings Camp,<br />
an exclusive safari camp facing an open savanna plain and<br />
waterhole. The camp comprises eight suites, featuring Victorian<br />
ball-and-claw bathtubs, indoor and outdoor showers as well as<br />
private verandas with hammocks overlooking the bush. Enjoy<br />
two game drives a day, watching the sun rise and sun set over<br />
the beautiful bushveld. No dining experience is ever the same<br />
at the camp, from fine-service meals to boma braais and bush<br />
breakfasts, every meal is a memorable one.<br />
Includes: Two nights’ accommodation at Kings Camp Private Game<br />
Reserve. Three meals and two game activities daily.<br />
MPUMALANGA<br />
DULLSTROOM FISHING<br />
Renowned for its trout fishing and delicious pancakes, the<br />
charming town of Dullstroom is two and a half hours’ drive<br />
from Johannesburg. Spend the weekend at Critchley Hackle<br />
Lodge located around a picturesque dam and within easy<br />
walking distance of the quaint town’s pubs, craft shops and<br />
restaurants. Enjoy fine dining in the hotel restaurant and<br />
spend your time relaxing or fly fishing at the lake. Each suite<br />
features its own terrace and fireplace to warm the air on chilly<br />
evenings.<br />
Includes: Two nights’ accommodation at Savanna Private Game<br />
Reserve. Three meals and two game activities daily.<br />
LUKIMBI LUXURY AT THE KRUGER<br />
Set on a private concession within the Kruger Park, Lukimbi<br />
Safari Lodge offers guests a luxury game safari experience.<br />
The lodge boasts magnificent views over the Lwakahle River,<br />
an award-winning wine list and cellar. The spacious suites<br />
feature romantic mosquito-netted beds, private decks, indoor<br />
and outdoor showers and enormous bathtubs overlooking<br />
the bushveld. Head out on a game drive on one of the open<br />
vehicles or trail through the bush on a guided game walk<br />
through the park.<br />
Includes: Two nights’ accommodation at Lukimbi Safari Lodge. Three<br />
meals and two game drives daily.<br />
Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za SEPTEMBER2017 | 45
PACKAGES<br />
NORTH WEST<br />
A PICNIC IN THE MAGALIESBURG<br />
Spend the weekend in peaceful contemplation picnicking on<br />
the banks of a quiet river in the heart of the Magaliesburg<br />
Mountains, an hour’s drive from Johannesburg and Pretoria.<br />
Budmarsh Country Lodge, your base from which to explore<br />
the rolling countryside, offers six-course, French-inspired<br />
dinners and a well-stocked cellar, in addition to preparing<br />
lavish champagne picnics for their in-house guests. Enjoy<br />
hikes in the mountains, fishing or explore the craft route of the<br />
Magalies Meander from this quiet country retreat.<br />
Includes: Two nights’ bed and breakfast accommodation at the fivestar<br />
Budmarsh Country Lodge. R250 picnic voucher per person.<br />
A BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OVER HARTIES<br />
Wake up early and head off to the balloon launch site where<br />
you watch as the immense, billowy hot air balloons are<br />
inflated in the dark before dawn lights up the sky. Set off on<br />
your balloon safari, sipping champagne and drifting slowly<br />
over the Magaliesburg as the sun rises over the mountain<br />
range. You may catch a glimpse of Hartbeespoort Dam in<br />
the morning light. Return back to base for a hearty cooked<br />
breakfast to finish off the experience.<br />
Includes: Balloon safari for two and breakfast.<br />
NORTHERN CAPE<br />
AUGRABIES FALLS<br />
Hear the thundering waters of the Augrabies Falls which<br />
bring life-giving sustenance to an arid 800km national park<br />
characterised by granite rock and giant aloes. The falls drop an<br />
impressive 60 metres into the gorge below and record a flow<br />
rate more than three times faster than at Niagara Falls. Stay in<br />
a nearby lodge as a base to explore the National Park and take<br />
part in a number of activities such as fishing, nature paddling,<br />
game drives and hot air ballooning.<br />
Includes: Two nights’ bed and breakfast accommodation at Dundi<br />
Lodge Augrabies Falls. Hot air balloon trip.<br />
KIMBERLEY BIG HOLE<br />
Gold rush fever may have left the Northern Cape town of<br />
Kimberley, but the icons of its hey-dey have not, most notably<br />
the famous Big Hole, which is an enormous open-pit mine,<br />
reputedly the largest hole ever excavated by hand. Tour the<br />
mine and the old town, perhaps enjoy a meal at the stately<br />
Kimberley Club and photograph the flocks of pink flamingos<br />
that live in the flat pans outside of town.<br />
Includes: Two nights’ accommodation at the Protea Hotel Kimberley.<br />
Kimberley Big Hole Tour.<br />
WESTERN CAPE<br />
SEAFOOD AND SURF IN PATERNOSTER<br />
The picturesque seaside town of Paternoster, situated on the<br />
West Coast, is one of the oldest fishing villages in the country.<br />
Characterised by quaint whitewashed cottages, azure sea views<br />
and blindingly white beaches strewn with wooden fishing<br />
boats, Paternoster is one of the prettiest coastal towns in<br />
the country. The town has become increasingly popular as a<br />
seaside getaway and has also become known for the quality of<br />
its seafood restaurants serving freshly caught fish, flavoursome<br />
West Coast oysters and other shellfish.<br />
Includes: Two nights’ accommodation in a traditional Paternoster<br />
fishing cottage. Two days Group A car hire including super cover and<br />
200km free per day.<br />
CHEESE, WINE AND CHOCOLATE TOURING<br />
Enjoy some R&R in a quaint country cottage located on the<br />
50-hectare idyllic Chamonix Wine and Game Estate in the<br />
Franschhoek valley. The luxury cottages are set in secluded spots<br />
on the edge of the estate’s forest offering breath-taking views of<br />
the mountains for you to enjoy with your complimentary bottle of<br />
fine Chamonix wine. We also include a full-day cheese, wine and<br />
chocolate tour of the winelands including tastings at Fairview<br />
Cheesery, Tokara Wine Farm and the Bilton estate, whose dark<br />
Belgian chocolate tasting is paired with fine wines.<br />
Includes: Two nights’ accommodation at Chamonix Estate in<br />
Franschhoek. Two days Group A car hire including super cover and 200km<br />
free per day. Full-day Cheese, Wine and Chocolate tour of the Winelands.<br />
46 | SEPTEMBER2017 Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za
EXPAND YOUR HORIZONS<br />
AND EXPLORE THIS<br />
BEAUTIFUL LAND<br />
From the rolling hills of the Eastern Cape to the<br />
roaming wildlife of the Kruger National Park,<br />
South Africa is an untapped wonderland of<br />
unforgettable experiences. It’s all just a Sho’t Left away.<br />
Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za SEPTEMBER2017 | 47
FEATURE – ZIMBABWE<br />
Treading<br />
water<br />
48 | SEPTEMBER2017 Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za
Zimbabwe has endured sanctions, an unstable currency, and<br />
continued speculation about its future. However, this land-locked<br />
Southern African country has much untapped potential that<br />
many believe could be harnessed, should Zimbabwe see a political<br />
regime change in the near future.
FEATURE – ZIMBABWE<br />
Robert Mugabe has been<br />
Zimbabwe's only ruler<br />
since 1987 and has<br />
dominated the country's political<br />
landscape since independence.<br />
Under his rule, the country has<br />
battled to survive a struggling<br />
economy, widespread shortages<br />
of basic commodities, sporadic<br />
violence and hyperinflation.<br />
The economy of Zimbabwe is<br />
mostly dependent on agriculture<br />
and mineral resources, with<br />
the mining industry the largest<br />
driver, accounting for almost half<br />
of the country’s exports. Mass<br />
unemployment, though, is still<br />
rife, and policy inconsistency,<br />
as well as a lack of investment<br />
security, remain huge obstacles<br />
to promoting investment in<br />
Zimbabwe.<br />
Saying this, tourism, led by the<br />
stunning Victoria Falls area, is<br />
seeing a revival.<br />
The big question is, who will<br />
succeed Mugabe, who is already<br />
in his 90s? The veteran leader has<br />
struggled to set the economy right<br />
since his re-election in 2013 and<br />
now faces increasing pressure as<br />
sections of his own Zanu-PF party<br />
appear to be pressing for a change.<br />
FACT FILE<br />
Time zone: GMT+2<br />
Plugs: Three-prong square<br />
Dialling code: +263<br />
Currency: US dollar<br />
Language: English, Shona,<br />
Sindebele<br />
The 2018 general election will<br />
be the second under the new<br />
constitution, which allows a<br />
president to serve for a maximum<br />
of two five-year terms. Mugabe<br />
has, under this new rule, only<br />
served one term, so is eligible<br />
to run, although it’s unclear<br />
whether he will pass the baton<br />
of leadership to a party member<br />
or stand himself. Opposition<br />
parties are looking to form a<br />
coalition government to challenge<br />
the reigning leadership, a move<br />
which is gaining support from<br />
Zimbabweans.<br />
All of which makes for a fairly<br />
unstable environment, although<br />
not everyone sees this as a bad<br />
thing.<br />
“Politics play a role in business<br />
travel everywhere, and what<br />
we find is that when a country<br />
is facing challenges politically,<br />
business travel can actually<br />
increase, with NGO, media, and<br />
entrepreneurial opportunists<br />
growing,” says Glenn Stutchbury,<br />
CEO of Cresta Hotels.<br />
CITIES<br />
The capital city Harare is the most<br />
populated city in Zimbabwe and<br />
the country’s primary business<br />
travel destination. Set in the<br />
natural garden of the Zimbabwe<br />
Highveld, 1,500 metres above sea<br />
level, Harare is a friendly city of<br />
flowering trees and gardens and<br />
a temperate climate. Don't miss<br />
the Harare gardens, Mbare market<br />
and museum on your visit.<br />
Bulawayo is the second largest<br />
city located south-west of Harare.<br />
The Zimbabwe International Trade<br />
Fair is located here and is the<br />
largest intra-regional trade fair<br />
south of the Sahara, providing the<br />
largest, most convenient trade hub<br />
in the region.<br />
Zimbabwe's most popular tourist<br />
and MICE destination is Victoria<br />
Falls, home to the greatest curtain<br />
of falling water in the world. (See<br />
sidebar)<br />
The Great Zimbabwe Ruins in<br />
Masvingo and the Khami Ruins in<br />
Bulawayo are among the world’s<br />
most well-preserved ancient cities.<br />
In addition, the Hwange Game<br />
Reserve is the country’s largest<br />
wildlife sanctuary and home<br />
to one of the largest elephant<br />
populations in Africa. Lake Kariba<br />
is also a popular destination for<br />
game viewing and fishing.<br />
AIRPORTS<br />
Harare’s airport is the largest in<br />
the country, situated 10 kilometres<br />
from the centre of town. There<br />
are shops and small restaurants in<br />
the airport. Most of the airlines,<br />
including Emirates, SAA, BA<br />
(operated by Comair), Kenya<br />
Airways, Air Zimbabwe and<br />
Ethiopian Airlines do offer airside<br />
lounge facilities to their first and<br />
business class passengers. The<br />
airport security and customs x-ray<br />
systems are extremely thorough,<br />
though. Taxis, airport shuttles<br />
and transfers by car are the most<br />
popular forms of transport to and<br />
from the city.<br />
“Harare International is clean<br />
and functional,” says Mark<br />
50 | SEPTEMBER2017 Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za
Your AfricA,<br />
our LegAcY...<br />
<strong>Business</strong> or leisure, our hotels<br />
offer the discerning traveller a<br />
variety of options to suit every<br />
need. Beautiful accommodation,<br />
sumptuous dining and<br />
complimentary Wi-Fi are just a<br />
few ways we’d like to make your<br />
stay a memorable one!<br />
Bookings and Enquiries<br />
Contact Central Reservations<br />
Tel: +27 11 8066888<br />
hotels@legacyhotels.com<br />
www.LegacyHotels.com
FEATURE – ZIMBABWE<br />
COMMENT<br />
Mark Havercroft: <strong>Business</strong> Development & Hospitality<br />
Operations Director: Legacy Hotels & Resorts<br />
The dollarization of the country definitely improved things. However, earning a<br />
stable currency made life really expensive, and a long history of hyperinflation<br />
and daily fluctuation in prices have blinded sellers to the true value of the US<br />
dollar. So they’ll casually say there’s a 20% increase. That’s massive. You need<br />
to understand this to do business in Zimbabwe. Often you can reduce the price<br />
of items by half. The IT industry in Zimbabwe is also on the rise. Three million<br />
people possess smartphones and they’ve become very tech savvy. The latest<br />
development is a company called Get Cash, which is basically a virtual wallet.<br />
You can pay for goods from your smartphone without the need of physical cash.<br />
Social media is also widely used. It’s giving more and more people a voice to<br />
communicate with the rest of the world. It’s definitely a growing industry in<br />
Zimbabwe.<br />
Elephant Hills<br />
Monomotapa Hotel<br />
Monomotapa Hotel<br />
Havercroft, <strong>Business</strong> Development<br />
& Hospitality Operations Director<br />
for Legacy Hotels & Resorts. “The<br />
relevant authorities are efficient<br />
and the services on offer are more<br />
than adequate for all but the most<br />
discerning traveller. There are at<br />
least three business lounges and<br />
countless coffee shops and bars<br />
available in departures.”<br />
“The check-in experience can be<br />
long, especially in economy, but<br />
immigration tends to be fast,” says<br />
Stutchbury. “The x-ray machines<br />
are set very sensitive at Harare<br />
International, so remove your belt,<br />
shoes, watch and everything from<br />
your pockets and you won’t then<br />
be sent back. On your way in,<br />
don’t stress that all luggage gets<br />
scanned as you go to the Green<br />
Route, as this is normal for Harare<br />
and moves quickly. The arrivals<br />
hall appears disorganised, but it<br />
flows – just make sure you have<br />
your forms filled out before, know<br />
your visa requirements, and have<br />
exact change for your visa.”<br />
Fastjet began operations into<br />
Zimbabwe in 2014 from Dar<br />
es Salaam. The airline set up a<br />
Zimbabwean arm in 2015 and<br />
currently flies internally between<br />
Harare and Vic Falls, as well as<br />
regionally to South Africa and<br />
Tanzania.<br />
Other airlines that land in<br />
Harare include Air Botswana<br />
from Gaborone, Air Namibia<br />
(which also flies to Vic Falls),<br />
from Windhoek, Airlink from<br />
Johannesburg, and LAM from<br />
Mozambique.<br />
As the country’s national carrier,<br />
Air Zimbabwe connects Harare,<br />
Bulawayo and Victoria Falls. BA<br />
(operated by Comair) offers flights<br />
to Vic Falls from South Africa,<br />
while SAA reaches Bulawayo and<br />
Vic Falls in addition to Harare.<br />
July saw Airlink add six weekly<br />
flights between Cape Town and<br />
Vic Falls, and the response has<br />
been good.<br />
“The route is proving extremely<br />
popular and we are already<br />
looking at increasing capacity,”<br />
says Rodger Foster, CEO of<br />
Airlink.<br />
The new Victoria Falls<br />
International Airport (see sidebar)<br />
opened last year, and has been<br />
well received.<br />
52 | SEPTEMBER2017 Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za
Welcome to Zimbabwe for<br />
the warmest hospitality<br />
Lodge - Harare<br />
DDH&M/CRE14329<br />
Oasis - Harare<br />
Jameson - Harare<br />
For Reservations contact<br />
Tel: +263 4 788 161/2 or +263 4 487 006/8<br />
Email: reservations@cresta.co.zw<br />
www.crestahotels.com<br />
Lodge - Harare<br />
Sango Conference Centre<br />
Jameson<br />
Oasis<br />
Churchill<br />
Sprayview<br />
Victoria Falls
FEATURE – ZIMBABWE<br />
VICTORIA FALLS<br />
Victoria Falls is Zimbabwe’s shining light, thanks to its stunning natural beauty<br />
and obvious appeal as a leisure travel and MICE destination.<br />
It already has a number of big events – including this year’s EAI International<br />
Conference for Research, Innovation and Development for Africa and the<br />
African Finance Association Conference – on its CV, but the region’s new airport<br />
has just added another dimension to the offering, which also has a number of<br />
quality hotel brands represented, in the form of the likes of Legacy Hotels &<br />
Resorts, Cresta Hotels, African Sun and Africa Albida Tourism.<br />
Cresta Hotels CEO Glenn Stutchbury provides an interesting snapshot into just<br />
how Vic Falls’ growth compares with that of elsewhere in Zimbabwe.<br />
“The first half of 2017 has been a mixed bag with Harare showing an industry<br />
decline of 2%, Bulawayo an increase of 5% and Victoria Falls a massive growth<br />
of 17%,” he says. “The impact of the new airport, additional flights and larger<br />
aircraft has resulted in fantastic growth and the remainder of the year is looking<br />
very strong.”<br />
In March, SAA became the first airline to land a wide-bodied aircraft in Victoria<br />
Falls when its Airbus A330-200 touched down from Johannesburg. Also in<br />
March, Ethiopian Airlines launched four weekly flights from Addis Ababa utilising<br />
a Boeing 737, whilst in May, Kenya Airways launched three direct weekly flights<br />
from Nairobi.<br />
“These three airlines alone add 80,000 new seats per annum into Victoria Falls<br />
International Airport and the region, offering a huge opportunity for growth, as<br />
well as connecting new destinations with the incredible Victoria Falls hub and<br />
KAZA tourism region,” says Ross Kennedy, Chief Executive at Africa Albida<br />
Tourism.<br />
“The Victoria Falls airport is world class and, outside of South Africa, as good<br />
as any on the continent,” says Mark Havercroft, <strong>Business</strong> Development &<br />
Hospitality Operations Director for Legacy Hotels & Resorts, “although it cannot<br />
be denied that immigration procedures are time consuming for those visitors<br />
requiring visa entry.”<br />
HARARE HOTELS<br />
Cresta Hotels has the most<br />
comprehensive Harare offering of<br />
all the hotel groups, with three<br />
establishments in the city. The<br />
centrally-located Cresta Jameson<br />
has a 24-hour front desk, business<br />
centre, conference facilities,<br />
wi-fi connectivity, and a health<br />
and beauty spa, whilst Cresta<br />
Lodge Harare, on the outskirts<br />
of the city centre, has a similar<br />
mid-market, yet solid offering,<br />
in a different setting. The group<br />
also operates the Cresta Oasis,<br />
which is a hotel that also offers<br />
serviced apartments for long-term<br />
stays. Cresta also has the Cresta<br />
Churchill (see sidebar) in Bulawayo<br />
– a 50-room property that<br />
apparently “oozes Tudor charm” –<br />
and Cresta Sprayview in Vic Falls.<br />
The four-star Monomotapa<br />
Hotel, now under the management<br />
of Legacy Hotels & Resorts,<br />
overlooks Harare. It offers a mix<br />
of twin rooms, king leisure rooms<br />
and suites, and enjoys panoramic<br />
views of Harare, right on the<br />
doorstep of the city’s Central<br />
Park and Gardens. Zimbabwe’s<br />
National Gallery is a five-minute<br />
walk away and the renowned<br />
Botanical Gardens a short<br />
10-minute drive. There is also a<br />
variety of restaurants to choose<br />
from.<br />
Legacy has earmarked funds for<br />
the upgrading of the ground floor<br />
and public areas to the estimated<br />
tune of $22 million.<br />
There are also big plans for the<br />
area surrounding this hotel, with<br />
a vision to turn it into something<br />
akin to Johannesburg’s Sandton<br />
City, with offices, hotels, shops<br />
and recreation facilities. The<br />
Harare Gardens are in front of<br />
the hotel, and around the corner<br />
sits the National Art Gallery. The<br />
new owners have done a deal with<br />
the Harare City Council and will<br />
purchase 5.4 hectares of the park<br />
land, which will become part of<br />
the hotel.<br />
“We’re going to create a massive<br />
open-air restaurant in one corner,<br />
and then we’re going to build an<br />
800-seater convention centre that<br />
links the art gallery to the hotel,”<br />
says Havercroft.<br />
Following a deal concluded with<br />
African Sun in 2015, Legacy now<br />
54 | SEPTEMBER2017 Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za
CRESTA CHURCHILL<br />
REFURBISHMENT<br />
In May, Cresta Churchill in Bulawayo<br />
completed the first phase of renovations<br />
which began earlier this year. This and<br />
further phases aim to modernise the<br />
accommodation offering.<br />
Both standard rooms and suites now<br />
have completely refitted bathrooms,<br />
electronic keys have been introduced,<br />
flat-screen TVs and international plug<br />
points and USB chargers installed,<br />
and there has been the placement of<br />
new bedroom floors and a touch of<br />
repainting.<br />
“Cresta Churchill is the flagship<br />
hotel for Zimbabwe’s second city<br />
and this refurbishment will create an<br />
accommodation offering second to<br />
none, suitable for business and leisure<br />
travellers who make this their hotel of<br />
choice,” says Glenn Stutchbury, CEO of<br />
Cresta Hotels. “What we have sought<br />
is ease and convenience, as well as a<br />
classy, clean look that suits all travelling<br />
types, both local and international.”<br />
Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za SEPTEMBER2017 | 55
FEATURE – ZIMBABWE<br />
manages four other Zimbabwe<br />
hotels – Elephant Hills and The<br />
Kingdom at Victoria Falls, Hwange<br />
Safari Lodge and the Troutbeck<br />
Resort. There are plans to<br />
eventually upgrade and refurbish<br />
all of these properties.<br />
Elephant Hills, with its 276<br />
rooms and conference facilities<br />
for 1,200, will undergo a soft<br />
refurb, with the bathrooms, airconditioning<br />
units and golf course<br />
receiving attention. The nowempty<br />
casino at The Kingdom will<br />
be converted into an 800-seater<br />
auditorium with breakaway<br />
rooms in the next nine months.<br />
In Hwange, a new executive chef<br />
has overhauled the menus and<br />
upgraded the kitchen facilities.<br />
There are also plans to build<br />
conference facilities for 100 people.<br />
Although no management<br />
agreements have been signed<br />
yet, Legacy is set to take over the<br />
management of two more hotels<br />
in the near future – Caribbea Bay<br />
in Kariba and the Great Zimbabwe<br />
Hotel in Masvingo – which will<br />
increase its Zimbabwe portfolio to<br />
seven.<br />
Looking at the other main<br />
hotels in Harare, the Meikles<br />
Hotel is a five-star property set in<br />
a prime location in the centre of<br />
the city. Local tourist attractions<br />
such as Eastgate Centre, African<br />
Unity Square and the National<br />
Art Gallery are not far from the<br />
hotel. Also nearby are the Harare<br />
Gardens, Queen Victoria Museum<br />
and National Museum. Dining<br />
facilities at Meikles include La<br />
Fontaine, a good restaurant worth<br />
trying. The hotel also offers<br />
transportation to/from the airport<br />
for an additional fee.<br />
The Bronte Hotel is renowned for<br />
its beautiful gardens and collection<br />
of Shona sculptures. Centrally<br />
located in the Avenues, within<br />
walking distance of downtown<br />
COMMENT<br />
GLENN STUTCHBURY - CEO: CRESTA HOTELS<br />
Cresta Sprayview<br />
There is no Uber in Zimbabwe and the prices of taxis can be cheeky. There<br />
are taxi ranks at most hotels and it’s best to get the rate before you drive.<br />
For businessmen doing many different appointments, sign up a taxi driver,<br />
negotiate a flat day rate and have him as your chauffeur for the day. There is<br />
also a service called G-Taxi which is Zimbabwe’s Uber - download the app,<br />
but remember to request a car way in advance and set a time, as cars are not<br />
as frequent as in Johannesburg, for example. Wi-fi hotspots are in shopping<br />
centres and airports, but it isn’t fast. Be careful not to incur large roaming<br />
costs. Restaurants vary according to the experience you are looking for and<br />
local knowledge is key, so ask your host and people you meet, as they will<br />
all have their favourites. Things to check before you travel to Zimbabwe:<br />
transfer to and from hotel; wi-fi and charges at hotel; back-up generator at<br />
hotel – there are serious power cuts and we all know what that can do to your<br />
productivity and personality!<br />
Harare, the Bronte offers wellappointed<br />
rooms and executive<br />
suites in a garden setting.<br />
Suited to both the business and<br />
leisure traveller, the amenities<br />
include complimentary wi-fi, two<br />
swimming pools, a fitness centre,<br />
complimentary breakfast buffet,<br />
secure on-site parking and fine<br />
dining at Emmanuel’s Restaurant.<br />
On Samora Machel Avenue,<br />
the Holiday Inn Harare is just<br />
200 metres from the CBD and<br />
12 kilometres from Harare<br />
International Airport. Mezzaninefloor<br />
meeting rooms can<br />
accommodate up to 250 guests.<br />
Dining is provided by the Silver<br />
Spur Steak Ranch restaurant, 24-<br />
hour room service, and the hotel<br />
restaurant.<br />
IHG also has the new Holiday<br />
Inn in Mutare, which the group<br />
opened in July. The franchised<br />
property is owned by African Sun<br />
and offers 96 rooms, an outdoor<br />
pool, and a meeting room for up to<br />
250 people.<br />
Rainbow Tourism Group is<br />
represented in Harare by two<br />
hotels. The Rainbow Towers<br />
Hotel and Conference Centre was<br />
refurbished in 2013 and has 304<br />
rooms, wi-fi and 24-hour room<br />
service. Dining is provided by four<br />
eateries – the Harvest Garden<br />
(buffet restaurant); the Kombahari<br />
Restaurant (Afro-Asian fusion);<br />
Teppan Yaki (Far East cuisine);<br />
and La Patiserrie, the hotel’s lobby<br />
coffee shop.<br />
Rainbow’s second Harare<br />
property, the New Ambassador<br />
Hotel, is located in the CBD,<br />
and is walking distance from<br />
the main financial, commercial<br />
and government institutions, as<br />
well as a host of shops, cinemas,<br />
restaurants, the National Museum<br />
and Art Gallery. It offers 72<br />
rooms, a business centre, wi-fi<br />
connectivity and three dining<br />
options. RTG also has the<br />
Bulawayo Rainbow Hotel – its only<br />
property in that city – and two<br />
hotels in Vic Falls, in the form of<br />
the A’Zambezi River Lodge and the<br />
Victoria Falls Rainbow Hotel.<br />
CARD ACCEPTANCE<br />
The de facto official currency is<br />
the US dollar and it is very much<br />
a cash economy. The South African<br />
56 | SEPTEMBER2017 Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za
and and British pound are also<br />
accepted, but you do not get a<br />
favourable exchange rate. Major<br />
international credit cards (Visa<br />
and MasterCard) are now accepted<br />
in most of the larger hotels,<br />
restaurants and shops, but many<br />
smaller establishments still do not<br />
have credit card facilities. Diners<br />
Club and American Express are<br />
often not accepted.<br />
There is currently a cash flow<br />
problem in the country and ATMs<br />
often restrict withdrawal amounts.<br />
“Currently, the impact of<br />
the cash crisis far outweighs<br />
the political situation,” says<br />
Stutchbury. “The key shortage is<br />
cash, and access to cash through<br />
ATMs is non-existent. This<br />
has an impact on the traveller,<br />
as their usual source of local<br />
currency is unavailable. <strong>Business</strong><br />
travellers are advised to bring<br />
US dollars with them in smaller<br />
denominations for certain basic<br />
transactions, although swipe<br />
machines are available almost<br />
everywhere and payment by<br />
Visa and Mastercard is easy.<br />
American Express and Diners<br />
should be avoided. Mobile money<br />
transactions are very common.”<br />
VISAS<br />
Travellers from the following<br />
African countries do not require<br />
visas to enter Zimbabwe:<br />
Botswana, DRC, Ghana, Kenya,<br />
Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius,<br />
Mozambique, Namibia, South<br />
Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo,<br />
Uganda, and Zambia.<br />
African countries whose<br />
nationals are granted visas at the<br />
port of entry on payment of the<br />
requisite visa fees ($30 – single<br />
entry): Egypt and Seychelles.<br />
All other African passport<br />
holders need to apply in advance.<br />
HEALTH<br />
Malaria is prevalent in large parts<br />
of the country, so do take the<br />
necessary precautions.<br />
Private medical centres offer<br />
excellent healthcare, especially in<br />
Harare, where quality treatment<br />
is available 24/7. There are also<br />
several ambulance companies who<br />
can undertake medical evacuation<br />
where necessary.<br />
There are also a number of<br />
emergency clinics offering good<br />
healthcare after hours, if you<br />
prefer avoiding a hospital.<br />
Drinking tap water is not<br />
advisable, although Victoria<br />
Falls does have its own water<br />
purification plant.<br />
CONTACTS<br />
zimbabwetourism.net<br />
gotovictoriafalls.co.za C<br />
Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za SEPTEMBER2017 | 57
TRIED & TESTED/Hotel<br />
POLOKWANE, SOUTH AFRICA<br />
Sun Meropa Hotel<br />
BACKGROUND: The Meropa<br />
Casino and Entertainment World has<br />
been in operation for 15 years with<br />
accommodation supplied by a City<br />
Lodge hotel. In September 2016, Sun<br />
International broke ground on Sun<br />
Meropa and officially opened the hotel<br />
on 29 July with a grand celebration for<br />
its first hotel in the province.<br />
WHERE IS IT? In the Meropa Casino<br />
and Entertainment complex, about<br />
five kilometres from the N1 highway<br />
in Polokwane. It’s about a three-hour<br />
drive from Johannesburg.<br />
ROOM FACILITIES: The hotel offers<br />
60 three-star rooms, including six<br />
suites. The decorators went with a<br />
Moroccan theme – dark wood furniture,<br />
blue-and-white patterned tiles, accents<br />
of red splashed through the rooms<br />
– to complement the Moroccan-style<br />
architecture, with the two-storey<br />
hotel built around a central outdoor<br />
pool area. My room was compact and<br />
the space was used well. The work<br />
desk, with multiple easy-to-reach plug<br />
points, and tea-and-coffee station were<br />
separated from the sleeping area in<br />
an alcove by the window. It’s a small<br />
detail, but it really made a difference<br />
to the space. The bathroom was snug,<br />
with the shower door very cleverly<br />
doubling as the bathroom door, but it<br />
never felt tight. In the bedroom was a<br />
massive Samsung Smart TV with DStv<br />
which faced a king-sized bed.<br />
RESTAURANTS & BARS: The<br />
Kasbah Restaurant is situated next<br />
to the hotel’s reception. Dinner on<br />
this special occasion was a Moroccaninspired<br />
buffet. Appetisers included<br />
a prawn and avo salad, lentil and<br />
blueberry salad and hummus with a<br />
selection of breads served by passing<br />
wait staff. The main course consisted<br />
of dukkha-spiced peri-peri prawns,<br />
corn cakes, spicy pumpkin soup with<br />
croutons and beef and prawn skewers.<br />
The meal was rounded off with towers<br />
of colourful macarons, trifle cups,<br />
profiteroles in chocolate cages and<br />
chocolate mousse with caramel in pastry<br />
casings. The breakfast buffet offered the<br />
usual selection of fruit, cereal, pastries,<br />
cold meats, cheeses, scrambled eggs,<br />
bacon – both shoulder and streaky –<br />
mushrooms, tomatoes, hash browns<br />
and sausages. There was also a flap jack<br />
and waffle station, complete with an<br />
assortment of toppings. While the wait<br />
staff were happy to bring coffee to my<br />
table, I had fun making espressos at the<br />
DIY coffee-pod machine. The Harvest<br />
Wine & Grill, next to the casino floor,<br />
serves a variety of dishes, from aged<br />
steaks and burgers to ribs, wings and<br />
chargrilled chicken. Jembe Tavern serves<br />
authentic African cuisine and offers live<br />
entertainment. The Ngoma Bar is located<br />
on the main casino floor, making it<br />
easy for players to grab a drink without<br />
stepping away from the action.<br />
BUSINESS & MEETING<br />
FACILITIES: There is a conference<br />
centre on site with capacity in the main<br />
hall to accommodate 600 delegates.<br />
The three smaller meeting rooms are<br />
perfect for intimate meetings of up to<br />
20 people. There is a single computer<br />
station next to the conference centre<br />
reception. There is wi-fi throughout<br />
the hotel. Both my Apple and Android<br />
devices picked up the connection<br />
automatically; I didn’t need to search or<br />
sign in once to use the service – a real<br />
plus.<br />
LEISURE FACILITIES: The Meropa<br />
entertainment complex offers a number<br />
of ways to unwind. There’s the go<br />
kart track for a bit of motorised fun;<br />
a Mangwanani day spa for a bit of<br />
pampering; a mini-golf course; a<br />
cultural village; the Magic Company<br />
with games for the kids; and the<br />
WildThingz bird and snake garden for<br />
a walk through nature. The casino,<br />
operational 24 hours a day, is a big<br />
draw card. It offers 417 slot machines<br />
and 17 gaming tables.<br />
VERDICT: A really great option for<br />
your next trip to Polokwane. Clean,<br />
comfortable accommodation, tasty food<br />
and friendly, helpful staff all make for<br />
an enjoyable stay. C<br />
Kate Kennedy<br />
CONTACT<br />
A: Plot 59, Sterkloop, Roodepoort Rd<br />
T: +27 15 290 5400<br />
E: hellomeropa@suninternational.com<br />
W: suninternational.com/meropa<br />
58 | SEPTEMBER2017 Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za
TRIED & TESTED/Flight<br />
SEATTLE-LONDON HEATHROW<br />
Virgin Atlantic B787 Upper Class<br />
BACKGROUND: Virgin Atlantic flies<br />
to nine destinations in the USA and it<br />
added a tenth, Seattle (Washington),<br />
this year.<br />
CHECK-IN: Check-in desks at Tacoma<br />
International Airport are placed right<br />
at the building entrance, with clear<br />
signage indicating which airlines are<br />
where. The driver dropped us off right<br />
outside the Virgin check-in desk,<br />
which meant that even with two bags,<br />
a backpack and a handbag, I didn’t<br />
require a trolley for my luggage. I<br />
wanted to check my bags all the way<br />
through to Johannesburg, and getting<br />
this sorted took a bit of time. I headed<br />
to security with my hand luggage<br />
and was treated to the full US airport<br />
experience. The full-body scan threw<br />
out a warning and I was thoroughly<br />
searched by a security guard before<br />
being allowed to gather my belongings<br />
and head for the boarding gate at<br />
the South Satellite terminal, which is<br />
accessed by means of a short train ride.<br />
LOUNGE & BOARDING: Virgin<br />
makes use of Delta Airlines' lounges<br />
at the Tacoma airport – one in the<br />
main terminal and one at the South<br />
Satellite terminal. Unfortunately, after<br />
my delay at security, I didn’t really<br />
have time to enjoy the Delta SkyClub<br />
lounge, but here’s what’s on offer:<br />
plenty of seating on two levels; airside<br />
views thanks to a two-storey high<br />
window wall; desks and plug points<br />
for laptop users; shower rooms; a spa;<br />
a buffet; and a bar. Boarding was an<br />
orderly affair with passengers called<br />
in sectors – passengers requiring<br />
assistance, families with small<br />
children, Upper Class and premium<br />
economy passengers, and then economy<br />
passengers.<br />
THE SEAT: Upper Class seats<br />
are angled diagonally and give all<br />
passengers aisle access. Seats convert<br />
to fully flat beds and with a mattress<br />
pad, duvet and pillow, make for a great<br />
bed in the sky. Once flat, the pods,<br />
which allow for a lot of privacy, offer<br />
a generous amount of sleeping space.<br />
Unlike other airline beds, you don’t<br />
have to cram your feet into a covered<br />
foot well and the arm rests don’t cut<br />
into your space. The TV screen is<br />
installed in the front and pops out on a<br />
moveable arm to allow for straight-on<br />
viewing. The in-flight entertainment<br />
system – a touch-screen TV monitor<br />
and handheld console – is easy to use<br />
and the selection of movies, TV shows,<br />
music and games is extensive. The foot<br />
rest, that becomes part of the lie-flat<br />
bed, allows you to put your feet up even<br />
during take-off and landing, a feature I<br />
enjoyed. There are a number of storage<br />
spaces for things like your shoes and<br />
cell phone.<br />
THE FLIGHT: Once I was seated, I<br />
was offered a sleep suit and lavender<br />
pillow spray for the overnight flight,<br />
then champagne and a newspaper.<br />
We pushed back on time and drinks<br />
and snacks were served shortly after<br />
take-off. The dinner service began with<br />
bread rolls after which came the most<br />
delicious beef fillet I can ever recall<br />
tasting, and not just on an aircraft; it<br />
was tender, moist and full of flavour<br />
and served with risotto, asparagus and<br />
a carrot puree. As the flight was full,<br />
the bathrooms were busy and I had to<br />
queue for my evening ablutions. The bar<br />
was also popular and I had to fight my<br />
way through a small crowd to reach the<br />
bathroom. My seat transformed into a<br />
bed with the push of a button and I was<br />
soon fast asleep, despite the revelry at<br />
the bar. I woke in time for a breakfast<br />
of oats, coffee and a croissant.<br />
ARRIVAL: The plane touched down<br />
at Heathrow on time and Upper Class<br />
passengers were the first to disembark.<br />
I was held up at the very strict transit<br />
security (thanks to a pot of jam I<br />
purchased at Tacoma International<br />
without forethought), but was soon on<br />
my way to the Virgin Clubhouse to wait<br />
out the nine-hour layover.<br />
VERDICT: A solid trans-Atlantic<br />
service with a great onboard product,<br />
especially in Upper Class. The Rituals<br />
products in the amenity kits were a real<br />
winner. C<br />
Kate Kennedy<br />
CONTACT<br />
W: virginatlantic.com<br />
Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za SEPTEMBER2017 | 59
Q & A<br />
Milestone achievement<br />
Sally George<br />
Market<br />
Development<br />
Manager:<br />
Singapore Airlines<br />
Singapore Airlines has been flying to South Africa for 25 years, with its first flight landing in Johannesburg on<br />
29 March 1992. It began with a twice-weekly service using a Boeing 747-300 with one stop in Mauritius. Today, the<br />
airline offers a daily direct service between Singapore and Johannesburg; four of these flights extend to Cape Town.<br />
Sally George, Singapore Airlines’ Market Development Manager, took some time to answer a few questions about<br />
the airline and its history with Africa.<br />
Q: As it’s now 25 years since SIA<br />
first flew to South Africa, what<br />
was the background to the first<br />
flight and viability of the route?<br />
A: Flights were introduced at the<br />
time when South Africa was at<br />
the dawn of a new era and with<br />
the opening up on trade and<br />
travel restrictions.<br />
Q: What ‘type’ of business travel<br />
do you see on this route?<br />
A: A mixture of corporate and<br />
leisure as well as groups and<br />
incentives.<br />
Q: What was the business case<br />
for SIA bringing the A350 into the<br />
fleet?<br />
A: There was a strong demand<br />
for a bigger business class cabin<br />
as well as a premium economy<br />
product. We’ve increased our<br />
business class cabin with the<br />
A350 from 25 to 41 seats and<br />
upgraded the product offering.<br />
Q: SIA is expected to re-start its<br />
non-stop Singapore-US Flights?<br />
What has made this possible?<br />
A: Singapore Airlines has<br />
launched its new, daily, nonstop<br />
Singapore-San Francisco<br />
service using an A350-900ULR<br />
aircraft – the longest flight in<br />
our network. Flying time ranges<br />
between 14:35hrs and 17:45hrs<br />
depending on direction and time<br />
of year. Singapore Airlines is the<br />
launch customer for the A350-<br />
900ULR, for which deliveries will<br />
begin in 2018. The aircraft will be<br />
used to re-launch non-stop flights<br />
between Singapore and both New<br />
York and Los Angeles. SIA serves<br />
San Francisco twice-daily, with<br />
the other flights operating via<br />
Hong Kong. Singapore Airlines<br />
also serves Los Angeles via both<br />
Seoul and Tokyo, Houston via<br />
Moscow, and New York JFK via<br />
Frankfurt.<br />
Q: What can passengers expect<br />
in the SIA premium economy<br />
cabin?<br />
A: The cabin is laid out in a 2-4-2<br />
configuration. The seats are 19.5<br />
inches wide with eight inches of<br />
recline and 38 inches of pitch and<br />
offer one power outlet and two<br />
USB ports. The entertainment<br />
system is delivered on a 13.3-<br />
inch touchscreen HD monitor.<br />
Customers receive a 35-kilogram<br />
excess baggage allowance and<br />
priority baggage handling as<br />
well as 110% KrisFlyer miles of<br />
distance travelled. On board,<br />
passengers are offered a choice<br />
of three main meals, champagne<br />
and curated red and white wines.<br />
Q: How popular has premium<br />
economy been since SIA<br />
introduced the product on its<br />
South African route?<br />
A: Extremely. We have strong<br />
load factors with a mixture of<br />
leisure and corporate travel,<br />
especially during the traditional<br />
school holiday periods.<br />
Q: What are you doing to<br />
meet passenger demand for<br />
technological advancement and<br />
digitisation?<br />
A: The free SingaporeAir mobile<br />
app brings you a whole new way<br />
to enjoy KrisWorld. Discover<br />
what is playing on KrisWorld<br />
even before you step on board,<br />
shortlist your favourite movies,<br />
TV or music and control the<br />
media playback right from your<br />
personal electronic device. You<br />
just need to link your device to<br />
your seat, which will also allow<br />
you to view the current flight<br />
path and location and check<br />
updated flight information. This<br />
feature is currently only available<br />
on our A350s and selected B777-<br />
300ER aircraft.<br />
Q: Have you made any changes<br />
to your loyalty programme?<br />
A: There are no recent changes<br />
to the KrisFlyer programme,<br />
however on the PPS Club – for<br />
passengers travelling business<br />
or first class – there are a few<br />
updates. From 1 June, the PPS<br />
value accumulated on your<br />
travels may also earn you PPS<br />
Rewards. Once you’ve earned a<br />
PPS Reward, it will automatically<br />
appear in your KrisFlyer Account<br />
Summary, ready to be used for<br />
your next flight. Rewards include<br />
Double KrisFlyer Miles vouchers,<br />
which allows you to earn twice the<br />
miles for a single flight segment;<br />
a 50,000-mile discount on your<br />
next award flight or one-cabin<br />
class redemption upgrade; standby<br />
upgrade vouchers; and advanceupgrade<br />
vouchers, which allow<br />
you to apply for a one-cabin class<br />
upgrade at the point of booking.<br />
Q: Are there any plans to expand<br />
your African footprint beyond<br />
South Africa?<br />
A: We will consider venturing into<br />
new territories if it is commercially<br />
viable to operate. Currently we<br />
have a sales executive dedicated to<br />
many off-line territories in Africa<br />
to create more brand and product<br />
awareness in the region.C<br />
60 | SEPTEMBER2017 Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za
Q & A<br />
Tech savvy<br />
Andy Hedley<br />
General Manager:<br />
Amadeus Southern<br />
Africa<br />
Technology is advancing so rapidly that it’s hard to stay up-to-date with the ever-evolving nature of it. The technological<br />
applications in the travel sector are no different and we have companies like Amadeus to thank for providing industry<br />
players with ever-improving solutions. Andy Hedley, General Manager: Amadeus Southern Africa, offers some insight<br />
into the world of travel technology.<br />
Q: If Amadeus is no longer a<br />
GDS company, what is it?<br />
A: Amadeus provides the<br />
technology which keeps the travel<br />
sector moving – from an initial<br />
search to making a booking,<br />
from pricing to ticketing, from<br />
managing reservations to<br />
managing check-in and departure<br />
processes. Our ambition is<br />
to facilitate the entire travel<br />
journey from door-to-door,<br />
and in the process improve the<br />
travel experience for hundreds<br />
of millions of people every year.<br />
We do this by connecting key<br />
players in the travel industry; we<br />
give companies the tools to serve<br />
travellers better and to manage<br />
their own businesses more<br />
effectively.<br />
Q: What role does Amadeus<br />
currently play and want to play in<br />
the business travel space?<br />
A: Technology is rapidly<br />
expanding possibilities in global<br />
travel. Tech-savvy business<br />
travellers are demanding a more<br />
connected travel experience.<br />
Amadeus, as the travel IT<br />
partner, delivers a complete travel<br />
management solution; an endto-end<br />
way to control costs and<br />
empower business travellers. We<br />
aim to provide automation tools<br />
that free TMCs up from repetitive<br />
tasks and costly human error<br />
so they can focus on customer<br />
service and business growth,<br />
and communication tools that<br />
allow TMCs to journey with the<br />
customer and personalise their<br />
service. These tools offer TMCs<br />
the opportunity to cross-sell and<br />
up-sell, providing an enhanced<br />
travel experience and thereby<br />
increasing the seat value.<br />
Q: What’s your view on the<br />
African market, in terms of the<br />
space that Amadeus plays in?<br />
A: Africa should not be perceived<br />
or related to as if it were one<br />
country. Every country is different<br />
and has its own challenges.<br />
Challenges are sometimes similar,<br />
but never the same. Technology<br />
providers need to ensure good<br />
knowledge of the market<br />
requirements and challenges to<br />
go-to market. Amadeus is careful<br />
to take note of these nuances and<br />
to have customer input on market<br />
requirements to ensure the best<br />
fit for each market and customer.<br />
Q: What do you think business<br />
travellers and bookers are<br />
looking for, nowadays, from an<br />
online travel solution?<br />
A: As travellers, we enjoy the<br />
choice, freedom and personalised<br />
experience of leisure travel. And<br />
today’s business traveller expects<br />
something similar from their<br />
business travel programmes…<br />
choice, flexibility and a higher<br />
quality total-trip experience; be<br />
that from searching and booking<br />
to real-time information and<br />
experience ‘on the road’, right<br />
through to post-trip reporting.<br />
Q: What’s the Amadeus view<br />
on ‘Big Data’ and the role it<br />
is playing and can play in the<br />
business travel space?<br />
A: ‘Big Data’ in travel comes from<br />
every moment in the traveller’s<br />
journey, from airline bookings<br />
to hotel check-in. Their actions<br />
create data which presents an<br />
opportunity for travel companies<br />
to provide better-individualised<br />
services to the traveller and to<br />
improve his or her experience.<br />
Amadeus is well positioned to<br />
make this work.<br />
Q: From where do you think the<br />
next technological breakthrough<br />
for the travel industry will come?<br />
A: Simplifying the options for the<br />
traveller is a good place to start.<br />
Today, travellers need several<br />
different smart apps for different<br />
things. Any breakthrough will<br />
be in the space of enhancing the<br />
experience for the traveller and<br />
enabling the TMC to keep up with<br />
these evolving needs. Specialised<br />
or niche services will secure the<br />
business offering for many travel<br />
agents.<br />
Q: How far do you believe the<br />
personalisation of travel will<br />
evolve?<br />
A: For many clients, their mobile<br />
phone has become who they<br />
are. Therefore, personalisation<br />
equals mobile, with every single<br />
mobile user having a unique<br />
identity. Evolution in travel will<br />
undoubtedly include intuitive<br />
offerings to customers through<br />
their mobile phone. For travellers,<br />
mobile offerings will not only<br />
be something they want, it will<br />
become an expectation.<br />
Q: What are the biggest<br />
challenges faced by those<br />
wanting to push the development<br />
of travel technology?<br />
A: Today, technology is largely<br />
reactive and customer-driven.<br />
Providers must produce quick,<br />
agile technology to respond<br />
to growing needs. TMC and<br />
technology providers must work<br />
together for solutions that will<br />
make the process seamless both<br />
for the TMC and the customer,<br />
and at the same time focus<br />
on building customer loyalty<br />
through better experiences, from<br />
aspiration to book and journey to<br />
on-trip and post-trip sharing. C<br />
Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za SEPTEMBER2017 | 61
PEOPLE ON THE MOVE<br />
Senior Director<br />
InterContinental<br />
Hotels Group has<br />
appointed David<br />
Todd as its new<br />
Senior Director,<br />
New Hotels-IMEA.<br />
Todd previously<br />
worked for IHG<br />
both at the corporate office and at<br />
the company’s hotels in the Middle<br />
East. Prior to rejoining IHG, he served<br />
as Vice-President, Operations-MEA<br />
at Millennium Hotels & Resorts.<br />
Todd will streamline and accelerate<br />
IHG’s new hotel opening process and<br />
collaborate with various functions<br />
across the corporate offices in Dubai<br />
and Delhi, as well as build on existing<br />
and new relationships with owners and<br />
business partners. He will also serve as<br />
a senior member of IHG’s New Hotels<br />
leadership team.<br />
Regional Director<br />
The Carlson Rezidor<br />
Hotel Group has<br />
appointed William<br />
McIntyre as<br />
Regional Director<br />
of Southern Africa.<br />
In his new role,<br />
McIntyre assumes<br />
responsibilities for the following<br />
countries: South Africa, Angola,<br />
Mauritius, Mozambique, Zambia,<br />
Gabon and Rwanda. McIntyre has over<br />
20 years’ experience in the hospitality<br />
industry, with his most recent role as<br />
COO for the Hospitality Property Fund.<br />
Director of Sales<br />
The Carlson Rezidor<br />
Hotel Group has<br />
appointed Patrick<br />
Lan as the Regional<br />
Director of Sales,<br />
North Africa & Indian<br />
Ocean. In his new<br />
role, Lan assumes<br />
responsibilities for Morocco, Algeria,<br />
Tunisia, Chad and Cape Verde, while<br />
retaining responsibilities for the Indian<br />
Oceans including Mauritius. Lan<br />
has over 12 years’ experience in the<br />
hospitality industry, with a core focus<br />
on sales and marketing. His most recent<br />
roles include Deputy General Manager<br />
at Maritim Hotels and Group Director<br />
of Sales & Marketing at Sun Resorts.<br />
He joined Carlson Rezidor in 2016.<br />
Director, Global Sales<br />
Marriott International has appointed<br />
Brendon Hart as its new Director,<br />
Global Sales – South Africa, Sub-<br />
Saharan Africa &<br />
West Africa. His main<br />
responsibility is to<br />
maintain effective<br />
financial performance<br />
by ensuring that<br />
profitable sales<br />
are generated and<br />
operational controls<br />
are in place within a sales engine of<br />
the global sales organisation. Hart<br />
joined Radisson Blu in 2010 as Sales<br />
Executive before taking the position<br />
Sales and Marketing Director at<br />
Carlson Rezidor in 2011. He moved to<br />
Marriott in 2016 as Director, Global<br />
Sales – Middle East and Africa.<br />
Board Member<br />
WingsNaledi has<br />
appointed Gugu<br />
Sepamla to its board.<br />
Sepamla is co-founder<br />
and principal partner<br />
of Moshe Capital,<br />
and brings 18 years’<br />
senior executive<br />
experience to WingsNaledi, including<br />
12 years in company director roles<br />
on several public and listed boards.<br />
Sepamla served as the Managing<br />
Director and Head of Public Policy and<br />
Government Relations of Barclays Bank<br />
(Africa). She has also been involved<br />
in the successful transformation and<br />
restructuring of various state-owned<br />
entities over a 10-year period.<br />
Board Member<br />
WingsNaledi has<br />
appointed Nicholas<br />
Maweni to its board.<br />
Maweni brings<br />
extensive marketing,<br />
communication and<br />
legal expertise to<br />
the WingsNaledi<br />
board through his experience in<br />
both the private and public sector.<br />
He worked as Chief of Staff for the<br />
Ministry of Arts and Culture and also<br />
for the Ministry of Justice. He was<br />
the Managing Director of the Black<br />
Management Forum and was previously<br />
the Chief Marketing Executive at IBM<br />
Africa.<br />
Marketing Manager<br />
Newly appointed<br />
Group Marketing<br />
Manager of Protea<br />
Hotels by Marriot<br />
and African Pride<br />
Hotels Avukile<br />
Mabombo joins the<br />
group with a wealth<br />
of experience in brand management.<br />
His academic background – in media<br />
studies and brand leadership –<br />
underpin his many roles as a brand<br />
and marketing manager. He worked on<br />
a number of alcohol brands for RGBC<br />
and Brandhouse Beverages before<br />
joining Monster Energy as its Regional<br />
Marketing Manager.<br />
Account Director<br />
Marriott International<br />
has appointed<br />
Jeanette Moloto as<br />
Account Director:<br />
Sub-Saharan Africa.<br />
She is responsible<br />
for managing<br />
and developing<br />
relationships and business within sub-<br />
Saharan Africa across all the Marriott<br />
lodging brands. Moloto has worked in<br />
the travel industry for 13 years, serving<br />
in a range of positions mostly within<br />
the Protea Hotels by Marriott group.<br />
Previously she served as the Regional<br />
Manager, Africa, for the African<br />
<strong>Business</strong> Travel Association.<br />
General Manager<br />
Protea Hotel Fire<br />
& Ice by Marriott<br />
Cape Town has<br />
appointed Anso<br />
Venter as its new<br />
General Manager.<br />
Venter started out<br />
as a trainee in the<br />
hospitality industry, studying while<br />
working. Following international<br />
experience in England, Scotland and<br />
Dubai, Venter returned to South<br />
Africa in 2005, joining Protea Hotels<br />
by Marriott in 2007. Her first General<br />
Manager role was at the Protea Hotel<br />
by Marriott Cape Town Tyger Valley,<br />
and the three years of experience there<br />
have made her well placed to lead the<br />
popular Cape Town Fire & Ice! Hotel.<br />
62 | SEPTEMBER2017 Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za
BITE WITH THE EDITOR<br />
Strong Growth<br />
Neil Bald<br />
CEO - AHA HOTELS<br />
& LODGES<br />
Aha Hotels & Lodges is Tourvest’s accommodation division and is wholly-owned by the South African TMC.<br />
In the past five years it has grown into a significant player in the Southern African hotel industry. CEO<br />
Neil Bald has been at the forefront of that growth, and was happy to unpack some of those details over a coffee<br />
with editor Dylan Rogers in Johannesburg.<br />
Alot has happened since Neil<br />
Bald joined aha five years<br />
ago.<br />
The group has grown its portfolio<br />
from 12 hotels and lodges to over<br />
40, acquired a major competitor<br />
in the form of Three Cities<br />
Hotels, launched a new brand to<br />
the market, and grown its staff<br />
complement to over 60.<br />
All of this adds up to the second<br />
biggest hotel management company<br />
in Southern Africa and the fourth<br />
biggest hotel group in South Africa.<br />
“The plan when I joined was to<br />
grow it considerably and it still is,”<br />
says Bald.<br />
So, it sounds like he is on track.<br />
The aha brand now consists of<br />
a diverse selection of hotels and<br />
lodges spread across South Africa,<br />
Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia and<br />
Botswana, with the plan to extend<br />
that footprint into other African<br />
countries.<br />
“Outside of South Africa, our<br />
plan, from a hotel point of view, is<br />
to be represented in capital cities,”<br />
says Bald, whilst acknowledging<br />
that aha Hotels & Lodges still has<br />
some way to go before becoming<br />
a recognisable brand, particularly<br />
to international travellers. As a<br />
result, aha are open to operating<br />
properties under franchise<br />
agreement, if all the right boxes are<br />
ticked.<br />
“We are seeing demand for<br />
regional operators who know the<br />
lay of the land, possibly already<br />
have representation in the area,<br />
and understand how to work with<br />
the local labour force,” says Bald<br />
of the international brands who<br />
favour this approach over trying to<br />
make it work on their own.<br />
Besides the countries already<br />
mentioned, aha has fairly recently<br />
gone into Ethiopia with a deal for<br />
a group of properties over a few<br />
years. The first hotel is expected to<br />
be complete in the next year, with<br />
the second one due to start soon<br />
and two more on the cards in the<br />
future.<br />
“It’s going to be a very<br />
interesting couple of years,” says<br />
Bald, whilst conceding that the<br />
Ethiopian expansion goes a little<br />
against the grain of aha’s growth<br />
strategy, which focuses largely on<br />
South Africa and its neighbouring<br />
countries.<br />
“The plan is to grow more than<br />
one property in a destination and<br />
to ‘grow countries’,” he says. “If<br />
we do that we can start putting in<br />
country management etc.”<br />
East Africa, though, also<br />
remains of interest to Bald and<br />
aha, and whilst the group has had<br />
a look at and considered one or<br />
two opportunities in the likes of<br />
Nigeria, Ghana and Angola, one<br />
gets the sense that West Africa is<br />
currently just not as appealing.<br />
“We haven’t focused on growth<br />
too far from home, but rather on<br />
neighbouring countries and East<br />
Africa, where there just seems to<br />
be more opportunity than West<br />
Africa,” says Bald.<br />
Back home, aha are still<br />
optimistic about their South<br />
African growth in the hotel space,<br />
with Bald citing Johannesburg and<br />
Cape Town as the key locations<br />
from a business travel point of<br />
view, whilst also conceding that<br />
there is currently a hole in their<br />
portfolio.<br />
“To be recognised as a serious<br />
player, you need to have key<br />
locations, and in corporate travel<br />
you have to be in Sandton,<br />
where we currently don’t have<br />
representation,” he says. “We’ve<br />
recognised that, although it’s not<br />
that simple to get in there, but<br />
we are working on a couple of<br />
options.”<br />
From a lodge point of view, the<br />
focus is slightly different.<br />
“Growth outside of South Africa<br />
will more likely come from the<br />
lodge space, and we want to be in<br />
key/iconic locations,” says Bald.<br />
“So, it’s Etosha, the Serengeti,<br />
Maasai Mara and Kruger National<br />
Park. There is demand for operators<br />
in these locations.”<br />
Five years is a nice round number<br />
and, arguably, an opportunity to<br />
reflect for Bald.<br />
Aha Hotels & Lodges have come<br />
a long way since he joined in 2012,<br />
with the Three Cities acquisition in<br />
2014 giving the group the kick-start<br />
it was looking for, catapaulting it<br />
from 20 to 40 properties, giving it<br />
the critical mass Bald wanted, and<br />
establishing aha as a South African<br />
hotel group to be taken seriously.<br />
Now for the next five years… C<br />
64 | SEPTEMBER2017 Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za