February Update from South African Tourism North America

Thursday, Feb 23, 2023 0

Long known for pushing musical boundaries and doing things in new and exciting ways, South Africa’s music culture was in the international spotlight once again at the 65th annual Grammy Awards hosted by South Africa’s own Trevor Noah.

South Africans Zakes Bantwini, Wouter Kellerman, and Nomcebo Zikode were celebrated as winners in the Best Global Music Performance category for their collaboration on Bayethe. This talented trio joins a long line of South Africans who have taken home GRAMMYs gold by showcasing the country’s amazing expressiveness and creativity including DJ Black Coffee, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, The Soweto Gospel Choir, and more.

South Africa’s rich music culture is made up of diverse genres, from jazz, hip hop, kwaito and gospel to pop and alternative rock and can be enjoyed by locals and travelers alike at annual music festivals including Oppikoppi, Rocking the Daisies and Splashy Fen. There are also regular live music events at venues around the country from Johannesburg to Cape Town to Durban to Bloemfontein.

Check out the Award-Winning Song

Association of Black Travel Professionals (ABTP) Visits South Africa

South Africa proudly welcomed members of the Association of Black Travel Professionals (ABTP) to its borders on a nine-day educational in January. The group of 20 was made up of member travel advisors and led by ABTP’s membership team.

ABTP members toured Johannesburg, including Soweto, along with Robben Island and Table Mountain while in Cape Town, enjoyed a wine tour in Stellenbosch, and got up close and personal with the Big 5 in Pilanesberg National Park & Game Reserve. One of the group’s highlights was visiting Soweto with Antoinette Sithole, the sister of Hector Pieterson.

Founded in 2020, the Association of Black Travel Professionals (ABTP) was established with a goal to be the premier organization focused on the development, growth and certification of Black Travel Professionals. ABTP’s community is made up of more than 500 travel advisors and growing.

Learn More About ABTP

Event Spotlight: Afrika Burn

Afrika Burn returns to South Africa in 2023. This April 24-30, the lunar landscape of the Tankwa Karoo desert will be transformed into Africa’s largest outdoor art gallery.

Started in 2007, AfrikaBurn is the official African regional of Burning Man, and has grown from a small event of around 1,000 people in that year, to just under 13,000 people at the 2019 event. AfrikaBurn takes place every year towards the end of April in the remote desert of the Tankwa Karoo, on the border of the Western and Northern Cape Provinces of South Africa.

The aim of AfrikaBurn is to provide a space where participants can ‘invent the world anew’ – and for many people, this takes the form of expressing themselves through costume, performance and the creation of large-scale art pieces. Help your clients build an unforgettable art-filled adventure through South Africa around this year’s festival.

Learn More about AfrikaBurn

South Africa’s Wine-iversary

Raise a glass and toast to 364 years of award-winning South African Wine. South Africa is the only country in the world that can accurately pinpoint the exact date of origin of its wine industry, due to a diary entry from February 2, 1659.

Join us in celebrating South Africa’s Wine Birthday month, through sharing content on your social media platforms that encourages your clients to come and experience the breadth and depth of world class wine tourism experiences on offer in Cape Town and the Western Cape.

As part of the celebration, the team at Cape Town & Western Cape Tourism has created a series of assets including videos, maps, wine tourism collateral and a white label wine tourism logo which you can share on your platforms using the hashtags #HappyBirthdaySAWine, #SAWineSince1659 and #DiscoverCTWC.

Download the Toolkit here

Meet South Africa Webinar Series

Speaking of wine, part two of South African Tourism North America’s Meet South Africa webinar series with special guest from Wines of South Africa (WOSA) was broadcast on February 15. The session covered South Africa’s provinces, major cities and sample itineraries ranging from the highlights to off the beaten track regions and experiences.

Jim Clarke of WOSA joined the webinar to speak about the diverse field of South African wines. The session included a look at the winelands 364-year history and the different styles of wine made in the Western Cape, and the rich set of wine tourism offerings found in South Africa’s winelands.

In case you missed part one of the Meet South Africa webinar series, the recording is available here.

Click here to view part two of the webinar series

Experience of the Month: Lush Private Lodge

Lush is a family-owned and managed boutique private game lodge, set within the Black Rhino Reserve of the greater Pilanesberg National Park offering luxury accommodation, dining, and safari experiences in a malaria-free setting.

Lush provides authentic safari adventures that your clients will want to write home about. Exclusive traversing in a Black Rhino Reserve through Pilanesberg’s Wilderness offers the opportunity to explore an untouched environment.

Activities include game drives with scenic stops for refreshments on the traditional twice-daily basis, guided morning bush walks, hot-air balloon flights, and golf at the nearby championship Gary Player and Lost City golf courses, set in parkland and bushveld, respectively.

Learn More