SA Tourism have also matured and their side of the organisation has become very slick. (The only exception was, on responding to an invitation to interview CEO Didi Moyle, Monde Mateza never responded to my request.)

At the start of this blog I said that I’m a typical Capetonian who believes that the Western Cape is more blessed than almost anywhere else on earth. Well, I still believe that to a certain extent, but my travels have shown me people, products and places that really do excite me. More than ever, I realise that Southern Africa as a whole has the potential to beat all other regional destinations… if we just change some mindsets.

So, after three months away from home, it was with no lack of eagerness that I set off to find the Cape Town and Western Cape area at Indaba first. It took some effort because the organisers had signposted the direction incorrectly. And then, at the tail-end of the whole Indaba complex, I found an anonymous tent.

For South Africa’s leading city brand to be presented in this way was just not good enough; I was astounded. I was embarrassed as a Capetonian.

Was I being over-critical? I spoke to Cape Town Tourism’s Mariette du Toit-Helmbold and learned that the usual tent had been commandeered for Jacob Zuma’s coronation and their banner couldn’t be accommodated in the new tent. I greeted CTRU’s Dave Fransen (responsible for the Western Cape pavilion) several times but he seemed to make a point of avoiding me.

I spoke to Peter Bacon, CTRU’s chair, and he agreed that it was unacceptable and needed a serious rethink.

I spoke to Nils Heckscher, MD of Winchester Mansions Hotel and CTT board member, who always shoots from the cuff. He agreed it wasn’t as good as it should be and said that maybe the Province was resting on its laurels. He added that things will be different next year with the new alignment of provincial and city politics.

I spoke to Rema from Fedhasa Cape, based in the main ICC at Fedhasa Natal’s stand. She felt that the Western Cape area lacked its usual vibe and buzz: “and it reinforces the typical view of Cape Town… that we want to be apart from the rest.”

I bumped into an old friend, Di Campbell (now Dagh), as we looked at the CTT stand. “Is that Cape Town Tourism?” she asked incredulously, “I thought it was Cape Point Routes!” Great for Cape Point Routes, bad Cape Town branding.

The promise of the Free State pavilion outside wasn’t carried through inside, where strong brands (like Clarens) fought with geo-political districts.  And what on earth was the Limpopo Treasury doing with a stand at Indaba?  Now that’s an example of misguided efforts (and budgets)!

While I am seeking out the best of the best in people and products during these Travels, what interests me most are destinations and destination brands, and it’s here that the SA tourism product doesn’t fare well at all.

World Travel Awards
A highlight at Indaba was the presentation for the World Travel Awards. We publish the list for Africa and South Africa in full.

For some, Indaba is a chance to get out of the office and party; for some it’s a rare opportunity for networking or checking out the opposition; and for some — like Horst Frehse and Rick Taylor who I repeatedly tried to say hello to — it’s a time to really work hard!

So I decided to take an old-fashioned (and free) National Road from Mokopane to Pietermaritzburg — the N11.  (The thought of all the traffic around Pretoria for Jacob Zuma’s coronation also discouraged passing through Pretoria.)

The trip started early, in the dark, and it was long after crossing the N1 near Marble Hall (in Mpumalanga Province) that I was already cursing the SA National Roads Agency.  At the first of many stop-go sections, traffic was allowed from both directions onto the single lane — rather frightening, not to mention dangerous, on a road under construction in the dark!

One must wonder why such long sections of road have to be single lane (with little construction work in sight) because it just increases the waiting time at either end.  This alone, with the slow single lane sections, probably added two hours to our total trip time.

Driving past Groblersdal reminded me that the late Hendrik Schoeman, a minister of transport in the 1980′s, had been one of SA’s most successful farmers and farmed around there.  Harold Gorvy, a prominent businessman, and I first met him (and tourism minister, John Wiley) in 1985 after the Pierhead Festival which had demonstrated the public attraction of Cape Town’s derelict docklands.  Both agreed to form an inter-departmental commitee to report on redevelopment of the area.  That committee was headed by Arie Burggraaf and led to the V&A Waterfront!

It’s a fascinating area and, like Tzaneen which I visited a few weeks ago, is one of the few areas in Limpopo I’ve visited that is extensively cultivated.  Most of the towns impressed for their cleanliness and more sense of order than I’d seen in Limpopo — Grobersdal and Middelburg stand out in this respect.

What has really become evident in these travels is the importance of municipalities in making or breaking tourism.  Unfortunately, few have a clue… if they are not one of the 95-or-so local authorities that are technically bankrupt!

Here at the entrance to Mpumalanga, the contrast between cultivated areas and typical bushveld is more apparent. The next surprise was coming across the Loskop Dam.

If I think of tourism/leisure developments along the Western Cape’s Garden Route and West Coast, I’m sure it won’t be long before the Loskop Dam area sees a mini-boom.  One hopes that effective environmental and aesthetic controls will be in place before it begins.

Driving south-east from Middelburg, the topography is characterised by more rolling hills and valleys; one has entered the Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal grasslands.

This is part of the South African Grassland Biome, now unique among the grasslands that once used to cover nearly 50% of Africa’s surface. A change in climate around three million years ago allowed trees to encroach into these grasslands and create the savannas we know today.

I couldn’t help wondering what economic benefit the area held — it’s sparsely populated apart from occasional sheep.  Well, montane grasslands and fynbos are effective “collectors” of rain water. The southern montane grasslands of Mpumalanga provide year-round water supply essential for the cooling of power stations.

One out-of-date statistic I came across says that the eight Eskom power stations in Mpumalanga supply 70% of SA’s energy needs.  Over 2,000 km² of the Mpumalanga Highveld is taken up by South Africa’s major gold and coal deposits, much of which are mined in opencast pits.

I must find out about environmental legislation governing the mining companies (and maybe someone can answer it in the comments).  The waste heaps are a blot on the landscape.  The heavy-vehicle traffic on the road also made me think back to the 1980′s, when it was very difficult to get road-haulage licences to favour SA Railways.  Maligned as it was then, it reduced the number of trucks on the roads and the damage they do to road surfaces.  Companies should be forced to use rail transport more often!

Outside Volksrust, the last town in Mpumalanga before entering KwaZulu-Natal, a signpost points to Majuba, immortalised on 27 February 1881 as the main battle of the First Boer War where the Boers crushed the British. Over 280 Britons were killed, captured or wounded against Boer casualties of one dead and five wounded.

The battle is historically significant because it led to the signing of a peace treaty and the Pretoria Convention, between the British and the newly created South African Republic, ending the First Boer War.

The Boers’ fire and move tactic employed by the Boers in the final assault on Majuba Hill was years ahead of its time.

Following defeats at Laing’s Nek and Schuinshoogte, Majuba ratified the strength of the Boers in the minds of the British. “Remember Majuba” became a rallying cry in the second Anglo-Boer War.

The N11 ends just past Ladysmith where it joins the N3 which links Gauteng to Durban.  Here we joined a toll road for the first time and, yes, it was a pleasant experience!  Wide roads, a dual carriageway with a wide median and spectacular scenery through the Natal Midlands.  But when the upgrading of the N11 is finished, there is little doubt that it will become the route of choice from the north.  It will be a splendid drive through memorable scenery.

The fantastic people at Durban’s ICC who made arrangements for Akela to visit were all keen to meet her.

These photos are the highlights of the people she met — the story on Indaba and our travels there will follow.

Most ask if they can touch Akela but only women get lucky — she’s female and only makes friends with women and children, running away from men. (She’s bonded to her pack so hard luck to all other men!)