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Hello
Two of CapeInfo's most exciting projects ever are launched today -- the SA Destination Awards and Myths, Legends & Old-folks' stories. And appropriately since Cape Town has just been selected for the shortlist for World Design Capital 2014, there's also an account of why Cape Town is surfing the crest of a wave at the moment.
COMPETITIONS
SA Destination Awards
So much has been said and written about "service delivery" and the focus on correcting the failures at local government level. But everybody is missing the wood for the trees, the bar needs to be raised much higher. We need to create towns, cities and villages that people want to live in; we need civic pride, public participation and consumer activism: we need to create Destinations with a capital D.
Andrew Boraine (Cape Town Partnership CEO) reinforces this: "Cities are about people, not just buildings and infrastructure. Raising the level of citizen confidence and participation is an important part of a city development process." Successful destinations deliver excellent service but that's not enough to ensure happy, gainfully-occupied citizens who take pride in their place and use it well.
If you care about your town or region and how it rates in the tourism stakes, you'll become a consumer activist, making sure your tourism office, municipality, route or meander participates in the competition.
The competition is open to all cities, towns and villages, routes, meanders and regions anywhere in South Africa. There is also a category for destinations which are standalone brands, but they need to meet certain criteria. Sorry, a guest house is not a destination!
- Introduction to the SA Destination Awards
- Definitions of Destinations and who may enter
- Background and insight
- For entrants: Entry application form
SOUTH AFRICAN ORAL HISTORY WIKI
Myths, Legends & Old-folks' stories
Stories are not just part of our heritage, they also provide the richness of our cultures and places. Legends, myths and old-folks' stories deserve to be recorded and shared - to become a lasting part of a unified South African heritage. And they can also enhance the attractions we already offer.
Anyone can contribute to content here, you don't even need to log in (although there are good reasons why you should). These pages are powered by the Wiki system that Wikipedia uses, and we're hoping for the same wide level of collaboration and contribution.
Some interesting stories so far:
- Introduction
- Breakwater Gaol Treadmill – Mans' inhumanity to man
- Mapungubwe – South Africa's first kingdom
- Thulamela – South Africa's trade centre between 1250 and 1700
- Rain Queen of Modjadjiskloof – a hereditary queen and source of the kingdom's bounty
- The Ghost of Tokai Manor – and the prank that went awry
- *Sanna Malgas' Story – Music makes me Right
- *A Mother of the Nation – the first bandiet made it big-time
- *Khoi and Bushman reconciliation ceremony at Solms-Delta – The Washing of the Spears
- *The Engela story of Solms-Delta
- *The perils of archaeology
- Louis Karol's arrival in South Africa – delight in oranges
* Five of the stories were submitted by the very special Solms-Delta Wine Estate in Franschhoek. Mark Solms explains why it is so special: "Solms-Delta embraces all that it means to be South African. In everything that we do, Solms-Delta celebrates being Hiervandaan (from this place) in an honest and open way that tries to unite our people and cultures ..." It's also in David Kramer's list of favourite places.
DESTINATIONS
Cape Town: Surfing the crest of a wave
It was announced this week that Cape Town is on the shortlist for the World Design Capital for 2014. This follows on the heels of the announcement by TripAdvisor, the world's largest travel site, that Cape Town had been voted the World's Best Destination for 2011. Table Mountain is also a finalist for the New Seven Wonders of Nature (click here to vote and support Table Mountain).
These follow on a long list of awards and accolades. Even if you're not from Cape Town, read Why Cape Town is surfing the crest of a wave to find out what it's doing right.
To read why Cape Town is so special, click here.
DIRECTORY
What are you looking for today?...
Explore those places you've never been to before... or if on business, maybe you'll find something more to your liking or budget in our Directory. Here's a taste of recently added or updated entries:
Cape Town
Silvermist Mountain Lodge |
Vaalwater, Limpopo
Olievenfontein Private Game Reserve |
Balgowan, KZN
Granny Mouse Country House and Spa |
Midrand, Gauteng
Thatch and Thorn |
JUST A LOVELY STORY
Beauty's Banquets
Beauty and her sister, Maria |
Beauty & her sister Maria One day, Beauty came to me and suggested that we offer Xhosa Banquets to our guests. Keen to get going, we put it on our website and advertised it – and our first booking came. And then I thought to ask her what a Xhosa Feast might consist of – sheeps' heads (Smileys) and chicken beaks & feet (Walkie Talkies)?!
Beauty: I don't really know – why don't you look it up on that googly thing on the computer?
Me: But you must know – when you all get together for weddings and funerals etc, what do you eat?
Beauty: Kentucky Fried Chicken!
(So I looked it up on the googly thing.)
Me: Baked Chicken. Samp and Beans. Mealie Pap. Spinach. Sweet Potato. A Black Pot Stew with meat and veg. Pumpkin.
Beauty: (protesting) But that's what we eat all the time!
Me: um.. that's what it is then!
Beauty: But you white people won't want to eat that!
Me: Oh yes we will!
And since then, her feasts have been a huge success – though she is still puzzled by why everyone enjoys them so much – she would much rather have Kentucky Fried Chicken!
By Amanda Shackley of Impangele in Swellendam
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