15 January 2020
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www.thevillagenews.co.za
Positive vibes after Don’t feel powerless during load shedding busy season Writer De Waal Steyn
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his season has been indicative of how the national and international economy, personal preference and weather are reshaping how and when tourists come to spend their hard-earned money at destinations such as the Cape Whale Coast (CWC). “This means that 2020 will inevitably be the year in which we will need to change the way we look at tourism, how we attract tourists and what we as a destination have on offer for tourists to enjoy. Notably, we had more international visitors this season and we drew South Africans from across the demographic spectrum,” said CWC Tourism Manager, Frieda Lloyd. “From a tourism perspective, we are positive about what the rest of the year has instore for us. Our wine regions are extremely popular as, apart from some of the best wines in the world, they offer personalised, unhurried tastings and food to match. Our wine routes have become sought-after destinations in their own right,” said Lloyd. Businesses along the coast have reported a mixed bag of feedback, although the consensus is that the 2019/20 summer season was successful on all counts. Most business owners are upbeat about 2020 and the year that lies ahead. Brennan Davies, co-owner of Wine Glass and the Chill Guru bus service, said although the foreign tourist market grew in October and November, local tourist spend increased by a smaller margin than the international spend. All-in-all, we had a good season, but not the great season we were all hoping for. But with that in mind, we are positive about the prospects for 2020.” Marc de Maudave Bestel of Hemel-en-Aarde Brewery echoed this sentiment. “For small- to medium-sized businesses in Hermanus it is vital that 30% to 40% of their annual turnover is realised in the last two months of the year. That said, this season did not disappoint, especially the period between Christmas and New Year with high energy levels and large volumes of customers enjoying our offerings. “Events and live band performances proved to be crowd pullers, with some shows like Watershed selling out. Both our Christmas and New Year’s parties were successful, and we are confident that the remainder of 2020 will
exceed all of our expectations,” de Maudave Bestel said. Health and beauty company Refine, which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, reported an excellent season, with several other businesses in this sector saying their turnover was on a par with last year. Louis Saaiman, owner of Fleurs, said although this season was comparable to the last, he had to put in many more hours for it to be so. “Our opening hours were twice as long as last year, so it took double the effort, but it was worth it. Businesses should be happy with the fact that we still had a good season.” Carolyn Martin of Creation Wines, said they had a very good season with both of their wine tasting and wine pairings being popular with visitors. “I think it is important that I also thank all my staff. We tend to forget the people who work so hard and who are dedicated to making the season a success. This includes not only the clients and staff, but also the suppliers,” she said. David Maynier, Western Cape Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities, said there had been promising growth in domestic tourism, with an increase in visitors from KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and North West. “This is a positive indication of recovery in the tourism sector and we remain optimistic about the year ahead. Top experiences attracting visitors include wine tastings and activities at wine estates for families, cultural and sustainable experiences, local dining, events and outdoor activities, such as hiking and cycling,” Maynier said. According to him between 80% and 90% of all reservations were made online and last-minute reservations that were made directly with establishments and tourism offices increased. Visits to caravan parks increased, especially from within the Western Cape. The minister also noted that the duration of stays was between two and three days. The newly-established United Airline direct route between New York and Cape Town has had a significantly positive impact on tourism from the United States, while Germany and the United Kingdom remain the key source markets for visitors to the province. Tour operators reported a 5% increase in bookings and arrivals in the Western Cape, with forward reservations from China, India, Brazil and Russia looking favourable, the minister noted.
Load shedding. Power cuts. Rolling blackouts. Call them what you will, they’re a reality and Eskom has warned they’re here to stay for quite some time. But why is this happening you may ask? Load shedding is about Eskom balancing the power scales; it needs to be able to supply enough electricity to meet the country’s demands. When supply matches demand, everything is fine. But when the country needs more power than Eskom can generate, either because of an increase in demand or a drop in supply, then we’re in trouble. If the country’s demand outstrips the amount of electricity Eskom can supply, power stations start taking some serious strain and the system can be badly damaged. That, in turn, can lead to a national blackout – a truly worst-case scenario. For both residents and businesses, coping with load shedding will be a huge challenge, especially in these tough economic times. Handy load shedding tips: • Most businesses, including restaurants, remain open during load shedding thanks to gas and generators, but it’s advisable to check beforehand. Don’t just assume that a business is not trading during load shedding; while it may look dark inside, chances are they are still open for business. • Put the proposed load shedding times somewhere handy so that your family will have enough time to prepare for the power outage. • Install a solar geyser, get solar lamps to put outside in the garden. Get a few high-wattage solar-powered lights for your garden, and a few LED lights for inside. Light is a deterrent to would-be burglars. • Gas stoves are becoming a popular choice for people who are building a new home or re-doing their kitchen. There's also the portable option: you can buy a camping gas stove. This way you can cook food or boil the kettle, even if there's no electricity. • Use empty plastic cool drink bottles, fill them with water and place in your deep freeze. If the power is out for a long time, you can take them out and put them in your fridge to keep food cold until the power comes back on. It will also create extra freezing capacity in the deep freeze to keep your meats from thawing. • Use battery-operated lights. You can get lanterns, torches and other battery-operated lights to keep around the house when
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the power goes off. It's less dangerous than using just candles. Get a head torch or cap. You can strap the head torch around your head or get a cap with a fitted light so that you can walk around the house easily, without trying to make your way in the dark. Get a generator. Often this is the more expensive option, but depending on your needs and your budget, a generator may be a good idea. You can get ones that will keep the entire house powered, or smaller ones to keep the fridge running and perhaps just the TV on. Smart plugs are an effective way to help ensure your valuable appliances are not damaged by sudden power surges. Smart plugs can be set to switch off your appliances such as TVs, fridges and microwaves. Smart plugs typically have a companion app allowing you to set preferences, schedules and names for the devices. Invest in surge protection plugs. These red plugs are available at supermarkets and hardware stores. If you need to manually open and close your gates when you get home, try to have someone come and meet you at your entrance or arrange for an escort from your security company. Alarm systems, garage doors and electric gates generally rely on electricity so make sure that these items all have good backup batteries. Keep your cellphone charged, or invest in a portable phone charger, so that you can still call for help if you need to. Download these two apps: EskomsePush allows you to receive updates on planned load shedding and schedules. The Namola emergency app can connect you with help – and share your location – in an instant. - De Waal Steyn & Taylum Meyer
