Energy

Tourism

Biodiversity protection is expanding.

ULT.X BMX and Skate Championship 2021, Sun City

An additional 24 000 hectares of land is to be conserved through a biodiversity stewardship programme that forms part of the North West Protected Areas Expansion Strategy and Implementation Plan.

The North West Parks Board and the Provincial Government of North West aim to protect representative ecosystems in ways that make them resilient to climate change and create opportunities for local communities to make a sustainable living. Finding a balance between agricultural activities and tourism is not the only challenge in an area that also frequently experiences droughts.

Although the reserve that lies just to the north of Sun City is known as Pilanesberg National Park, in fact it falls under the North West Parks Board and is one of many parks and reserves controlled by the province. Both Pilanesberg and Madikwe have gained international reputations for the diversity of flora and fauna they have to offer and the high standard of accommodation at private concessions within the boundaries of the parks.

The malaria-free Pilanesberg National Park, located in the ecologically rich transition zone between the Kalahari and the Lowveld, has more than 7 000 animals, 360 bird species, and more than 200km of roads.

The North West Parks and Tourism Board (NWPTB) is investing in the province’s 12 smaller parks with the intention of creating jobs. In partnership with the National Department of Tourism, work has begun on the Manyane Game Lodge in Mahikeng, with a budget allocation of R43-million. Another project envisages a mega-park in the north-western sector of the province, the Heritage Park. SECTOR INSIGHT A new licensing act aims to better regulate business activity.

The impact of Covid-19 will be felt for many months to come, and the tourism sector of the North West Province will be affected by the restrictions on travel that were put in place in 2020.

Provincial authorities are going ahead with infrastructure projects in the expectation that tourists will return in numbers. Among them are: • Bloemhof infrastructure project (R30-million). The second phase will be completed in the 2021/22 financial year. • Vaalkop Dam (R15-million): plans approved. • Borakalalo Tented Camp (R15million): plans approved.

A saving grace for the province is the extremely wide range of activities that are offered to a high standard. This makes it more likely than one or more of these subsectors will be in a position to lead a recovery. Sun City (golf, conferencing and hotels) and several game lodges within game reserves are world famous. Birding, fishing, hunting and hotair ballooning are among other popular pursuits and Potchefstroom has outstanding sporting facilities. Australia and Spain won the cricket and soccer world cups from their

base in Potchefstroom and international athletes often visit the city for training camps.

The Mahika-Mahikeng Cultural Festival continues to grow in popularity. Arts and culture development centres (Mmabana Centres) are found in three of the province’s districts. Twelve public museums have been identified together with 400 heritage sites as part of a census on the province’s cultural assets.

The NWPTB is unique in South Africa in that it is the only provincial government entity that runs a hotel school. The Institute of Hotel and Tourism Management (IHTM) has two campuses, one in Mahikeng and one at Ga-Rankuwa outside Pretoria.

In addition to the provincial tourism authority, there are regional tourism organisations which market special attractions:

• Harties Tourism Association • Matlosana Tourism Association • Mooinooi: Buffelspoort Valley • N12 Treasure Route Association • Potch Tourism Association • Vredefort Dome Tourism Association. • Taung is the site of the first discovered fossil of Australopithecus africanus. The Vredefort Dome is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its significance as the landing site of a meteorite many millions of years ago.

The North West Business Licensing Act No. 3 of 2019 has been passed by the provincial legislature to ensure that business is conducted ethically and in a way that promotes opportunities for historically disadvantaged people to fully participate in business.

The Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences at the North West University offers Tourism Management and the professors and researchers are at the top of their profession.

Hotels and conferences

Sun City has a range of venues available for hire ranging from a 12-seater Council Room to the Superbowl which can accommodate 6 000, and just about everything in between. With six kinds of accommodation, two outstanding golf courses, casinos and a choicefilled entertainment complex, the Sun City Resort is a major tourism asset and significant employer in the province.

Sun City is far from being the province’s only conference venue. Tourism North West lists on its website a range of venues from small guesthouses with conference facilities in towns such as Rustenburg and Brits to lodges on the banks of the Hartbeespoort Dam.

In the provincial capital, Mahikeng, there are several options: among them are the Mmabatho Palms Hotel Casino Convention Resort, part of the Peermont group, which has hotels and casinos in six of South Africa’s provinces. Mmabatho Palms offers eight gaming tables and slot machines. Gaming is controlled in South Africa and licences are restricted to certain operators.

Mahikeng is also home to the Protea Hotel and the Mmabatho Convention Centre (the main auditorium can seat 3 000 people). The Hotel School can accommodate up to 200 people. Most of the luxury lodges in the province can accommodate conferences, albeit on a smaller scale. ■

ONLINE RESOURCES

Marico Tourism: www.marico.co.za North West Development Corporation: www.nwdc.co.za North West Parks Board: www.northwestparks.org.za Tourism North West: www.tourismnorthwest.co.za Pilanesberg National Park, Credit: Tourism North West