40 22
30 66 10
4
84
www.southafricamag.com
100 30
p
cuLT eopLe
iSSue
TrAv ure
12 r4
rop eL p
erT y
BuSin
wine eSS
Sp o r
0.00
T er T en
TA inM
enT
real The
et-bya stre . fights mption as it nsu Coke al co u r n fo t an marke per-capita t n ta impor increase to a is an Afric campaign l ccessfu street s a su ndo’s urs ture To a adven taking an of ly d afric noma are thinkinge there is on
ru ux for sa dawn Jurie ro a new with
06 10
NEWS
all the latest news from south africa
CULTUrE The art of conservation at the Saatchi Gallery
14
18
Inspired by the lesser Flamingo Think pink campaign, the gallery aims to fundraise for a sa wetlands project.
LIFESTYLE Durban’s pollution clean up
eThekwini Municipality’s pollution control and risk Management Department keeps big polluters under control in south Durban. Ian armitage speaks to siva chetty, the air pollution official who set up the department over a decade ago.
BUSINESS Bonhams Art Auctions
auction house Bonhams holds two auctions of south african art every year – and the prices keep going up – with Irma stern’s work especially in demand.
view o. Inter w CE ’s ne SArU
wa and. 2010 iconic br Why is for th year
A new ate. St Free
FEATUrES
rEGULArS
contents
in the Gold Wits gold mine
na
If you adventur an Afric oice. one ch
22 30 36 40
CoCA-CoLA
50 56 60 66 74 78 84 88 92 96 100 104 108 112
TNT EXprESS
SArU NANDo’S NoMAD AFrICA ADVENTUrE ToUrS
CoUrIErIT METro EMS ForESTrY SA NUKor ApoLLo BrICK TrANTEr HoLDINGS WITS GoLD DESTINY AFrICA BEEKMAN CANopIES SKEMA HoLDINGS ALpHA CIVILS KCArrIM INDUSTro-CLEAN www.southafricamag.com
5
Nomad a f r i c a ADvenTure TourS
40
www.southafricamag.com
Nomad Africa Adventure Tours FeATure
if you are thinking of taking an African adventure there is only one choice, Nomad Adventure Tours. By ian Armitage
n
omad Africa Adventure Tours is 100 percent African owned, has a fleet of over 40 trucks, around 130 staff and 30 scheduled departures a month, all over Southern and East Africa. Nomad has run over 6,500 tours to date, which 57,500 clients (and counting) have enjoyed. It really is the only choice for an African adventure. “We started Nomad Africa Adventure Tours in 1997 and consider ourselves to be a leading example of how to run adventure holidays and experiences,” says managing director Alex Rutherford. “We remain a force in this sector, but, and this is why we are so strong, have retained the magic, the personal touch, that saw us grow so successfully originally.” He says the company was founded on “old fashioned hard work” and started from almost nothing. “We’ve learnt a lot over the years but have never forgotten the lessons learned in the early days. Personally, I learnt a lot, especially in terms of people management. “We deliver high quality tours and receive on average 4,000 positive feedback forms annually,” Rutherford adds. “Why are we a success? I think it is down to a number of things. First and foremost it is because this is Africa. Africa conjures up images of discovery, magic and adventure. People are really drawn to the continent. Africa has it all: interesting culture, warm and welcoming people, awe inspiring places, unique animals, dramatic landscapes and epic adventure. Africa has it all in abundance, it is a land of surprises and contrasts.”
Africa has it all: interesting culture, warm and welcoming people, awe inspiring places, unique animals, dramatic landscapes and epic adventure. Africa has it all in abundance, it is a land of surprises and contrasts
www.southafricamag.com 41
Nomad Africa Adventure Tours FeATure
From one truck, two employees and one departure a month, Nomad has grown considerably. “We have done this through meticulous attention to detail,” Rutherford says.“We always keep a promise. We have mission statements, goals and objectives that we follow religiously. “Our guiding principles are quality, responsibility, accountability, integrity, honesty, service, efficiency, and fun and adventure. “We have stuck to these principles since the beginning and are confident they will steer us successfully into the future too.” Nomad strives to offer exceptional value for money, African holidays. Its size and knowledge allows it to negotiate better facilities at a better price than many other companies in the market.
42
www.southafricamag.com
“We are proud of the quality of our tours. We are fully licensed and insured and are confident that we are offering some of the best tours and services available in Africa,” Rutherford says. “Each and every adventure tour is unique and all people are treated as individuals.” What initially made Nomad stand out, and this remains a key selling point, is that it is African owned. In the early days, it was one of a few. There is greater competition of course these days, but Rutherford is proud of the company’s origins. “We live in and work in Africa,” he says. “It means that our finger is firmly placed on the pulse of the continent. This enables us to ensure customers receive the best Africa has to offer.”
Camping Backpackers Ticket Office
Delight in a choice of magical Lake Tours. . . . Where the five eco-systems come together! On board you will be hosted by your skippers and guides in South Africa’s first World Heritage Site, the iSimangaliso Wetland Park. Our boat is ideally equipped to cater for office parties, conferences, birthday parties or weddings.
We offer a wide variety of tours, charters & safari services along the Elephant Coast: • Lake Cruise bookings • Cape Vidal tours • Horse riding • Hiking trailers • Game Viewing (Big 5) • Hippo tours • Night drives • Deep sea fishing • Kayaking • Birding • Whale & turtle watching (seasonal)
safaris@stlucia.co.za | Telephone: +27 (0)35 590 1047 | Fax: +27 (0)35 590 1084 | stluciasafaris.com
Situated on the main road, within walking distance from shops & restaurants
we are proud of the quality of our tours. we are fully licensed and insured and are confident that we are offering some of the best tours and services available in Africa
Rutherford drove from London to Cape Town in a Land Rover (the trip took 10 months), but his most memorable tour experience came when he arrived at Sossusvlei, in the Namib desert. After having all the clients excited about the desolation of the place, he found it drowned by floods, with green grass growing on the dunes. “It started raining and everyone was extremely unimpressed with setting up camp in the rain,” he says. “To break the tension we picked a suitable victim, and threw him in the mud. A massive mud bath/fight ensued resulting in 44
www.southafricamag.com
one of the best days on tour.” Nomad may have started as a niche, almost ‘extreme’type holiday company, but the market it entered is today very different. “It has changed,” Rutherford admits. “In the early days the travellers were nearly always young. They were very poor and very easy going. It was the traditional backpacker market. Today, our market consists of all ages across all nations and draws people who want to really experience Africa in a high value and secure group environment.
Nomad Africa Adventure Tours FeATure
“The gaps between us and our competition has narrowed, which is good for consumers as they have a greater choice,” says Rutherford. “At the same time, we work hard to be innovative to attract business. In terms value for money, being a driving force, we do have the edge on the market. This type of touring and the market that we are attracting has become mainstream. To cater for the change in the market we have created accommodated tours, which are basically identical to the camping tours except that guests stay in accommodation, i.e., a motel or hotel typeaffair. We have found these tours extremely popular with slightly older groups.” Camping tours, he says, have an average age of around 30, while accommodated tours average around 35-40. “We provide an
infrastructure that is suitable for everyone – the vehicle, the guides, the activities – but the nature of these trips and the places we go means that the amount of other options on offer is so great is that you’ll find it is suitable for everyone. For example, a youngster in their 20s who wants to do extreme sports, like skydiving, bungee jumping etc., will sit quite comfortably nextdoor to someone who is there to experience the animals and the people and may be in their 60s,” Rutherford says. “We make sure we can cater for a broad demographic.” The economic downturn has had a huge affect on tourism. It has affected a lot of people, a lot of places and a lot of venues, says Rutherford. “We have noticed changes in booking trends. Funnily enough, people www.southafricamag.com 45
Nomad Africa Adventure Tours FeATure
are booking a bit later than they normally do. Our lead times are shorter. The exchange rate is also a factor - the rand is strong and that means that we are now competing not only with our traditional competition but with other destinations too. “Historically, Africa is associated with being cheap, which isn’t necessarily true. Certainly some things are cheap, but others are not. In terms of running a quality operation there are no shortcuts – quality costs money.” He says the recent successful hosting of the FIFA World Cup and further democratisation across Africa will pay dividends for tourism in the continent and is confident that the long-term future of the industry is sound. “In terms of our booking numbers we have seen in the last few months a swing up again and so I feel that the worst of the downturn has passed.
46
www.southafricamag.com
LUpANDI SAFArI Situated on the banks of the Luangwa river and home to both directors, patsy Hahn and Herman Miles, the Wildlife Camp offers a variety of options. rustic en-suite chalets, a secluded en-suite tented camp, a Bushcamp for overnight walking safaris and within walking distance from the main camp - a beautiful campsite. our qualified Zambian guides lead all our walking safaris and use a fleet of converted 130 land rovers, ensuring comfort and extra space for your game drive. The Wildlife Camp is situated on land owned by Wildlife and Environmental Conservation Society of Zambia. We operate under their auspices and revenue generated from the camp enables us to donate US$ 50 000-00 per annum to the society, which in return supports the wildlife and people of the Luangwa Valley and Zambia, the main focus being in the education of the Zambian Children in conservation.
Nomad Africa Adventure Tours FeATure
Business is on the rebound.” Competition from other destinations will remain strong, he says. But he comes back to the fact that Africa is unique and has a lot to offer. “Classically cheap destinations like the Far East will always be tough competition. But they haven’t got certain things that Africa has got, although they have their own draw cards. It is dirt-cheap. That is an obstacle. But Africa offers this great sense of adventure for many travellers.” Although the typical Nomad customer may
have grown up, it is slightly more affluent and wants “sophisticated packages”, Rutherford stressed that the sense of adventure will never be lost. “That’s what makes this type of trip –the idea that everything is new, unknown and untouched. “Another thing to mention is that our tours are no longer considered just the domain of the adrenalin junkies. What we have learnt to do is to adapt. I like to say, ‘Most people like ham, so we’ll stick ham on the pizza, but not everyone like olives!’” To learn more visit www.nomadtours.co.za. END
Africa offers this great sense of adventure for many travellers
48
www.southafricamag.com