Open Africa Reflection

Launch of the Drakensburg Experience Route – 29 August at Estcourt in KZN-Natal. See the details of this event, which we wish you could attend, at http://afrikatourism.blogspot.com With 108 to start with this route has more participants than any other Open Africa has developed so far. We can provide road transport from Johannesburg for anyone interested in attending the launch.

Open Africa history year by year. Sometimes it is good to reflect:
1990 - The idea is mooted, premised on the belief that, after politics, job creation was going to become this country’s greatest imperative.

1991 - The seed germinates with Engen agreeing to fund an investigation into its implications.

1992 - Turning conservation into an industry via tourism is the theme.

1993 - A keynote address delivered at a conference between scientists and industrialists leads to the assembly of a think-tank of eminent people to debate the idea.

1994 - ‘Linking the splendours of Africa in a network of routes’ is adopted as the vision and the president of the World Travel and Tourism Council joins the group.

1995 - Open Africa is officially registered as an NGO.

1996 - The footprint logo is devised, based on the fossil evidence discovered at Langebaan of a human footprint that proves Africa’s status as the birthplace of humankind.

1997 - President Nelson Mandela becomes Open Africa’s patron and Open Africa is the catalyst in the formation of the Peace Parks Foundation.

1998 - A vastly ambitious Web innovation is embarked upon, which results in the world’s first GIS integrated website.

1999 - The first route is developed, the Southern Overberg Fynbos Route.

2000 - By the end of this year 13 routes have been developed.

2001 - The first route outside SA is developed, on the Ilha de Mocambique.

2002 - There are 34 routes by the end of this year.

2003 - Credibility is being earned, but with it the realisation that the need for aftercare is more crucial than anticipated.

2004 - The World Tourism Organisation cites the Open Africa methodology as a best practise example in China.

2005 - Routes developing faster now, allowing for networking benefits to start taking effect, but with it experience is accumulated of the pitfalls in achieving sustainability.

2006 - The first route networker appointed, to focus specifically on aftercare.

2007 - The 50 route mark is passed and serious re-investment of knowledge gained into existing routes commences.

2008 - Now with routes in six countries, involving nearly 2000 participants who together employ more than 20 000 people, the network is becoming a plug-in tourism switchboard for marginalised and rural communities.

Buying a second-hand 4X4 should not be cause for much excitement but here it is a really big deal. We need this vehicle that arrived last week for the about to commence development of nine new biodiversity focused routes in rural areas in Namibia and Zambia. Designed to be all of an office on wheels, kitchen, dispensary, and accommodation, had it brains this mechanical object will probably have done all in its power to avoid our attention. To be based in Livingstone for the next two years, what it saves on accommodation whilst travelling will just about cover its cost.

After a countrywide search for the right thing, the vehicle in question was found at a dealer near Leesk Street in Klerksdorp. Leesk was the man who equipped David Livingstone’s wagons for his trek northwards more than 150 years ago – hopefully an auspicious coincidence.

Last week Open Africa held its own Polokwane conference, the first toward establishing a provincial forum for the routes in Limpopo. Attended by more than 30 delegates it opened the way to what promises to be a much higher level of collaboration and significantly improved marketing impacts.

Fortnightly Open Africa Update

“Pick ‘n Pay has always been a seven o’clock company” is what I said to a colleague when Leonora Sauls informed me that she was presenting our proposal to her board at that time the following morning. Raymond Ackerman founded Pick ‘n Pay 41 years ago, in the same year that I founded Avis in South Africa, so it is a special privilege to welcome them to the band of Open Africa constituents.

“The pride in her eyes will stay with me forever,” said Route Networker Jolene. She was talking about Gertrude Sonqayi, who operates a homestay on the Mothers of Creation Route, Inspired by the Open Africa mantra that you should be who you are and start with what you’ve got, she entered her name for training as a homestay hostess despite fearing the implications of having to write tests in English. But with determination and some help with translations she passed, and today welcomes guests with her husband to her Siyabonga homestay, where, again in Jolene’s words, you find yourself amongst beautiful people.

We make a big thing about being who you are at Open Africa. Not only to boost people’s confidence but also to emphasize the difference between being attractive versus being beautiful. What people do outwardly to be attractive is generally false, whilst what they are inwardly that makes them beautiful is authentic. Authenticity is what travellers rate highest in what they are seeking.

In what has been a typical fortnight at Open Africa, Francois addressed a community meeting at Darling, where they are interested in developing a route, is engaged in planning the Drakensberg launch that takes place this week, is putting the finishing touches on the new website that goes live on September 1, and is working on a Basecamp strategy – if you have not heard of Basecamp we must demonstrate it to you when next we meet. It is an extraordinary piece of Web 2.0 software that considerably facilitates the planning and tracking of projects.

Between editing video clips Cobus is working on the itinerary and planning of meetings along the way for a journey that will start on September 5 going via Port Nolloth to Rosh Pinah, Windhoek, Rundu, Katima Mulilo, Livingstone, Kafue, and Lusaka.

Jolene chaired a Dwarsrivier meeting, attended an agriforum meeting at Swellendam, prepared for representing the Limpopo Routes at the Getaway show that starts in Johannesburg this week, and is beginning to plan for the World Travel Market in London, where we will be representing the network for the first time.

Constance as usual is busily engaged with real time accounting and admin. We stay 100% up to date in that department.

Tendai has been providing aftercare at Khanyisa, whilst also compiling a Route Forum marketing toolkit.

Laura has nearly completed her induction and has already started devising a Mobilisation of Resources strategy, and Thiofhi is in Limpopo Province, where he has been for three weeks and will stay until the end of the month undertaking route networking (aftercare). Unfortunately for us Georgie is heading for the UK, not for the reason, as she vehemently protests, that they are ‘leaving’ SA, but because her husband has been made an offer there they cannot refuse.

Noel de Villiers CEO Open Africa