“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.
“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
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