Dear partners in tourism

Following the welcome announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa that South Africa will move to Level 1 of lockdown on 21 September 2020, the tourism industry can start gearing itself to make a new start and take steps towards recovery.

The sector has been hard hit; together we have experienced a devastating crisis and there is still a long road ahead.  Now, more than ever, tourism businesses and stakeholders need to join forces in rebuilding all tourism sectors.

We are grateful to the Tourism Business Council of South Africa for their tenacity and ongoing lobbying on behalf of the South African tourism industry.  The value of their contribution, efforts and collaborative approach cannot be overestimated!

After the painful experiences and lessons of the past months, it is time to take stock, regroup and focus on constructive action.  Through collaborative efforts to promote our destinations, there is hope of recovery for individual businesses as well as local, provincial, and national tourism and there is significant potential for tourism to play a role in the economic recovery of the country.

Kindly submit any issues you would like to see addressed by email to secretary@tshwanetourism.com.

The TTA team will continue to keep you updated via WhatsApp messages, emails, the web page, newsletters and the TTA Facebook Page.

We are stronger together and together we shall move forward!

Stay safe and keep communicating.
The Team @ TTA

The Centre for Entrepreneurship at the University of Pretoria (UP) has launched a National SMME Support Portal (NSSP).

The portal was established to support and enhance small business continuity in South Africa during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The portal offers free professional services and resources online, with all the automated functionality needed to fulfil its objectives.

More than 320 professionals are already offering their valuable and specialised services for free on a weekly basis.

The announcement of the enhanced launch of the NSSP comes after the release of the results of the Wave 2 survey conducted by Stats SA on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on employment and income in South Africa.

According to the survey, which was conducted between 29 April and 6 May, almost nine in ten (89,5%) of those who were employed before the lockdown remained employed during the lockdown, while 8,1% reported that they lost their jobs or had to close their businesses, and 1,4% became unemployed.

Professor Alex Antonites, a member of the Centre for Entrepreneurship’s steering committee, said they felt it was important to contribute towards the efforts to rescue the country’s economy.

“We believe small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs), a sector already in distress, will show very high failure rates in the short and medium term due to the impact of COVID-19,” Prof Antonites said. “Our economy can’t afford further failure, as a significant section of our GDP is driven by the SMME sector – not to mention its role in job creation. We saw it fitting for the Centre for Entrepreneurship to dedicate the knowledge and expertise we have to work towards assisting SMMEs to recover from the damage caused by the pandemic.”

He added that the services that SMMEs would benefit from include: a general chatroom to help ease the burden of social distancing through online proximity; professional counselling services that will be provided by UP alumni and will cover a variety of areas, from psychological distress to HR specialists; strategy consultants; digital marketing and communication specialists; technical assistance in establishing an online presence; a distress test to determine strategic and operational risk areas; professional assistance in turnaround strategies and business model innovation during and after COVID-19; and a resource room that will be filled with links to relevant free business e-books and literature, business templates, free software and applications useful to enhance business productivity.

With SMMEs being especially in need of funding support to get through this crisis, Prof. Antonites said the portal will also work to provide this. “The portal could serve as a preliminary selection tool for funders, providing comprehensive information and guidance on all the new financial resources formed to assist entrepreneurs during these times.”

Webinars and training covering an array of short and relevant topics will also be made available during the pandemic.

The SMME portal is proudly hosted and developed by the Department of Library Services’ Digital Systems and Services Unit.

The portal can be accessed by any registered SMME in South Africa. In order to register to gain access to the free services of the the National SMME Support Portal (NSSP), visit smmeportal.up.ac.za.

The Javett Art Centre at the University of Pretoria reopens on Heritage Day, 24 September 2020.

The art centre, which is unique in the world in that it exhibits only the work of African artists, has been shut for close to six months while South Africans were in domestic social isolation. The doors will be opened again at 10:00 on 24 September so that these masterpieces may be viewed in all their inspiring, iconic beauty.

Javett-UP is home to three signature exhibitions: the National Treasures exhibition (that includes the famed Mapungubwe Gold Collection and AngloGold Barbier-Mueller Collection of West African Gold ); All in a Day’s Eye: The Politics of Innocence in the Javett Collection (that includes among the most noteworthy and iconic works of modern South African art); and 101 Collecting Conversations: Signature Works of a Century (that brings together 101 works that tell the story of South Africa’s momentous and turbulent history, as seen through the eyes of its artists).

Javett-UP is the only place where all these works may be viewed in the same place, at the same time, making this a rare and wonderful opportunity for anybody and everybody who is interested in South African art, history, heritage and stories.

Javett-UP has put extensive and thorough protocols in place to safeguard staff and visitors against COVID-19. Note that booking is essential for visitors in order for Javett-UP to maintain the maximum number of 50 visitors allowed within the art centre as per COVID-19 regulations.

The Voortrekker Monument and the City of Tshwane are hosting an exhibition of artworks that depict Pretoria/Tshwane at Gallery 20:20 at the Voortrekker Monument from 9 September to 9 October 2020. The exhibition consists of a selection of artworks from the collection of the Pretoria Art Museum and the Voortrekker Monument.

Practically from the very beginning, professional and amateur artists have recorded their visual impressions of the city in drawings and paintings. Various artists have depicted the city in a unique way since it was founded in 1855. This exhibition includes artworks by artists that include Frans Oerder, JH Pierneef, Thomas Baines, Erich Mayer and Edward Roworth. The city’s history has been very well recorded visually. The artworks are not only excellent historical records, but they also have aesthetic qualities and must be appreciated as works of art.

The exhibition is held in partnership with the GauFestival, which is a dynamic international and local community project that was launched in Tshwane in 2016.

The entrance fee for the exhibition is R15,00 per vehicle. If you intend to visit the Voortrekker Monument as well, normal entrance fees apply.

Please note that due to COVID-19 regulations, Gallery 20:20 is only open from Tuesdays to Fridays from 09:00 to 15:00.

Visit our website, call +27 (0)12 326 6770 or email bemarking@vtm.org.za.

Cybercrime has escalated since the start of lockdown, as fraudsters are taking advantage of internet vulnerabilities.

South Africa is amongst the most targeted countries in the world, and cybercrime has become the number one concern of many business owners and individuals.

Olive Insurance Brokers can assist you to in taking the proper precautions against cyber criminals and financial losses.

Visit our website, call +27 (0)11 462 3393 / +27 (0)84 848 7777 or email info@olivebrokers.co.za.

Adventure Zone Cullinan prides itself on its phenomenal products and great customer service. They provide some of South Africa’s best adventure activities all in the beautiful little town of Cullinan.

Visit Adventure Zone Cullinan to experience nature at its best. Please follow their Facebook page for frequent specials and offerings.

Book online, call +27 (0)12 734 0507 or email adventures@azcullinan.co.za.

As of 1 September 2020, the Voortrekker Monument and Nature Reserve has been open from Tuesdays to Sundays from 09:00 to 17:00. Plan your next visit with 50% discount on all entrance fees.

Tickets can be purchased online and on site.

Online tickets are valid until 28 February 2021.

Terms and conditions apply:

• Visiting hours: Tuesday to Sunday (09:00 – 17:00)
• The Monument will be closed on Mondays
• The ticket must be printed and presented at the main gate
• The ticket will grant the ticket holder one visit
• Validity period: 28 February 2021

COVID-19 access protocols:

1. No groups will be allowed to exercise on site. A maximum number of 50 persons will be allowed access in the Voortrekker Monument at a time.
2. Every visitor entering the site will be required to register and have their temperature measured. Visitors who have a high fever will not be allowed access to the site.
3. All visitors to the site must wear a mask. Visitors without masks will not be given access.
4. Visitors to the site should wash their hands regularly with soap and water and sanitise using the sanitiser available at entry points.
5. Access to the site will be refused should visitors show any symptoms of the COVID-19 virus (fever, sore throat, runny nose, shortness of breath, etc.).
6. Social distancing of at least 1.5 metres apart.
7. Entry to the site is at own risk.

Visit our website, purchase tickets, call +27 (0)12 326 6770 or email bemarking@vtm.org.za.

If you have visited the Voortrekker Monument Heritage Site within the past 12 months and would like to share your experience, please complete our online form.

This information forms part of formal Magister Technologiae (MTech) Tourism and Hospitality Management studies at the Tshwane University of Technology.

Visit our website, call +27 (0)12 326 6770 or email bemarking@vtm.org.za.

Congratulations to City Lodge Hotel Lynnwood in Pretoria, voted as one of four favourite hotels in the City Lodge Hotel Group.

On 14 September 2020 it was announced that guests have voted four hotels in the City Lodge Hotel Group as their favourites on Tripadvisor. Fairview Hotel and City Lodge Hotel at Two Rivers Mall in Nairobi, Kenya, Courtyard Hotel Port Elizabeth and City Lodge Hotel Lynnwood in Pretoria have won Tripadvisor 2020 Traveler’s Choice Awards.

The TripAdvisor Traveler’s Choice Awards are like the People’s Choice Awards for celebrities in the US – they are voted online by the travelling public who like to give a shout-out to their favourite hotels. To win an award, the property must have received consistently great reviews from the people who matter most – guests.

Lindiwe Sangweni-Siddo, chief operating officer, says: “As we celebrate Tourism Month in South Africa, we want to profusely thank our guests for taking the time to rate their stay on Tripadvisor, making these awards possible. With word-of-mouth being the most powerful marketing tool, winning awards like this means that other travellers get to read the honest feedback of our guests and know that they can book with confidence and enjoy an excellent hospitality experience with the City Lodge Hotel Group.”

Our winning hotels

• Fairview Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya has 127 rooms – including suites of varying sizes and apartments for long-term stays – as well as conference facilities for up to 120 guests, four restaurants, a sundowner bar with pianist, private dining area, lounge, business centre and fitness centre.
• City Lodge Hotel at Two Rivers Mall in Nairobi, Kenya has 171 rooms, four meeting rooms (two 20-seater and two eight-seater), a fitness room, swimming pool and #Café restaurant and sundowner bar, and is located in the biggest, mixed-used development and mall in East and Central Africa, giving guests easy access to a range of retail, entertainment, banking and dining facilities.
• Courtyard Hotel Port Elizabeth has 91 rooms (studio, one- and two-bedrooms units), conference facilities for up to 50 guests, a fitness room, restaurant and swimming pool, and offers the best beach, business and leisure activities, with an ideal location in Summerstrand along Humewood Beach.
• City Lodge Hotel Lynnwood has 205 rooms, three meeting rooms (catering for eight guests, 12 guests and 14 guests), fitness room, #Café restaurant and swimming pool, and is conveniently located within the mixed-used Lynnwood Bridge Complex in Pretoria East, with easy access to a wide range of business, shopping, dining and entertainment destinations.

All properties within City Lodge Hotel Group offer free WiFi, secure parking and carry out extensive and strict COVID-19 hygiene and sanitisation protocols across all areas of the business. The group has also received the internationally-recognised World Travel & Tourism Council “Safe Travels” protocols stamp of approval.

Currently Fairview Hotel and City Lodge Hotel Lynnwood are open, and Courtyard Hotel Port Elizabeth and City Lodge Hotel at Two Rivers Mall will open as soon as demand determines. The group has excellent rates for weekday and weekend stays, which appeal to all budgets and may be found on clhg.com.

The Pretoria Art Museum welcomes you back! Be assured that all sanitising protocols are in place. Visitors to the museum will be limited to ten at a time.

Exhibitions

Majak Bredell: The New York Years 1981–2003
14 March to 17 January 2021 | North and South Galleries
This exhibition is a curated collaboration between the Association of Arts Pretoria and the Pretoria Art Museum. The two-part retrospective overview is accompanied by a full-colour catalogue that includes an essay by the curator, Prof Elfriede Dreyer. The works on show at both venues cover a period of 22 years and follow the trajectory of the artist’s initial confrontations with issues of belonging and dis-belonging as the chasm between her mother country and her adopted home was mediated in both image and poetry.

A Story of South African Art | Ongoing | Albert Werth Hall
This selection of artworks from the permanent collection of the Pretoria Art Museum briefly reviews South African art. It includes works by early 20th century painters, the Resistance artists of the 1980s and artists of the 21st century. The exhibition is based on the secondary school syllabus, and the artworks are rotated regularly.

Corobrik Ceramic Collection | Permanent display | Ceramic Gallery
A selection of ceramics that represent the development of studio ceramics and the work of traditional rural potters in South Africa over the past 30 years is on display. Initially, the collection was started by the Stellenbosch Farmers’ Winery, which in 1977 became the sponsor of the Association of Potters of Southern Africa (APSA) (now Ceramics Southern Africa) and purchased the winning pieces at national and regional exhibitions. In 1982, Corobrik became the sponsor and acquired the collection. Since then, numerous acquisitions from exhibitions as well as pieces contributed by members have been added to the collection.

The City of Tshwane’s museums are excited to announce that a special reduced entrance fee has been implemented on Wednesdays. Visit the Pretoria Art Museum, Melrose House Museum or Fort Klapperkop Heritage Site on any Wednesday and only pay a R2 entrance fee.

Due to COVID-19 regulations, no guided tours are available until further notice.

Visit our website, call +27 (0)12 358 6750 or email art.museum@tshwane.gov.za.

Voortrekker Monument newsletter
September 2020

SA’s international borders to open Oct 1
16 September 2020, Tourism Update

UK ruling bodes well for SA insurance case
16 September 2020, Tourism Update

‘We’ve saved lives, now let’s save livelihoods’ – Barsa CEO
16 September 2020, Tourism Update

Grow domestic to help tourism recover
16 September 2020, Tourism Update

Health Minister recommends further easing of travel restrictions
15 September 2020, Tourism Update

South Africa’s COVID risk status is changing
14 September 2020, Tourism Update

Safari postponements outnumber cancellations
10 September 2020, Tourism Update

Tourism Update’s first-hand experience of health and safety protocols
7 September 2020, Tourism Update

‘Regional borders could reopen soon’ – Minister
7 September 2020, Tourism Update