Nelson Mandela Bay

Sauntering in the sunshine of the Bay

2013-03-06T14:30:00.000+02:00

MANY travellers to Nelson Mandela Bay are amazed that there are attractions like the Sunshine Saunter that pack into one a little bit of Cape Town’s Chapman’s Peak, KwaZulu Natal’s Midlands Meander and the Garden Route.

This mosaic of beautiful scenery provides a must-do route-to-explore. It is situated on the south-western outskirts of Port Elizabeth and takes travellers from beautiful coastline views through indigenous coastal bush and onto some of the city’s hidden gems.

“Although the Sunshine Saunter offers a variety of optional routes and attractions, there is a suggested route to follow to make the most of the experience,” says NMBT marketing manager Titus Chuene.

The Saunter route starts on the beachfront’s Marine Drive, after which travellers can venture to Cape Recife Nature Reserve which has an abundance of bird life and natural dune vegetation.

“It’s a very special place...doesn’t matter if you want to go for a beach walk, a bush walk or visit the Cape Recife Lighthouse, they are all included on the Roseate Tern Trail through the reserve. The South African Marine Rescue Education Centre (SAMREC) facility is also in the reserve and worth a visit for both young and old. There’s nothing like seeing the little tuxedo wearing penguins frolicking in the pool while learning about them and other marine conservation,” said Chuene.

The drive along the Wildside offers visitors to the city some of the most scenic views anywhere in and around the Bay. The drive includes a couple of view points for those who want to stop and linger longer.

“The village of Schoenmakerskop is the ideal spot to view sunset. Whilst in the vicinity, have a look at the old Sacramento cannon, do a short walk on the Sacramento Trail or take a dip in one of the inviting gullies. From here the route goes slightly inland through “mink and manure” country past small-holdings dotted horses and thick coastal bush teaming with bird life.

“Driving along Sardinia Bay and the Old Seaview Road, Saunter explorers would never say that they are literally a stone’s throw away from suburbia. A couple of activity options include visiting Custard, the snake, at the Boma Reptile World or horse-riding through the bush or on the beach,” said Chuene.

The area around Seaview and Maitlandis also well-known by the locals for its rock pools, giant sand dune for sand-boarding and miles of unspoilt golden beaches for romantic walks.

Should you be in the area for lunch time, restaurants range from good-homemade cuisine enjoyed while overlooking the ocean, picnics in the bush to countryside eateries. This part of the Saunter also offers a couple of game parks where visitors can see anything from white lions and rhino to giraffe and zebra. These parks are ideal for photography or families to have an up close and personal experience of wildlife.

Chuene said the return journey along Kragga Kamma Road offers the opportunity for an afternoon tea or coffee while the kiddies - if you have any - enjoy themselves at one of the touch farms or play areas. Visit one of the antique shops along the way or book a wine tasting at the city’s only wine estate. All of these activities and attractions are available on the doorstep of the city confines.

“Oh yes,” Chuene cautions, “don’t forget to pick up a map of the IBhayi Sunshine Saunter at any of Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism’s Visitor Information Centres.”

Alternatively download the map here: http://www.nmbt.co.za/listing/ibhayi_sunshine_saunter.html

The Two Towers: Climbing the Campanile and Donkin Lighthouse

2012-12-07T09:52:00.001+02:00

In the Campanile and Donkin Lighthouse Port Elizabeth has two “towers” that just beg to be climbed. What makes it even better is that one is situated at the start of Route 67 while the other is at the end of it so there is no excuse really not to do so when you visit Nelson Mandela Bay’s new art route. So that is exactly what the Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism marketing team did - climb the towers.

Our first goal was to get to the top of the Campanile with its 204 steps. Situated at the entrance of the Port Elizabeth harbour, the 54 meter high Campanile was completed in 1923 and was built to commemorate the centenary of the arrival of the 1820 British Settlers. There is no entrance fee to get into the Campanile (not a lot of places around anymore these days that are free) but visitors are welcome to put a donation in the box. None of us will be competing in an Ironman competition any time soon, so the whole outing took a bit a persuasion from my side before it was confirmed and here we were - ready for our first climb.

Off we went up the winding steps. Exhibits by Mohair SA and Bayworld on some of the levels as you make your way to the top give visitors an opportunity to take a breather before proceeding higher. About halfway up my colleagues started to threaten me with mutiny but I kept on telling them about the view and that they should go all the way to the top at least once in their lives. Having done it many times before I knew what I was talking about and pretty soon we reached the observation deck with its fantastic views all around. Tired thighs were quickly forgotten. Windows look out in all four directions with spectacular views of the harbour to the one side, the city to the other, the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium and the mountains beyond Uitenhage to the left and the beachfront way off to the right.

After a short rest we headed back down the stairs and on to the Donkin Reserve for our next quest: The Donkin Lighthouse.

The Donkin Lighthouse (actually called The Hill Lighthouse) was built in 1861 and decommissioned in 1973. This was because the lights of the developing city behind it started to interfere with the lighthouse’s light and thus is effectiveness. Entrance to the lighthouse is only R5 per person and tickets can be bought from the NMBT Visitor Information Centre in the old lighthouse keeper’s cottage. The climb up the Lighthouse is slightly trickier than the Campanile’s as it isn’t just normal steps but more like a ladder that you climb from level to level. Although the climb isn’t impossible I wouldn’t really recommend it to older visitors. But if you are able to make the climb, then going to the top of the Lighthouse is an absolute “must do”.

I continued to encourage even though I was getting daggered stares and before we knew it we were at the top. The glares became looks of amazement. The view from the top of the lighthouse is really breathtaking and encompasses just about the whole city. Most television crews filming in Port Elizabeth end up at the top of the lighthouse and have shot some amazing view footage from there. One cameraman once said that if he came here first he would not have needed to get any other city shots except for close ups. After drinking in the spectacular views we slowly made our way back down and decided to stop for a quick coffee at the coffee shop in the lighthouse building.

Sitting outside on the deck we just realised again that the whole Donkin Reserve and Central revival is doing an amazing job in getting people back into the historic part of town to enjoy the city’s rich heritage. Even if it takes a bit of sweat and sore legs to do so.

Sunset Township Experience

2012-09-27T21:39:00.001+02:00

ATTRACTION OF THE MONTH:

How do you kick off Tourism Month with a bang? You take a group of people, some of whom has never been in a township, on a township tour with a difference and you blow their expectation so far out the water that they just can’t stop talking about it. And that is exactly what we did on Friday, 7 September as the first of NMBT’s Tourism Month events.

The decision was made not to do the normal “drive through the township and look out the window” township tour but rather something where the folk could interact with the people on the ground, taste the food and smell, touch and experience the township for themselves. The group that gathered at the start of the tour was greatly diverse but with one commonality - most of them have never been in a township.

The first experience of note was when the entire group had to line up at the PE Station for a seat in third class amongst the workers heading home on the train after a hard day at work. For many this was their first visit to the train station in many years.

Local tourism personality, Bradley Levack, couldn’t help but to go into tour guide mode and told everybody more about the Red Location precinct while we were walking from the station to the Red Location Backpackers Lodge where traditional vetkoek with a variety of toppings like polony, jam and cheese awaited.

From there it was a short walk across the road where NMBT’s Xolisa Tom was whipping up a pot of liver and onions for the group to try - and try they did in true street style. It took just one taste and suddenly everybody looked at the meals being prepared in the black pots over an open fire on the various street corners with new appreciation and perhaps different eyes.

The next stop was at one of many a containers dotted along the streets where a couple of Mamas were serving the most divine roosterkoek before hopping on a bus to Njoli Square right in the heart of KwaZakhele. Here everybody, some for the very first time, saw how smiley’s are made, got to taste amazi and learned more about traditional medicines and muti.

But the best was still to come - a traditional township tshisa njama or as we know it, a braai. Tshisa Njama literally means “burned meat” in Zulu and in the township it means buying your meat at the butcher in front and braai’ing it yourself at the back. Fires burn all day long and coals are available just about 24/7 meaning that people are in and out there for a braai morning, noon and night. The locals did look momentarily confused when the group of about 50 (mostly white) people walked in but the fact that the amazement was more with the size of the group rather than the colour of their skins is testament of how far our rainbow nation has come since 1994.

Two of us took it upon ourselves to braai the meat for the group and received a round of applause for our gallant efforts a mere hour and a half later when the last piece of meat was served. When we left it must have been eerily silent after all the talking, laughing and joking going on while we were there.

It was clear that nobody could stop talking about the experience afterwards. Me? Well, even though I’ve been there many times it was the first time showing a group the township from this “angle” and their reaction is what touched me the most. It showed them that not only is there no need to travel overseas to experience different cultures but also that the township isn’t the bad crime ridden place that people always make it out to be. Normal people live there, they just do some things differently from how it is done in suburbia. So how do I wrap this up - there is no doubt that the experience blew the group’s expectations right out of the water, but I said that already.....

Take a hike

2012-09-05T16:02:00.001+02:00

ONCE again the Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism (NMBT) marketing team were off to explore another one of Nelson Mandela Bay’s many attractions – making sure that they have the most up to date information at their finger tips and can talk with conviction when marketing our city to locals and visitors alike. This month one of the activities they did was the Sacramento trail that runs from Schoenmakerskop to Sardina Bay.

“We started the trail at the Sacramento Canon where we left our cars and set off at a brisk pace on a beautiful winter’s day. We had our backpacks filled with the essentials – water, sun hats, sun block and of course a few snacks,” said NMBT events coordinator, Phrosne Phillips. The NMBT team made up of Jonker Fourie (Leisure Tourism Coordinator), Erenei Louw (IT Coordinator), Sadie Isaacs (Meetings Industry Coordinator), Phrosné Phillips (Events Coordinator), Xolisa Tom (Branding officer), Donè Louw (Reservations Coordinator) and Terry Almirall (Call Centre officer) were lead by NMB Ocean, Coastal and Environmental Law Enforcement officers along the trail of 7.2 km through the Sardinia Bay Reserve.

“The first stop was at the Sacramento monument and white pillars marking the starting point of the Marine Protected Area. The trail led us past fields of indigenous plants and other flora to long stretches of sand along the beach. We even saw the carcass of a dead seal, which was agreeably educational, and we were lucky enough to come across the popular (and protected) Oystercatcher birds,” said Phillips.

The group turned around at the halfway mark at the Sardinia Bay Surf Lifesaving Club, and made their way back via the top route along the escarpment which offered amazing views of the coastline and the beaches below.

“This was a first for most of us on this outing and indeed a very wonderful experience to have. This little adventure will give all of us the ability to speak about this activity with greater knowledge and better equipped to make it a must do while visitors stay in the city. It was one of my favourite trails so far for sure," Phillips ended.

Try it yourself

As part of Tourism Month celebrations locals will have the opportunity to join NMBT on Saturday, 29 September for a guided walk of the Sacramento Trail at no charge. See NMBT website for more information or follow the link to the Tourism Month Calendar.

Ladies of leisure

2012-08-06T08:30:00.000+02:00

FOR many years women have been contributed to the tourism industry, whether it is as a guest house owner, waitress or the deputy minister of tourism – this women’s month, we acknowledge the contribution they have made to the leisure and tourism industry of Nelson Mandela Bay.

“As a woman who is very passionate about the tourism industry, it brings me a lot of joy to see how many women have made a difference to our city a destination. The number of ladies who have contributed through small, medium and micro enterprises (SMME’S) or other contributions by stakeholders on a larger scale, is worth applauding,” said Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism (NMBT) chief executive Mandlakazi Skefile.

Nelson Mandela Bay is filled with entrepreneurial women who have made their way into the sector by realising a dream or ambition of their own and making it a reality.

For Barbara Mhlaba this happened when she recognised a need in her community for a place where people could come together and have a good time. So she opened Barbara’s Lounge, a jazz lounge for over 24-year-olds in Kwazakhele.
“I would never have imagined my lounge to become this popular. But it wasn’t easy in the beginning,” said Mhlaba.
Opening for the first time in 1990, it was a whole different ball game back then, “I was the first to have an approved license to sell liquor and it was not easy to obtain. For a woman to open her own lounge wasn’t very common, but I managed to do it somehow and I’ve never looked back.”

Mhlaba said the most important thing is to stay ahead of the game, marketing your business and keeping it interesting, “I closed to renovate the lounge a while back and I have a live jazz band come in once a week.”

Another shining example of a woman in tourism is Erika Rautenbach who has been the general manager (GM) of Garden Court Hotel in Nelson Mandela Bay.

In the hospitality industry for over 10 years, Rautenbach said she has always enjoyed what she does and working her way up was no easy feat, “When I had just started my career, you did not find women GM’s. There were only two of us ladies working at my first job and the men did not make it very easy on us, we had our fair share of initiation. As a woman, I think you have to work twice as hard, especially with a family at home and the ‘family’ at work.”

Working from Oudsthoorn to Franshoek, Rautenbach has stuck to Nelson Mandela Bay for the past 8 years, “When I describe the city, two things come to mind. It really is the friendly city and a great selling point is the affordability of our city as a tourism destination. Even though the grueling hours can get tough, the satisfaction of guests and appreciation is way worth it,” she added.

“Without fail, women make a significant addition to the industry as ambassadors of tourism and hospitality for our city. As the tourism body of Nelson Mandela Bay, we appreciate the role every woman plays in furthering the city and tourism while being good examples for the younger generations. Deputy minister of tourism, Thoko Xasa and Lynn Haller of the tour guide association are only two of the many ladies who come to mind when I think of leading examples of the fairer sex in tourism. Where once we could only mention a handful, there are now more than we can mention,” said NMBT marketing manager, Titus Chuene.

Read the article on the NMBT website

The CEO’s thoughts on… proposed waterfront development

2012-08-03T08:30:00.000+02:00

AS Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism CEO it is important that I keep abreast of proposed developments that would affect our city as a tourism destination and influence investors opinion. It is also important that I share my views with you, as valued member and tourism stakeholder, so that collectively we can develop a better understanding of the potential impact (positive or negative) such developments could have on the tourism industry and city.

So let’s look at the proposed waterfront development…

I refer to various media reports that Eastern Cape Provincial Government has made R3-million available for a feasibility study for a leisure waterfront development in Nelson Mandela Bay. One only has to consider what the popular Victoria and Alfred Waterfront in Cape Town has done to increase tourism numbers into the Mother City, to realise what a similar development could do for Nelson Mandela Bay as a tourism destination. Developing the Port Elizabeth Harbour area as a leisure, hospitality and entertainment arena has been a notion of the Bay community for decades.

I don’t think there would be a city father (and mother) or tourism boss who has served Port Elizabeth/Nelson Mandela Bay, who would not join me and support steps taken towards making this initiative a real possibility. In fact, had it not have been for the vision and efforts of those community members before us, this development would not be an opportunity for us to consider today.

However, there needs to be detailed and precise stakeholder participation, research, strategy and planning to assess the viability of such a development. It is imperative that we do our homework to ensure that such a development would sustain economically. There is evidence in not just this country, but also abroad, where billions have been spent on infrastructure, like stadiums, and yet they are battling to survive, collecting dust or worse still have had to be demolished.

So, while we believe that a leisure waterfront development is what Nelson Mandela Bay needs, we would be kidding ourselves if we could not support and justify this belief using facts and figures, taking into consideration, for example, cruise liner tourism and how such a market would be reached, and - more importantly - how much it would cost to reach this market.

To construct such a development is not cheap. To manage, operate and maintain a development is not cheap. And, to implement marketing strategy and plan in unpredictable times to ensure economic survival of the development is not cheap either. And, whatever the costs, we need to be sure there is financial capacity to implement what needs to be done after the last brick is laid. We can’t afford to make mistakes and such a study will prevent us from making them.

Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism is eager and willing to be part of the discussions and the study process. Let it begin soon.

Mandlakazi Skefile
NMBT CEO

Read the article on the NMBT website

Vital to look at new markets

2012-08-02T08:30:00.001+02:00

DOOMED if you do and doomed if you don’t - the situation facing Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism (NMBT) when it comes to attending international trade shows.

Over the years, NMBT has been criticised on the one side, of not doing enough to pursue foreign markets, and on the other side of doing too much. In some quarters, pursuing emerging markets, like China, has also been questioned.

It’s is a bit like driving a car; keeping your eyes on what’s ahead, but not losing sight of what is in the rear-view and side mirrors. Conditions may require flexibility in changing route while continuing toward one’s destination.

So in tourism-speak; while NMBT remains focused on the domestic and traditional foreign markets - like UK and Germany - it still needs to keep an eye on emerging markets.

Another analogy. If sales representatives remained in office and did not call on clients and potential clients, the business would remain stagnant or worse still – fail.

According to tourism industry norms, applied to destination marketing, trade marketing, is an integral part of the marketing mix. Trade marketing includes attending trade shows - a platform where tourism businesses and destination marketing agencies interact and do business.

NMBT’s approach to destination marketing internationally is not only in keeping with the accepted marketing mix, it was also justified in South African Tourism Services Association’s (SATSA) most recent market intelligence report.

The report, which provides a summary of the Tourism Business Index, conducted by accounting firm Grant Thornton, quoted CEO of Tourism Business Council of SA (TBCSA) Mmatsatsi Marobe: “Tourism has been recognised as a major driver of the SA economy...but to reignite the tourism engine we need to be more competitive in our approach.

“We need to keep pioneering in the emerging markets, whilst protecting our traditional markets. We need the industry and government to work even more closely together in terms of both destination marketing and on the supply side where the cumulative effect of producer-driven inflation and non-aligned policy is combining to reduce our global competitiveness.”

If NMBT does not “pioneer in the emerging markets” now, then when the rest of the world starts reaping the benefits, NMBT, the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality and its council will be accused of doing too little, too late.

The turnaround time to fully realise the return of investment on an international destination marketing trip is three years.

Considering NMBT’s recent trip to China, the high profile media coverage already received has justified the R100 000 it cost NMBT to go. The trip was arranged by South African Tourism (SAT) as a workshop and was subsidised.

To date and conservatively speaking, the advertising value estimate of media coverage on Nelson Mandela Bay received to date amounts to R507 000 with an additional R1.53m in the offing.

On the trip, NMBT launched its Mandarin website http://www.nmbtcn.com and signed a letter of intent with the General Secretary of Asia Art Expo (also known as Asia Arts Top Show).

CCTV, China’s largest television station, along with the state-owned internet news website, Xin Hua, and other media, covered the launch of NMB Mandarin website extensively.

The launch is still to be featured on Global Travel Channel Hong Kong and China Travel Online. Moonlight Travel magazine will feature NMBT and not charge. Additionally, NMB has already featured in an elite Chinese lifestyle magazine, called Clan, which boasts two million readers.

NMBT marketing representative for the Chinese market and coordinator of the event, Andi An, said the launch of the website was hugely successful. More than two years of research and preparations have preceded the launch of this project.

Additionally, a group of 16 foreign independent travelers will tour South Africa as a result of NMBT going to China. A local tour operator will host the group throughout the trip that includes three days in the Bay. Then, CITS Shanghai will have developed a Nelson Mandela Bay city package for the regular tourist by the end of this month. These are a few of the outcomes of the Chinese trips. It’s impossible to mention everything.

It is also important to note that NMBT’s interventions into the emerging market are aligned to not only the city’s tourism marketing strategy, but also that of South Africa.

The trip to China was in line with national government’s BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) strategy. It was also in line with Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk’s comment at the South African Tourism Indaba held in Durban earlier this year. He said research dictated South Africa pitching to the Chinese market.

Since my appointment as CEO two years ago, NMBT as embarked on six destination marketing trips abroad. In total, this cost NMBT about R300 000. Budget is obviously tight and there are so many trade show opportunities, so NMBT has to be selective when deciding which shows it attends. NMBT seeks opportunities where the trip is subsidised by provincial and/or national stakeholders.

To fully assess the return on investment, for which a three-year turnaround is required - critical facts and figures must be obtained from the tourism industry. This has often been compared to pulling teeth. Let’s hope extraction of information becomes easier.

After a trip to South America, an Argentinian journalist came to South African and lived here for about three months, filing tourism features to foreign media about Nelson Mandela Bay and the surrounding areas.

All-in-all, and as Marobe says, government and the industry need to work closer together to pioneer the emerging markets. That would certainly result in a win-win for all involved and would enable NMBT to keep its eyes on the road ahead while pioneering emerging markets. However, this would not be possible with attending trade-shows nationally and internationally.

Unfortunately, there will always been doomsayers. But having thoroughly assessed differing opinion for and against, attending trade shows, NMBT is confident that when marketing the Bay as a destination to the foreign market by using the industry accepted destination marketing mix, it hasn’t made a wrong turn yet.

Read the article on the NMBT website

Travel Quest tests NMBT's endurance

2012-08-01T13:00:00.000+02:00

WITH tourism month coming up, Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism (NMBT) has decided on a fun way to celebrate this month by having an ‘amazing race’ through the city for the frontline staff of selected lodges, hotels and guest houses.

“We decided to call our race The Travel Quest as participants’ knowledge of the city, its attractions and activities will be put to the test. In the tourism industry the front line staff is a very important link between the establishment and its guests. Not only do they become the face of the establishment but most importantly they also become ambassadors of the city and often guests will base decisions on where to go and what to do on their input, “said NMBT Marketing Manager, Titus Chuene.

Chuene went on to say that the race will act as a “refresher course” on the city and its attractions. It will provide an opportunity for the participants to experience it firsthand, enabling them to confidently respond to visitor queries in future.

Before embarking on The Travel Quest it was decided to do a trial run and NMBT staff was put to the test. The staff was divided into five teams and told to assemble at the NMBT Head Office premises on a Wednesday morning early July.

Travel Quest organisers, NMBT leisure tourism coordinator, Jonker Fourie and events coordinator, Phrosne Phillips designed the race in such a way that it covered more than 20 attractions scattered throughout Nelson Mandela Bay from Uitenhage to Schoenies, museums to township taverns and many more. Following the amazing race concept, the route map held clues to the various sites that had to be visited along the way and was interspersed with interesting facts about the city, its heritage and current offerings.

The cross word puzzle used to stagger the teams at the start of the race was not that much of a deterrent and the NMBT teams were soon on their way armed with visitor information guides and maps to help along the way.

“Phrosne and I stood amazed at the speed with which some of our colleagues were able to down glasses of 'amazi' at Njoli Square, laughed Fourie. “Clues such as ‘pitch your tent next to the longest river in Africa’, ‘finding a journey of giraffe on the beachfront’ and ‘meeting Thobeka” (who turned out to be an art piece at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum)’ caused much debate and murmuring amongst the teams,” said Fourie commenting on the difficulty level of the challenges that made up the race.

The heavy downpour later in the afternoon did nothing to dampen the spirit as teams raced along the beach to a find a lifeguard to collect their next clues. “Some teams did have a slight difficulty finding the shortest route from Colleen Glen to Uitenhage while the new Uitenhage Science Centre wasn’t the easiest place to find if you don’t quite know what attraction you are looking for” quipped Phillips reflecting back on the event.

Phillips said that getting back to the office after the race was quite an experience as the staff couldn’t stop talking about all the new facts they uncovered and how they were seeing often-visited places in a fresh light. “All the hard work and planning paid off as the dry run went without a hitch and although fun was had by all, we met all our objectives. We are confident that the Travel Quest scheduled for September will be an ever bigger success” she added.

Chuene said that the Travel Quest race will form part of the bigger Tourism Month plans that will be launched in early August.

View the photos of Travel Quest 1 on the Nelson Mandela Bay Facebook Page.

Read the article on NMBT's website

Mandela Day at Sakume

2012-08-01T12:00:00.000+02:00

IT WAS green thumbs all around when Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism (NMBT) embarked on the second part of their two-headed Mandela Day outreach programme when they started a vegetable garden at the Sukume Museum and Cultural Centre for a HIV support group based in Walmer.

“To see so many people come to garden in support of a good cause, was truly heart-warming – taking time out to dig, rake and plant. The vegetable garden only the first step in assisting the group of ladies to become self-sufficient – not only would it providing them with the essential sustenance needed to maintain a healthy lifestyle but the money made from selling the excess vegetables would enable them to provide financial support to group members during times of,” said NMBT marketing manager, Titus Chuene.

It is NMBT’s hope that a company will eventually adopt the vegetable project and assist the group to realise its dream of forming a co-operative one day.

“We have managed to put the centre in contact with the department of agriculture, hoping for it to bare the positive fruit of mentoring and agri-education. We want to come back next Mandela day and add another vegetable garden for the ladies,” Chuene added.

Donations were not scarce – shovels, spades, watering cans, seeds and soil made for some of the donation. NMBT also donated orange overalls marked ‘the NMBT team’ to the ladies in which they will enjoy gardening. One of the many donations came from Oshry farms in the form of 4 000 seedlings of spinach and soil to plant them in.

“We chose spinach because it is more sustainable. Unlike something like beetroot which bares one fruit from one seedling, spinach bares plenty leaves, and can be plucked from for up to six months before having to plant another seedling. You get much more out of it,” said owner of Oshry farms, Marcus Oshry.

The afternoon concluded with a soccer clinic sponsored by the Mustangs Sports Academy. They donated soccer balls, numbered jerseys and socks to 40 girls and boys from the aftercare centre that will enable them to participate in league games in future.

“This week was powered by Mandela day, with people all over the country and world taking 67 minutes or more to do good deeds for others. Let’s carry live by this principle daily and always do for others,” said Chuene.

NMBT thanks all sponsors for their support and the many people who came to volunteer their time. Some of the many donators included All Hire – for their efforts to get the allocated land cleared, the UDDI for the donation of tyre towers and mixers as well as the pledge for ongoing mentorship to the project, EDRS Tourism for the sponsorship of training from St Johns, Despatch Spar and Lulama Mini of Woodlands dairy for refreshments during the day, the MBDA for their financial contribution and man power, seedlings from the Agricultural Sub-Directorate of the Economic Development and Recreational Services, the CSKD, for donating of caps and finally the team from Access Management.

View more pictures on the Nelson Mandela Bay Facebook page

Read the article on the NMBT website

Tiny tots feel the Madiba Magic

2012-08-01T11:00:00.000+02:00

NELSON MANDELA Bay Tourism (NMBT) kicked off its two-part outreach programme in commemoration of Mandela day today with the ceremonial hand over of a R 15 000 cheque to the Linge Tots Development Centre in Kwazakhele. Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) donated the much needed funds for infrastructural upgrades at the centre.

“I am overwhelmed but not surprised by the response from the people of Nelson Mandela Bay. It was really great to see so many people making time to attend the hand-over this morning. A gentleman approached me on arrival and made a donation of R500, we also received clothes, toys milk and even a second hand television for the centre. Others came forward and offered services such as counseling while two teenage girls offered to donate their time to help around the centre after reading about our initiative on our website. Our Mandela Day initiative has been a huge success so far and we’re hoping to see as many, if not more, people at our second outreach on Friday in honour of Nelson Mandela,” said NMBT CEO, Mandlakazi Skefile, referring to the Sukume Museum and Cultural Centre in Walmer where the team will assist an HIV ladies support group to establish a vegetable garden from scratch.

“I am so grateful for the donation as it will allow us to upgrade the bathroom facilities and playroom area. We are hoping that in time we would be able to create access to an outdoor play area in the back that will allow the kids to play outside in a safe and protected environment. I also want to thank everyone who came to offer their time to us, it means a lot to the children and us,” said founder of the centre, Fezeka Gawula.

“Linge Tots touched our hearts when we were introduced to the centre during the recent Wheelchair Wednesday campaign. The kids of Linge Tots deserve to be treated everyday as if it was Mandela Day and we are delighted that NMBT play a part in making the centre a better place for the kids and staff”, said NMBT marketing manager, Titus Chuene. He said that NMBT was in the process of identifying builders that would be able to assist with the necessary infrastructural upgrade.

The Linge Tots Development Centre provides therapy and basic pre-school education for physically and mentally challenged children between the ages of 0 to 12 years and currently caters for 30 children from the surrounding communities.

Read the article on the NMBT website

Best butler in the business

2012-08-01T09:46:00.001+02:00

TOURISM thrives on individuals who go the extra mile to make guests feel welcome and ensure they have the best possible time, which is why Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism (NMBT) is searching for the person or group who is worthy of this year’s “Walking the extra tourism mile”.

Anyone from Nelson Mandela Bay or NMBT’s member companies can enter.

Butler Moses Temarenoyo from Addo Afrique estate is this month’s deserving nominee. Known for his warm friendly smiles and delicious braais – he knows what it means to be a stand-up host.

“Working in the hospitality industry is often described as more of a calling than an actual career choice. It takes a special kind of person to create that magic moment that will make an experience stand out long after it actually happened,” said NMBT marketing manager Titus Chuene.

“Moses is the epitome of the kind of person we at NMBT are looking for. There’s no doubt about it, he walks the extra tourism mile. We all love Nelson Mandela Bay for all its wonderful sights and attractions it has to offer, but it is important to add that special touch to tourism in the city and its surrounding areas,” added Chuene.

Manager of the estate, Bertie van Deventer, said it’s a pleasure working with Moses, “It sets me at ease knowing at all times that the guests are in good hands. Moses enjoys what he does and it shows.”

TripAdvisor, an online travel website, recently awarded the estate with a 2012 certificate of excellence award, scoring them an exceptional 4.5 points out of five.

“Moses was our butler and took fantastic care of us. The BBQ he orchestrated was great and his stories and knowledge were really helpful...Moses was great with our children and when my son woke up looking for a snack, Moses was all too happy to help!” said an online reviewer who goes by ‘DJBSFO’ from San Francisco, California, United States.

When asked how he felt about being nominated, Moses humbly said: “I love working with the guests, cooking for them and making them happy.” Employed at Addo Afrique estate for the past two years, Moses moved to South Africa in 2004 from Zimbabwe where he had some chef training.

“I really enjoy cooking and braaing. The South African culture and cuisine has grown on me and I especially like making stews, my own special chakalaka and roosterbrood. We have a lot of foreign guests and I want them to appreciate the beauty of this country just as I have learnt to,” said Moses.

Another online reviewer, LindaLu62 from Oslo in Norway, commented, “What actually made the stay great are the two persons working there, Moses, the butler, and his wife. They are so nice and are taking very well care of you in always (sic). Moses is a great cook, love his food.”

Even local tourists agree Moses is the best in the business, “Moses, the host of hosts, always willing to assist,” said Chris T from Colchester, South Africa.

NMBT is looking for unique stories of tourism service beyond the call of duty and tourism experiences that highlight how people have gone the extra mile in making Nelson Mandela Bay a better and brighter destination for tourists. “It is clear from the nominations received to each month that we have some very special people out there that share in our love and passion for our city. They are without a doubt leading examples of what it takes to go the extra mile and we believe that it is important that we acknowledge these contributions to the local tourism industry, hence this award,” said NMBT chief executive, Mandlakazi Skefile.

Candidates must be nominated before the 20th of each month. A winner will be selected who will gain exposure in the Imvaba newsletter, syndicated to over 2 000 readers, on the NMBT facebook page and are in the running for the overall title, announced at the final NMBT membership meeting.

Send all ‘walking the extra tourism mile’ nominations to Reuann Smith at membership@nmbt.co.za or phone 041 582 2575.

For more on Moses and Addo Afrique Estate - visit TripAdvisor or Addo Afrique.

Read the article on the NMBT website

Explore the city on the run

2012-08-01T09:29:00.000+02:00

AFTER its great success last year, The Herald Urban Run will return this Tourism Month – once again drawing runners and adventurers from all around to participate in the ‘urbanathlon’ – taking them on a journey through some of the city’s urban sights and attractions while raising money for charity.

“Events like the urban race are what our city thrives on. The race shows off several of our inner-city attractions – exposing tourists to a part of our city that abounds with history, art and heritage,” said Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism (NMBT) CEO, Mandlakazi Skefile.

The event, which had its first ‘run’ last year, expects to see hundreds of athletes from around the Eastern Cape descend on Nelson Mandela Bay again this year.

The city footrace starts and finishes at the iconic Donkin Reserve, also known as the ‘beacon of the bay’ takes place September 16th. It takes competitors through the Central Business District (CBD) of the city along with part of the heritage trail Route 67 and includes iconic sights such as Fort Frederick.

Nelson Mandela Bay’s CBD has become one of the front runners in respect of urban renewal, this race calls for tourists and locals to bear witness to the urban transformation for themselves.

“The 10.5km urban obstacle race is for social fun runners who are looking for something a little different,” said event organizer, Michael Zoetmulder.

“By its very nature, an Urban Run is a multi-disciplinary, city foot race with the emphasis squarely on having fun. Urban obstacles are designed in such a way as to get the social runner sweating and smiling while taking in the city’s surrounds”

The race, established last year by local sports events company, Zports, raised R40 000 last year and is hoping to increase that to R100 000 this year. Businesses along the route are encouraged to become involved and lend their support to the event.

Organisers say Port Elizabeth has set the benchmark for urban runs in South Africa and September’s event will see no fewer than 15 exciting and challenging urban obstacles along the route that will require skills such as jumping, rolling and even wall scaling.

“There will also be a health expo at the Donkin Reserve the weekend of the race. Whether you are participating in the race or going to the expo, Donkin Reserve is the place to be the weekend of the 16th,” said Skefile.

Enter online at www.urbanrun.co.za. Manual entry forms available from sports shops or from the Zports offices on North End Lake.

Read the article on the NMBT website

Mohair winners

2012-07-12T15:50:00.000+02:00

Every month NMBT runs a competition on the website which gets promoted in the monthly NMBT newsletter, on emails send to the database as well as through links on Facebook and Twitter. The June competition was sponsored by Hinterveld, one of the premier mohair weaving facilities in the country. The winners, Steve and Sue Antolik from Sunland, received a number of exquisite mohair blankets and scarves from Jackie Gant, Hinterveld's marketing manager. Just the thing for these cold winter nights we're having. The July competion still runs until the end of the month and you can win 2 nights in a double room plus 4 x R40-00 breakfast vouchers at a nearby establishment sponsored by Dempsey's Guest House.

Music to his ears

2012-07-09T12:02:00.002+02:00

How do you become the most popular guy around? You win 10 tickets to the 5fm Music Festival in Jeffrey's Bay this coming weekend in the NMBT Tag and Win competition. And that is exactly what Shaun Manley did. He will be spending the weekend enjoying UK outfit Hard Fi, legendary UK based guitarist Neil Taylor and South African acts like Prime Circle, Ard Matthews Affair, Taxi Violence, Jack Parow, Flash Republic and many more. His weekend passes also include a campsite so all he now needs to do is decided who to take with.

No 7 Castle Hill - a little museum with a big heart

2012-06-26T15:59:00.002+02:00

Sailing into Algoa Bay as one of the 1820 British Settlers, Reverend Francis McCleland would have been standing on deck looking out over the bay towards the beach little knowing what awaited him in the Cape Colony and how he would influence what would become Port Elizabeth (later be part of Nelson Mandela Bay).Rev McCleland became the colonial chaplain in Port Elizabeth and oversaw the building of St Mary’s Anglican Church (later declared a cathedral) which was completed in 1834. Only a couple of years before, in 1827, he bought a piece of land on Castle Hill for three guineas (three pounds and three shillings) and built a house for his family.A building in front of which I found myself standing and was told is one of the oldest surviving Settler cottages in Port Elizabeth.

I was met at the door by a very enthusiastic and knowledgeable Grizel Hart who is the curator of what is now the No 7 Castle Hill Museum. No 7 opened as a historic museum in 1965 and is furnished in period to show a picture of domestic life as enjoyed by an English middle class family in

mid-19th Century Port Elizabeth. It really is the kind of place where kids will discover things they have never seen before in their lives while older folk will be reminded of items their grandmothers still had in their houses. While Grizel was showing me around a couple of kids came by with sheets of paper in their hands and stood in front of a grandfather clock for a while before disappearing down the steps to the old kitchen. “They are busy with the museum’s treasure hunt,” Grizel explained. Kids visiting the museum each receive a sheet of paper with drawings of furniture pieces and items found throughout the house to try and track down.

Our first stop on my tour of the house was in the cobbled stone courtyard where I was shown the still working old water pump. Water is gathered in the well from the roof and pumped out by hand for use. I bet all the kids visiting the museum want to have a go at the pump, so I tried it out as well before heading back inside. After seeing the upstairs bedrooms and the ground floor parlour, dining room and toy collection, I got to see the old kitchen where the kids were heading to earlier. It is by far my favourite room in the house and I spent a bit of time there helping a couple of them finding some of the items on their treasure hunt sheet.

My visit to No 7 Castle Hill just showed again that historic museums doesn’t have to be boring and can appeal to both young and old. Next time I visit I’m bringing the Kidz.

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For more information contact No 7 Castle Hill at 041 582 2515
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Opening hours:

Mondays to Thursdays - 10:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 16:30.
Fridays - 10:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 16:00.
Closed on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.

No 7 Castle Hill was also voted as one of Nelson Mandela Bay's Top 10 Icons in 2012

Winner of brekkie at the Kelway

2012-06-25T16:25:00.001+02:00

Meeting Sandile (Neo) Numa at the Kelway Hotel to get a picture of him receiving his Tag & Win prize the first thing he wanted to do was see the restaurant area where he will be able to use his voucher for breakfast for four people. The reason? He promised his mom that he will bring her for breakfast using the voucher and she wanted to know what the restaurant looks like. In the picture Neo receives his voucher as well as four NMB passes from Kelway Hotel General Manager Shandre Main.

German Travel Agents Stopping By

2012-06-25T16:12:00.000+02:00

A group of nine German travel Agents, including a representative of Fox Tours, recently spent some time in Nelson Mandela Bay whilst on a 7-day South African familiarisation trip hosted by African Travel Concepts. During their visit to the city they made time to pop in at NMBT where they all received detailed information packs and locally produced mohair scarves. According to Vera Prenzlow, the tour guide accompanying the group on the entire trip, their itinerary included a visit to the recently upgraded Donkin (which they loved), a trip to Addo and also a township tour.

Showing off her winnings

2012-06-25T09:58:00.001+02:00

The Tag and Win competition winners just keep on rolling in and it doesn't matter if people get their prizes delivered personally by an NMBT representative or through the courier company, the first thing everybody does is to dig in and see what they had won. So likewise Sarah Dirsuwei couldn’t wait to dig into her NMBT hamper won in the Tag and Win competition and show everything off she got. Her hamper included amongst others a mohair scarve, NMBT cap, NMBT braai apron set and a mug.

Off to the rugby

2012-06-22T19:58:00.003+02:00

With the excitement of this Saturday's Springboks vs England test building in the city, the main prize in this week's NMBT Tag and Win competition turned out to be four tickets to the game. After the draw Michelle Kitching (left) turned out to be the lucky winner and Terry Almirall (right) of NMBT headed straight over to hand Michelle her tickets.

STORY UPDATE (25/06/2012):

Left to right: Sharon en De Wet Nel (sister and brother in law),

Gail Vermeulen and Erika Olivier (sister) enjoying the test match on Saturday.

TAG & WIN PAY IT FORWARD: NMBT's Tag & Win campaign has done more than promote the city’s wonderful offerings through its online based competition. Lucky winner of the four rugby test tickets in last week’s draw, Michelle Kitching, said the prize was a blessing as her son, Bernardt, suffers from severe epilepsy and she and her sister, Sharon Nel, takes care of him full time. When advised that she was chosen as the lucky winner she immediately thought of her sister and decided it was the ideal opportunity to return her sister’s acts of kindness.

“Not only has this campaign managed to grow awareness of what is on offer in Nelson Mandela Bay countrywide but it has provided some very special moments to many people along the way. The competition is running for another 3 weeks so enter now and you can also be one of our many lucky winners.” said NMBT CEO, Mandlakazi Skefile.

Satisfied winner

2012-06-22T15:02:00.000+02:00

Satisfied Tag and Win winner Krystal van Vuuren receives her Netcare Goody Bag and NMB passes from NMBT's Sadie Isaacs.

The winners just keep on rolling in with week 7's winners of the Tag and Win competition being announced today. There are another three draws left in the competition so get tagging if you haven't entered the competition yet. The winners are as follow:

4 tickets to the SA vs England rugby test go to Michelle Kitching.

A digital camera goes to Murray Finlay

MP3 players to Tarryn Rennie, Mariska Spoormaker and Zaida Gamiet.

Thermos flask sets Claudine Hunke and Bella van der Linden each receive a .

Wayne Seady and Siya AkwaNkume win an NMB hamper each.

No 7 Castle Hill Goodie Bag and 2 NMB passes go to Cathy Marsh.

Congratulations to all. Enjoy!

Another happy winner

2012-06-15T11:30:00.000+02:00

Now tell me if this isn't what happy looks like. Olivia Coates, one of the NMBT Tag and Win winners celebrates her luck of winning an NMB hamper

Happy snaps

2012-06-15T09:21:00.001+02:00

10 winners a week with 5 more weeks to go. 50 MORE PRIZES!!! That's how much chance you still have to win if you enter the NMBT Tag and Win competition today. Just pop over to the Nelson Mandela Bay Facebook page, click on the Tag and Win link and enter the competition. Its as easy as that. Plus you only need to enter once as you will stay in the draw till the end. One of week five's lucky winners were Deon Spies who won a digital camera, which I heared from reliable sources have already been annexed by his Mrs. Way to go on scoring browney points Deon! Here Gcobisa Douw from NMBT's Donkin Reserve VIC hands the prize over to Deon.

Music to her ears

2012-06-14T09:41:00.000+02:00

One of the Tag and Win prize winners from week 5's draw is Elsabe Boshoff who won a MP3 player. “I'm so excited about this - it will be a perfect tool for me training for the Ironman in 2013,” said Elzabe of Ocean Divers International and co-author of “The Heart of an Ironman”. The prize was handed over to Elzabe by Erenei Louw of NMBT at Shark Rock Pier, one of Nelson Mandela Bay's Top 10 icons.

Announcing the Tag and Win week 5 winners

2012-06-13T11:10:00.002+02:00

Last Friday DJ Gareth Burley of Kingfisher FM and NMBT's Jonker Fourie announced the week 5 winners of the Tag & Win competition live on air before calling Deon Spies to tell him that he had won a digital camera.

Last week's winners were:

Lisa Spruyt won 2 nights for 2 at The Beach Hotel & Umzantsi Afrika City tour for two.
Natasha Coleman won a breakfast for two at Leo's Bistro & Lounge, and 2 NMB Passes.
Deon Spies won a digital camera.
Henry Newman, Jennilee Sale, and Elzabe Boshoff each won an MP3 player.
Nicole Pfister and Brandon Stooss each won a thermos flask set.
Olivia Coates and Garth Manthe each won an NMB hamper.

With 5 weeks to go there are still loads of opportunities to win with another 50 prizes still up for grabs. Head over to the Nelson Mandela Bay page on Facebook, click on the Tag and Win logo, tag the block with your favorite city icon and you could be a winner at the next draw.

Tune in to Kingfisher FM (103.8 FM and 107.5 FM) every Friday from 13:00 to 13:30 for all the latest tourism news and to hear about the week's Tag & Win winners.

Local tourism website receives warm welcome in China

2012-06-08T09:48:00.001+02:00

THE NELSON MANDELA Bay Tourism (NMBT) foray started on a high note with high profile media coverage when it successfully launched its mandarin website (http://www.nmbtcn.com) in Beijing and signed letter of intent with the General Secretary of Asia Art Expo (also known as Asia Arts Top Show) during their visit to the country as part of the South African Tourism (SAT) China workshop entourage.

The website’s launch forms part of NMBT’s strategy in marketing the city during their ten day visit to the country from June 3rd to 12th. The objective of signing the letter of intent is to develop an exchange programme between artists and creating an international awareness of Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB). “The launch was extremely well attended” said an excited NMBT CEO, Mandlakazi Skefile from Beijing on Wednesday. “This is the time and place to further our city’s exposure on an international capacity – the Mandarin website is just the first step of achieving this. By translating the website content into Mandarin it has made Nelson Mandela Bay and its offerings just that much more accessible to this audience, and is a proof of our ongoing commitment to grow the city’s presence in the Chinese markets.” she added.

CCTV, China’s largest television station, along with the state owned internet news website, Xin Hus, and many others, covered the event extensively.

Among the dignitaries at the launch was the Important Events Promotion Centre of Beijing Tourism committee representative, Mr Xiaoyong Shi, Chinese tourism industry marketing celebrity and Executive chairperson of Donghua International Travel Services, Mr Chunlin Song, representatives from U-Tours and Huayuan Tours (recently recognized by SAT as two of the top three Chinese tour operators bringing large tour groups to South Africa) and representatives of more than thirty other tour opetators and media .

The event will be featured on Global Travel Channel Hong Kong and Cina Travel Online. Skefile said that Moonlight Travel magazine has offered a free feature on the city following discussions at the launch.

In addition the launch also enjoyed the support of various honourable guests from China Central Government and international business associations.

Click here to read the whole article on the NMBT website >>>