Tourism Newsletter

Welcome to our 7th edition of "Izindaba"

This will be our last edition of Izindaba for 2007, with Christmas & New Year just around the corner, we would like to take this opportunity to wish you all "Seasons Greetings" and everything of the best for 2008. We look forward to welcoming in the New Year with our 8th Edition of Izindaba going live on our website on the 15th January 2008!

We would like to thank you all for keeping in touch and hope you enjoy reading this our 7th Edition of Izindaba!

All the best,



P.S. Please contact Wendy should you wish to include any special information relevant to the Tourism & Hospitality Industry, in our monthly newsletter - "Izindaba" - Thank you!

BOOK REVIEW

The Art of Tracking: The Origin of Science
by Louis Liebenberg

The book was first published in 1990, with the second impression launched in 2001 - The Art of Tracking: The Origin of Science, by Louis Liebenberg, retails at R94.95 (soft cover) in all leading book stores.

This interesting and well written book, explains the complexities and art of the hunter-gatherer relates and links it with the origins of modern science. Through creating these parallel and associative links between these forms of science, a larger and better understanding of this art form is established thereby placing The Art of Tracking by the Bushmen into a renewed and enlightened format giving further insight in the amazing art form / science of tracking.

The Art of Tracking: The Origin of Science makes for enjoyable and interesting reading and is highly recommended for your Christmas stocking this year!

THE DARK CONTINENT- Part 2

A story by Andrew Rae, of Mopane Bush Lodge - Limpopo, SA

"One minute I am minding my own business and the next…a soft breeze with the scent of potato bush in the evening or tribal voices laughing or singing in the background or the millionth sunset or the primal wail of jackal under an impossibly large moon. These things shake me to the core of my being and all I need is more. What is it about this place? An American client of mine once attempted to describe her African sickness to me. She told me that she had traveled the world and that Africa was the only continent that has a heartbeat. It has a rhythm, an ancient percussion that permeates throughout. It is unique, evocative and exotic yet, even to those visiting for the first time, strangely familiar. It's as if the creak of mankind's cradle rings some distant bell.

I sat on a kopje in the Karoo last week and watched the rising sun brush the darkness from the kloofs. A pied barbet began fidgeting in the shepherd's tree off to my left and four mountain reedbuck materialized in front of me to bask in those first delicious solar rays. I sat like a child, besotted and emotional with the splendour of it all…. and I realized that Africa is not just about images. It's a state of mind, a spiritual journey, an incessant monologue from the heart of a dark continent that has to be heard as well as seen. When Africa speaks, you cannot help but listen. When those tribal voices blend in harmonies that shake the earth's foundation and the rejoicing reaches a sky scattered with a trillion stars and your skin crawls with gooseflesh as a strange and disturbing lump begins to grow in your throat, then you know you are forever enslaved. It is usually at this point that my wife leans over and looks into my leaking eyes and asks "are you alright darling?"…

"It's just this damn African dust, dear."

We would like to thank Andrew for his contribution to Izindaba and hope to publish more of his fantastic stories in the near future … remember to purchase the December issue of Getaway Magazine to read one of Andrews tales!

DID YOU KNOW?

The African Wild Dog is Southern Africa's most endangered carnivore, with fewer than 500 individual dogs occurring in South Africa, most of which occur in the Kruger National Park. It was recommended, in 1997, that the wild dog's range be expanded by reintroducing packs into several protected areas across the country. Nine wild dog sub-populations have been established to date in areas such as the Madikwe Game Reserve, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, De Beers Venetia Limpopo Nature Reserve and the Pilanesberg National Park.

A pack of 18 African Wild Dogs have recently been translocated from the Marakele National Park in the Limpopo Province of South Africa to the Northern Tuli Game Reserve in Botswana, to try establish a viable population of the endangered animal in the Limpopo Valley which will form part of the proclaimed Limpopo-Shashe Transfrontier Conservation Area straddling the international borders of Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

The Wild Dogs arrived safely just before sunset and will spend their first two to three months in a boma before being fitted with tracking collars and released into the 72000 ha Northern Tuli Game Reserve. It is hoped that the pack will link up with a neighbouring population of Wild Dogs, on the De Beers Venetia Limpopo Nature Reserve a few kilometres south, of the South African side of the border, to form new packs.

This is a fantastic initiative which we are sure will be greatly successful, as well as beneficial to the Tuli area and the TFCA in future development and re-stocking of wildlife in the park. We wish the project coordinators, and all involved, all the very best with this relocation project; hopefully we can keep all our readers updated as to the progress the Wild Dog pack are making, in future editions of Izindaba.

Important dates for
December 2007 & January 2008

NEWS FROM WITHIN THE INDUSTRY

"The Mystery Partnership brings its expertise to Southern Africa" - news from Graham Hardiman

The Mystery Partnership provides a bespoke evaluation service for the luxury hospitality and leisure industry, brings its expertise to the southern hemisphere - with help from UK Trade & Investment.

Established by four partners in 1996, The Mystery Partnership uses mystery guests to monitor every aspect of customer service and the guest's experience in hotels, from reservation to check out, and benchmark their service against similar hotel service levels internationally. It also evaluates every measure of performance within the industry, especially sales effectiveness and personalisation of service.

Based in Hanley Swan in the UK, the company comprises four partners and about 11 report writers, and has a pool of about 1,400 mystery guests around the world. They are now considering setting up a centre in South Africa as a hub for the whole of Africa, as they have signed up most 5 Star Hotels in Cape Town and have had enquiries from Namibia, Angola and Mozambique too.

Managing partner Graham Hardiman has more than 20 years' experience managing hotels in Barbados, Bournemouth, Australia and the USA. He used a mystery guest system when he started as general manager of a Barbados hotel, and realised the business potential.

The Mystery Partnership now operates programmes throughout the UK, Europe, the USA, the Caribbean and South Africa; and is currently looking at the possibility of licensing the business to a South African operator or alternatively acquiring a full time partner.

"Fantastic meeting with you earlier this year Graham, The Mystery Partnership programmes and services are certainly world class! We wish you every success with your new branch in South Africa and look forward to seeing you during your next visit to South Africa."

Best wishes, Wendy & Francois

"Tanzania to get new tourist park" - news by Apolinary Tairo

Efforts to conserve wildlife for tourism in Tanzania is going to pay off after the government proposed to increase the number of tourist wildlife parks to 15, making this African destination among the few states in Africa to own many nature protected national parks DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania (eTN) - Targeting to attract more nature loving tourists, Tanzania is seeking from its parliament or congress a legislation that would allow the government to establish a new wildlife park in the bustling northern tourist circuit. If approved and endorsed, it will bring to 15 the number of national parks currently holding a big chunk in Tanzania's tourism. Tanzanian Tourism Minister Jumanne Maghembe moved a motion to the parliament last week, seeking a congressional or parliamentary approval to turn raise the status of the Mkomazi Game Reserve into a full-fledged tourist protected national park.

Mkomazi Game Reserve in northern Tanzanian border with Kenya will have its status elevated to a national park then marketed globally as one among Africa's wildlife destination sites under the Tanzania National Parks authority. The minister said the decision to establish the new park resulted from an increased number of wildlife in the Mkomazi area and the need to protect rare wildlife living there from extinction. Tanzania currently has 14 national parks, mostly inhabited with various species of wildlife and plants. According to the minister, the Tanzania National Parks, an authority trust to manage and protect wildlife and nature in Tanzania, will take over the planned 3,600 square kilometer Mkomazi Game Reserve for development into a full-fledged tourist site.

Boasting of its big population of African Big Five--lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino and leopard, the planned park shares remarkable diversity of African savannah plants and bird species. The park shares territorial borders with Tsavo West National Park in Kenya, forming a natural cross-border eco-system attracting wildlife to track freely through the 100 kilometer borderline between Tanzania and Kenya. Over 70 species of large mammals, 376 bird species and 1,500 plant species are found in the Reserve. An impressive conservation program aiming to save endangered rhinos and wild dogs is taking place inside the park with protection of rare African Hunting Dog and Black Rhino.

The George Adamson Wildlife Preservation Trust has been running wildlife protection project in Mkomazi aimed at bringing back to the park the African hunting dogs and the African black rhino once hunted during the past decades. Seven black African rhinos have been airlifted from Addo National Park in South Africa and settled at Mkomazi and dozens of African hunting dogs were collected from neighboring villages for breeding inside the park. Northern Tanzania tourist circuit is the leading and most prominent tourist attractive area made up of Mount Kilimanjaro, Arusha, Lake Manyara, Tarangire and Serengeti National Parks and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

Reference: http://travelvideo.tv/news/more.php?id=12958_0_1_0_M
Published: 19 November 2007

"Fantastic news from Tanzania! We wish everyone involved in the project great success and congratulations on your continuous efforts to conserve Tanzania's wildlife, parks and reserves."
Best wishes, Wendy & Francois

""Kiambi Lower Zambezi launches their new website - www.kiambi.co.za"
- news from Kiambi Safaris, Zambia

Kiambi Lower Zambezi is your first gentle, mellow taste of the Lower Zambezi, and sets the uniquely African stage for your forthcoming journey of discovery…

Rest your elbows on the balustrade of Kiambi's elevated teak deck, and absorb the might of the Zambezi and the Kafue Rivers…

Sense the promise below the surface …

Under and beyond you, the waters stretches as far as the eye can see; left and right, you'll witness a glorious unfolding of the sunrises and sunsets to take your breath away; and for stargazers, a glittering scene of splendour is played out nightly ...

And you have seats in the front row!

We welcome you to Kiambi Lower Zambezi's new website designed by Wendy from du Toit TMCS. "We are really very pleased with du Toit TMCS's quick response and construction of our website. This is outstanding service that is rarely seen anymore in Southern Africa." - Helen Malisan, General Manager of Kiambi Lower Zambezi.

For further information and contact details please visit Kiambi Lower Zambezi's listing on the "Exclusive Destinations" webpage, or visit their website at www.kiambi.co.za.

"Thank you very much for contracting du Toit TMCS to design your website, it was wonderful working with you and we look forward to being of assistance to Kiambi Lower Zambezi in the future."
Happy Fishing! All the best, Wendy & Francois

"Mozambique to privatise Maputo Reserve" - news from PEMBA, Mozambique, Nov 14 (Reuters)

Mozambique plans to invite private companies to build hotels and other facilities around the Maputo Reserve to try to spur tourism, a Tourism Ministry official said on Wednesday. The government will soon launch an international tender for the nature reserve, which is 120 km (75 miles) south of the capital Maputo and about 10,000 hectares in size.

"The area has different kinds of flora and fauna and it is favourable to different types of tourism," Bartolomeu Soto at the Tourism Ministry said. In July, the government said it would invest $54 million to revamp national parks and wildlife that have struggled to recover from a 17-year civil war which ended 15 years ago.

The war drastically reduced once prolific herds of wildlife in national parks and reserves, while landmines and other remnants of the conflict make travelling off established routes risky. Mozambicans also hope to benefit from an influx of tourists traveling to neighbouring South Africa for the 2010 soccer World Cup.

Reporting by Charles Mangwiro
Editing by Golnar Motevalli
Reference: http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnL14247018.html

"Mozambique is definitely moving in the right direction … sustainable tourism development in Africa! We wish the government of Mozambique every success in their tourism development projects and to those of you wanting to invest in the industry - Mozambique is definitely one of the Southern African countries to look into!"
Yours in Tourism, Wendy & Francois

"Philip Schedler Photography" - news from Philip Schedler

Philip Schedler is a Professional photographer based out of Johannesburg, South Africa; with part of his work being done specifically in the tourism and hospitality industries as well as property developments. Over the last few years Philip has photographed a number of lodges and hotels, primarily in the Southern Africa region. This has included commissioned advertising and marketing images for print, display and web use as well as corporate image libraries. Philip also does corporate work for company annual reports and brochures and other marketing material. His rates are negotiable according to what is required and the end usage, and he generally works on a Full/Half Day fee basis or an all inclusive rate. To view Philip's work, kindly visit his website www.philipschedler.com.

Christmas Special from Philip Schedler Photography to all Izindaba readers and du Toit TMCS clients! Book your photographic shoot with Philip, before the 1st January 2008, to qualify for a 20% discount on work commissioned for 2008!

"For further information kindly contact Philip by email info@philipschedler.com
or telephone him on +27-(0)82 556 8884.

"International Hospitality Management Software - myGUESTS"
- news from DU TOIT TMCS in association with SAP-RAPIDE

myGUESTS has been developed for small and medium sized enterprises within the hospitality and tourism industry resulting from an extensive research in Europe by SAP-RAPIDE, who together with du Toit TMCS, are committed to making modern information technology economically available to all with in the hospitality and tourism industry in Southern Africa.

myGUESTS is a Hospitality Management Application aimed to support the Bed and Breakfast, Resorts, Self-Catering Units, Guest Houses, Lodges, Inns, Hotels and Motels segment of the fast growing global tourism industry. It is unique because it allows you to manage your organization holistically as an enterprise irrespective of its size. With this non-superficial approach the efficiency and effectiveness of your enterprise's resource planning is improved. For example, plan your staffing requirement, guest's requirements, bookings, time, cash, consumption etc with greater accuracy.

myGUESTS is an easy to use configurable, logical and practical business process flow system - you can Manage Reservations, Guest Information, Guest Billing, Process Payments, Create Sundry Items (Miscellaneous Transactions), Create Reports, Execute Extensive Queries and System Configuration. It offers a fast and easy setup procedure which gets you started sooner than anticipated. Once setup, simply point and click for most data entry operations. This helps you to save time, work smarter, avoid errors, and ensure accurate information is on hand, flexibility, business integrity and consistency. myGUESTS accumulates a considerable volume of statistical data which can be used to create reports with a few mouse clicks to help you make strategic decisions.

Kindly contact Wendy at du Toit TMCS (wendy@dutoittmcs.co.za) should you wish to receive further detailed information and a FREE trial period download of the myGUESTS International Hospitality Management Software!

TOURISM & HOSPITALITY NEWS
FROM SOUTH AFRICA

Source: www.SouthAfrica.info … The all-in-one official
guide and web portal to South Africa!

Soweto's first four-star hotel - By Emily Visser (1 November 2007)

More than 50 years after the Freedom Charter was signed, Soweto's Kliptown is once again the focus of much attention. Setting the trend for other townships in South Africa, it is about to enter a new era in its history with the opening of it's first-ever hotel.

Holiday Inn Soweto opened its doors to the public on 1 November. Situated at Walter Sisulu Square of Dedication, a tourist draw card, in Soweto's oldest suburb, the four-star hotel offers accommodation at an international standard to the more than 200 000 tourists who visit the township every year.

This was not merely a 2010-focused initiative, confirmed George Phefo, the hotel's general manager. In time, the group hopes to do more for the neighbourhood. "We are looking beyond 2010. We believe there are opportunities for Soweto."

To read this full story follow the link provided: -
http://www.southafrica.info/plan_trip/holiday/cities/soweto-hotel.htm

SA shines at World's Best awards - By SouthAfrica.info reporter (9 October 2007)

South Africa performed strongly in the 2007 World's Best Awards survey by international travel magazine Travel + Leisure; with nine establishments listed among the world's top 100 hotels and Cape Town voted 10th best holiday city in the world.

The World's Best Awards survey, now in its 12th year, recognises the favourite hotels, cities, islands, tour operators, airlines, cruise lines and car rental agencies of the readers of the world's largest circulation travel magazine.

The poll results for the best city, hotel, island, airline, cruise line and tour operators and safari outfitters appeared in the August issue of Leisure + Travel, wile the list of best spas appeared in the October issue.

To read this full story cut and paste the link provided into a new internet Explorer window: -
http://www.southafrica.info/plan_trip/holiday/worldsbest2007.htm

Congratulations to Singita Sabi Sand, Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve, Cape Grace, Mala Mala Game Reserve, Londolozi Private Game Reserve, Table Bay Hotel, Le Quartier Français, The Westcliff and Mount Nelson Hotel!

DU TOIT FAMILY NEWS

The Big Show!

Last week the family was invited to our first taste of the Big Ballet Show end of year production at the girl's school. Samantha, Tasha and their fellow ballet dancers performed their routines faultlessly bar the fact that every now and then a "cat" lost its tail as they swooped gracefully across the dance floor. The applause was overwhelming and for us a little "frog in the throat" as it was the first time our girls took part in a production of this size. Well done Samantha and Tasha, what a lovely show!

Du Toit's on the Move!

We will be moving to Richards Bay, the heart of the Elephant Coast, in KwaZulu Natal early in December '07. Edging our way out of the "big city", and closer to nature; with some of KZN's major tourism routes and attractions closer to home … maybe we'll even find a Hippo in our garden!

This move will place our family and du Toit TMCS's office centrally between Northern KZN's game / coastal reserves and Durban, with access to Richards Bay airport which is the porthole for the tourism industry to the Elephant Coast and gives us easy access to our clientele all over Southern Africa with the same ease of living in Durban.

Moving to Richards Bay gives us the opportunity of retaining our Durban property - Panorama House, for business and holiday purposes, as well as making it available as a self catering establishment (www.panoramahouse.co.za) for our guests and clients whilst in Durban on holiday or business. We hope to incorporate Panorama House as a possible hospitality training venue for our client’s staff in the future too.

A message from Francois

"Life is never dull" change seems the constant factor in our inclusion in an ongoing cycle, as an extension on the last Izindaba edition maybe this message could be construed as being part of, or a chapter with a unknown number and there is so much to do! As someone said to me in a telephone conversation the other day "it's a great day as I don't have six feet of sand covering me", making me sit back for a second as it was a unexpected answer to "how are you?" Whilst thinking about moving my family, and our lives to a different and new stage, it struck me that for all humans knowledge and interventions we may only be privileged enough to lay down a small piece of a large puzzle! So as we are completely oblivious to where we will be in a minutes time or any time thereafter, maybe we should all contemplate putting at least some positivity into a proposed plan of action! I'm moving closer to the bush - yipeeeeee - my plans in motion!

EXCLUSIVE PROPERTIES FOR SALE

For further information on these fantastic investment opportunities kindly visit our Exclusive Properties for Sale webpage or contact us by e-mail at info@dutoittmcs.co.za for assistance.

Click to download the February 2007 newsletter

Click to see the March 2007 newsletter
Click to see the April 2007 newsletter
Click to see the May 2007 newsletter
Click to see the August 2007 newsletter
Click to see the September 2007 newsletter
Click to see the November 2007 newsletter