Tourism & Leisure

• Visitor numbers grew over 30% in 2008

Tourism is growing in importance in Limpopo and is set to become one of the key drivers of the provincial economy in the medium and long
term. The province is ideally located to become a favourite ecotourism destination. It is close to the densely populated Witwatersrand and has good roads, an international airport and several other airports to bring tourists easily to the region’s bushveld, mountains, forests and plains.

Between 2007 and 2008, the number of tourists visiting Limpopo increased by over 30%, from three million to four million. With the 2010
FIFA World Cup South Africa™ set to further boost visitor numbers in the short and medium term, Limpopo seems set for a long boom.

The province has two United Nationsrecognised biosphere reserves, it is the centre of several Transfrontier Conservation initiatives, 54 provincial reserves, two UNESCO World Heritage Sites and all five of South Africa’s famous ‘Big Five’ wildlife species can be found at its many game reserves. Most of the world-renowned Kruger National Park falls within Limpopo province. While ecotourism in its many varieties forms the basis of the provincial strategy on growing the tourism industry, there are several other types of tourism that hold strong potential and should be of interest to investors. These are:

  • Golf tours and golf estates
  • Family entertainment in the form of holiday resorts
  • Business tourism including conferences and events
  • Cultural and historical tourism, especially as represented by the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Mapungubwe

Golf estates have become a booming industry in Limpopo, particularly in the southern region nearest to Gauteng province. Towns such as Bela-Bela, Modimolle (formerly Nylstroom) and Mookgophong (Naboomspruit) now host or are close to exclusive golf estates, some of which offer services such as spas, hydros and equestrian centres. Two golf courses bear the signature of renowned course designer Peter Matkovich – Zebula Golf Estate and Spa at Bela-Bela and the Elements Private Golf Reserve at Modimolle. Other famous people to get involved in designing golf estates in Limpopo in recent times are South African
legend Gary Player (Royal Northland) and former world No 1 Annika Sörenstam.

Sörenstam’s involvement in the Euphoria Golf Estate & Hydro near Mookgophong no doubt helped secure more than R250-million that was
invested into this luxury project. The golf course is situated in a valley, while residential units are located on the mountain which overlooks the
playing area. A similarly luxurious development at Koro Creek Bushveld Golf Estate boasts its own game reserve, hydro and equestrian centre.

Another estate which has boosted the region’s economy is the Legend Golf and Safari Resort. Situated like many of the other golf estates near the great North Road (the N1 highway), Legend Golf and Safari Resort
is part of 22 000-hectare nature and game conservancy. The resort has private homes, a hotel, driving range, golf academy, wellness
centre and a conference centre.

Other parts of Limpopo are also well served by golf courses, with the Hans Merensky Golf Course on the outskirts of the Kruger National Park deservedly maintaining a high reputation for excellent golf and spectacular views. Golf tourism is a potential growth market for all of the
province’s regions.

Bela-Bela is perhaps the best known of Limpopo’s family holiday resorts, with the previous name of the town, Warmbaths, indicating
the chief natural attraction. Forever Resorts is one of the bigger establishments offering fun for families with the option of detoxing in the hot mineral waters for stressed parents.

The business-tourism market is being actively pursued by Polokwane in particular. Although most hotels have conference facilities, and the
University of Limpopo has several venues that can be used for conferences or exhibitions, plans are under way to attract investors to build an International Convention Centre in the province’s
capital. Recent improvements to the town’s airport and sports facilities (such as the soccer stadium) have enhanced the environment for
such an investment.

Culture and history
Cultural and history tourism has enormous potential in Limpopo. The declaration of Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape as a UNESCO World Heritage Site has boosted efforts to attract investment to this important site. The recent award of an architectural prize for the interpretation centre at the site has further enhanced the reputation of the conservation team.

The hill at the site was the focus of a highly advanced Iron-Age settlement, which thrived in the area between the Shashi and Limpopo
rivers in the 12th century. The Mapungubwe National Park is host to the archeologically important settlement site and naturally also protects the local flora and fauna. The Mashatu Game Reserve in neighbouring Botswana is to be linked to Mapungubwe National Park as part of the transfrontier initiative, further extending the scope and interest of the area.

Some startling archeological finds were made in Sekhukhuneland in November 2009. Artefacts found in this relatively poor area north-east
of Pretoria are potentially even older than those of Mapungubwe, and early speculation suggests that people who inhabited the southern
settlement were the same people who later built Mapungubwe. Cultural tourism is already part of the offering of Sekhukhuneland by way of
cultural villages and arts and crafts sales, but the recent archeological finds have the potential to transform the way tourism is experienced
in this south-eastern region of Limpopo.

The Myths and Legends Route in the north-east of the province is already popular, especially with 4x4 drivers. Starting at Makhado, the route goes into the far northeastern corner of South Africa, taking in
the VhaVenda ruins, the Sacred Lake at Fundudzi in the Soutpansberg Mountains and sacred forests and tea estates.

The Makapan Cave complex near Mokopane is another site of enormous historical and cultural significance. Its inclusion as a UNESCO
World Heritage Site (in conjunction with the Cradle of Humankind and the Taung Skull Fossil Sites in neighbouring provinces), is confirmation
that the remains of Australopithecus africanus discovered here in 1925 (and dating back some three million years) are of international
importance. The same caves were also the site of an infamous siege when locals clashed with invading Boer forces in the 19th century.

Nature in many guises
Because Limpopo shares boundaries with three other countries, it is the centre of much of the activity around transfrontier parks. These
developments are dealt with in a separate special feature in this publication. Suffice it to say in this context that the transfrontier parks will form a major part of the tourism strategy of Limpopo in the years ahead, and that opportunities for varied investment in lodges, services, transport and logistics and so on, will be many and varied.

Every type of tourism involving nature is on offer in Limpopo.

National parks: The Kruger National Park covers nearly 20 000 square kilometres and attracts more than a million visitors annually. It has six
ecosystems, 1 982 species of plants, 517 species of birds and 147 species of mammals – including each of the so-called ‘Big Five’: lion, leopard, African elephant, African buffalo and rhinoceros.
In 2008, the park celebrated its 110th birthday.

The Marakele National Park is situated on the Waterberg escarpment in the south-west of the province, relatively near to Gauteng. The Sterkstroom River runs through it and it is home to elephant, rhino and rare vultures.

Private game reserves: The area adjacent to the Kruger National Park is particularly rich in private game reserves, some of which are regarded as among the finest luxury tourist offerings in the world. The Sabi Sands Game Reserve has several accommodation options within its 65 000 hectares, ranging from the luxurious to the ultra-luxurious. Like the
Manyaleti Game Reserve to its north, Sabi Sands effectively forms the western boundary of the Kruger National Park, with animals free
to roam in and out of the private reserves.

Provincial nature reserves: The Limpopo provincial government runs 54 nature reserves, many of which it intends commercialising. This
represents ample opportunities for private operators. The combined land area of Limpopo’s national, provincial and private game and
nature reserves is 3.6 million hectares.

Adventure tourism: The mountains of the Waterberg, the Soutpansberg and the northern reaches of the Drakensberg offer unparalleled
opportunities for abseiling, caving, kloofing and rock-climbing. White-water rafting and tubing are other popular activities, especially in the Limpopo Valley and in the Olifants and Blyde canyons in the east of the province. Mountain-biking is a favourite pastime in the Magoebaskloof area while quad-biking can be found in several parts of the province. The tourist authorities recommend several areas to 4x4 enthusiasts: the Waterberg; Sekhukhuneland; Blouberg; Wolkberg; Kruger National Park and the Land of Myths and Legends, Venda.

Hunting: The centre of hunting is the north-western town of Lephalale with other northern towns like Alldays, Vivo, Musina and Dendron near to private game farms on which hunting is undertaken. This lucrative activity is strictly controlled by the Professional Hunters’ Association, with certain restrictions in place to protect the long-term future of the environment. The value of animals shot by foreigners in South Africa in 2003/04 was estimated to be about R285-million. The South African Hunters and Game Conservation Association has 23 000 members.

Birding: The Blouberg Nature Reserve is an excellent site for Cape vultures, containing as it does one of the largest breeding colonies.
Four birding routes criss-cross the province, illustrating the diversity of birds to found in the area’s varied terrain. More than 600 bird species
have been recorded.

Seven clusters
The Limpopo Tourism & Parks Board is keen to attract investment to particular areas of the province, as part of a focused drive to uplift local
communities through projects. These areas are:
Upper Letaba: anchor projects in Tzaneen and Lekgalameetse
Limpopo Valley: anchor project at Mapungubwe
Land of Legends: Lake Funduzi at the core of the scheme
Western Soutpansberg, projects at nature reserves at Blouberg and Langjan
Waterberg Biosphere: planning to include the whole area
Bela-Bela and Dinokeng: coordinate planning with Gauteng authorities
Polokwane: focus on business tourism, including international convention centre

ONLINE RESOURCES
Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism: www.ledet.gov.za
Limpopo Tourism & Parks: www.limpopotourism.org.za
Polokwane Show: www.polokwaneshow.co.za
South African National Parks: www.sanparks.co.za
South African Tourism: www.southafrica.net
Tourism Grading Council of South Africa: www.tourismgrading.co.za

















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