The Lilizela Tourism Awards provincial awards began in Kimberley with the Northern Cape ceremony on September 5, followed by the Mpumalanga ceremony on September 6.
The provincial awards form part of the preliminary events leading up to the National Lilizela Tourism Awards on November 9, being held at the Sun Arena in Pretoria.
Of the 11 winners on the night in the Northern Cape, seven were women, a great achievement and testament to the growing efforts of the South African tourism industry to be more inclusive and have women in leadership.
Among them was Mpho Cornelius, the founder and director of The Workshop ko Kasi. Her establishment won both the Culture & Lifestyle and Roots & Culture awards. In 2017, Cornelius was the recipient of the Lilizela Emerging Tourism Entrepreneur of the Year award.
Speaking at the event, MEC of Economic Development and Tourism, Maruping Lekwene, said: “Through their hard work, determination and courage, the industry players continue to put our province on the domestic and international tourism radar and they have become strategic players who are contributing toward putting our province as a destination of choice. It is on that basis that the recipients of these awards, as well as other stakeholders in the tourism business who have entered the Lilizela competition today, should be seen as true Tourism Ambassadors of our beautiful province.”
The Mpumalanga event was held at the three-star Ingwenyama Conference and Sport Resort. Winners on the night included Forever Resorts, with four awards, and Jackalberry Ridge – which took two awards for the Caravan & Camping and Self-catering Shared Vacation categories.
MEC for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, Pat Ngomane, drove home the importance of tourism in the current international economic climate, saying: “I continue to argue that tourism is our new gold mine in the province – it is the goose that lays the golden eggs – and if we nurture it properly, by always striving for excellence in all we do, it will indeed continue to create the much-needed jobs for our people.”
All the winners:
Northern Cape 2019 Lilizela Provincial Winners
Tour Operator
Touch Let’s Go Travel & Tours Agency
Events Venue
Naba Lodge Conference Facility
Action & Adventure
Gravity Adventures Northern Cape
Culture & Lifestyle
The Workshop ko Kasi
Roots & Culture
The Workshop ko Kasi
Self-catering Exclusive
Rhino Manor
Bed & Breakfast
Browns Manor
Guesthouse
African Vineyard Guesthouse
De Herberg Lodge
River Place Manor
Naba Lodge Guesthouse
Lodge
Mattanu Private Game Reserve
Hotel
Road Lodge Kimberley
Mpumalanga Lilizela Awards Provincial Winners
ETEYA
Mbombela Experience
Meetings, Exhibitions & Special Events
Blyde Canyon, A Forever Resort
Conference Centre
Loskopdam, A Forever Resort
Wildlife Encounters
Inyati Game Lodge
Caravan & Camping
Jackalberry Ridge
Country House
Welgelegen Manor
Hamilton Parks Country Lodge
Guesthouse
LaRoca Guesthouse
Lodge
Needles Safari Lodge
Ebundu
Self-catering Shared Vacation
Jackalberry Ridge
Blyde Canyon, A Forever Resort
Mjejane Bush Camp
Self-catering Exclusive
The Cycad Lodge & Chalets
Hotel
Emnotweni Sun
Road Lodge Mbombela
Badplaas, A Forever Resort
Schneider’s Boutique Hotel
Town Lodge Mbombela
Bed & Breakfast
Matumi Golf Lodge
