Address by KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Economic Development, Tourism & Environmental Affairs, Mr Sihle Zikalala during the launch of Qabuleka Guesthouse in Nongoma
Programme Director;
Members of the Business Community and Media present;
Respected guests,
Ladies and gentlemen;
All protocols observed.
We are honoured to have been invited to witness the formal unveiling of this remarkable business operation, Qabuleka Guesthouse which is the new addition to the growing portfolio of tourism attractions and facilities in this region.
Nongoma holds a special place in the basket of tourism offerings that our province holds. Not only is it important place because it hosts the seat of the reigning monarch, His Majesty, King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu, but it is a brimming well of culture and repository of heritage of the Zulu people. As the province of KwaZulu-Natal, whenever we go abroad on marketing and study tours, we are almost always guaranteed enquiries about Zulu culture, tradition and heritage. There is worldwide fascination about the Zulu Kingdom and it is fascination that we need to harness as a competitive tourism advantage going forward. We believe that the unveiling of the Qabuleka Guesthouse is a practical expression of the harnessing of the globally-renowned Zulu brand.
As we would all acknowledge, Nongoma is a rural town that requires leveraging of investments and market profiling to transform this historical region of our province into one of the foremost destinations of choice for domestic and international visitors. This is more so when considering that this is the seat of the Zulu Royal House which we have to locate at the centre of our marketing efforts for the rest of the province. We are delighted that our emerging entrepreneurs are responding to government policies directed at accelerating change in the country’s economy. They are seizing opportunities available in the province’s diverse sectors of the economy including tourism.
This reciprocates our vision of positioning KwaZulu-Natal as continent’s leading tourism destination for both domestic and international tourists and investments. Qabuleka Guesthouse as a leisure and holiday retreat offers exciting facilities suitable for both local and international travellers keen to experience what this region could offer in terms of exquisite topographic views, cultural and historical heritage which is enhanced by this facility’s proximity to the royal palaces where traditional and ritual events are conducted each year to the excitement of the visitors. Scores of people trek annually to experience the colourful Reed Dance and we can’t afford not using such cultural event as one of the core tourism attractions that breed business and employment opportunities for the locals.
We therefore once again wish to congratulate the owners of this enterprise for opting to invest in this rural settlement. This would complement our collective endeavours to bring about economic development that would improve the lives of millions of people residing in this predominantly poverty stricken rural place. It is hoped that this becomes a catalyst for the development of tourism inclined SMMEs value chain that could provide services to the increasing demand for out of town tourism establishments. Local job creation is the key to boosting local economy. With the injection of economic activities, including tourism, we are also optimistic that the locals, especially young people would be inspired towards pursuing careers and business options in the tourism industry by capitalising on Zululand’s infinite beauty, cultural and historical splendour.
Meanwhile, tourism is one of the province’s strategic sectors and contributes in excess of 8% to the provincial gross domestic product. In terms of monetary value this is estimated at R24 billion a year and our long term objective is to scale up this figure to between R65 billion and R98 billion over the next years which would generate around 183 000 employment opportunities. It is, therefore, because of that reason that we are working hard to ensure that this industry is not just growing but is also inclusive and transformed to accommodate entrepreneurs from the historically excluded communities as we intend attracting more than 3.4 million international tourists by 2030 to complete the already booming domestic market. Our ambitions are fuelled by the establishment of new tourism products such as Qabuleka Guesthouse!
As stated earlier, Nongoma is the epicentre of the Zulu cultural heritage interwoven in the Zulu Monarchy while the historical sites such as Makhosini Valley of the Kings and surrounding battlefields dotted across this district serve as key ingredients for an exciting tourism experience. This is the tourism route that we should improve by interlinking to the neighboring provinces of Gauteng and Mpumalanga and as well as Swaziland and Mozambique. On the north east, this area is symbiotically connected to the United Nations’ declared iSimangaliso Wetland Park which is home to Umfolozi-Hluhluwe and Mkhuze game parks that feature the popular Big Five animals.
We welcome the initiative by the Nongoma Community Tourism Organisation (CTO) to establish the Nongoma Culture and Heritage Route which is a sub-route of the Zululand Heritage Route, popularly known as Route 66. This development is long overdue. Indeed, it has been an anomalous that while scores of books and research articles detailing Zulu culture and history talk about Nongoma and the greater Zululand area as well as neighbouring districts, we have not been able to harness that for economic development purposes. This anomaly does not only apply to Nongoma, but to the greater Zululand district and surrounds where monuments to Zulu history, culture and heritage are to be found.
In this regard, we must acknowledge that, notwithstanding stellar work done by the municipalities who are behind the Zululand Heritage Route, we have not done enough to profile this Route and yet it is one of the key selling points for our province. At the levels of CTOs; the Provincial Tourism and Investment Committee (PTIC); the local, provincial and national governments, we must correct this anomaly. As the great proverb says: “Until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter”, so must we, as custodians of our heritage and our history, be at the forefront of leveraging on how our heritage to grow tourism.
When one visits Egypt, one must see the pyramids and consume of the Pharaohs and the Egyptian civilization. When one visits the Nordic countries, one consumes the tales of bravery of the Vikings. It is local people, local entrepreneurs, local historians who are behind those projects. Similarly, we must advance these projects. And, we must accept that we have not done enough. But, we believe that it is not all doom and gloom. Precisely because we have identified the challenge, it means that there is an opportunity for us to do something new and something better. It means that when we start developing new products, for example, we will prioritise adherence to principles of localization and generally radical economic transformation. This, therefore, is a new frontier for growth for the tourism sector in the province.
This provides a fertile ground for tourism business development which as a province we regard as one of the critical industries that is currently supported by the Provincial Tourism Master Plan. The strategy seeks to promote sustainable growth in this sector that has a strong connection to our historical and natural heritage in this province.
The district is also strategically positioned along the rail and road corridor that connects the country’s industrial heartland of Gauteng to Richards Bay. This offers scope for the movement of visitors and commercial products especially value-added agro-products to be transported in either way to the tourism attractions and markets in the north and south of the country. In most recent times the provincial government engaged in the process of repositioning the regional airports to ensure their viability and reliability for the movement of general public and business people. Ulundi Airport has been one of the beneficiaries and we are confident that this investment would instigate business interest in this region.
Regional airports are feeder axis for our major aviation complex, King Shaka International Airport in Durban which is fast attracting globally respected airlines that connect the province to rest of the world. Recently we welcome British Airways which would in October 2018 starting operating direct flights to Durban – joining other leading brands in the aviation business like the Emirates Airlines, Qatar Airways, Turkey Airways and Ethiopian Airways.
In view that besides business people travelling between KwaZulu-Natal and other parts of the world, we have visitors that are keen to taste the best this province could offer in terms of tourism experience. Their interest is not limited to the warm and sandy beaches of Durban, Richards Bay and the south coast, but the riches of the Zulu history and culture available in abundance in the inland districts such as Zululand. The regional airports are vital in spreading economic opportunities beyond Durban and other urban areas.
Certainly, modern economies depend on good road and rail networks and as well as reliable aviation facilities to attract investments and tourists that contribute to local economic development which guarantees sustainable revenue for municipalities. We must stress the significance of partnerships between local governments and the private sector to ensure single voice in the process of marketing the area in terms of investments and tourists.
Again, it is through co-operation that the municipality would understand the strategic needs of the business community with respect to the provision of basic infrastructure essential for healthy business growth. We have every reason to be content with a positive future for Zululand but we need to improve our collaboration to be able to identify more opportunities and as well as potential threats that would require collective solutions.
Once again, we are therefore enthused that we have gathered here today to congratulate this district for producing courageously and visionary entrepreneurs who are not scared to take risks with a belief that their business operations would in future stand the test of time to grow as they speak to the needs of modern holiday-makers that are spoiled for choice yet KwaZulu-Natal remains their preferred destination, especially amongst domestic tourists.
Qabuleka Guesthouse would indeed contribute to growing demand for business people and tourist accommodation in the Nongoma area which seems to be experiencing steady growth. It is therefore crucial that as we welcome new tourism facilities like this, we also maintain quality service to customers as we are constantly facing competition from neighbouring provinces and sister countries.
It is incumbent upon all of us that we provide our visitors with top drawer service which would transform them into our ambassadors that would preach an admirable gospel about the province’s world class attractions and general friendliness when returning to their respective homes. We have to improve the levels of professionalism and cleanliness as part of compliance in terms of registration and adherence to protocols governing hospitality and leisure establishments in the country. This should also feature being part of the peer organisations to learn new traits in the sectors to be able to remain relevant in the fast changing business environment.
Affiliation to local tourism fraternity should be regarded as mandatory for any facility that hopes to grow and be sustainable in this highly competitive and at times fragile economic venture since this allows access to latest information with respect to new developments in the industry. This much so when considering that very often tourism is a service based industry that relies on word of mouth references to potential clients. It is therefore essential that the staff and management are exposed to new developments including acquisition of new skills training to sustain service excellence.
In closing, once more it gives me great pleasure to acknowledge and appreciate the investment that profiles a rural destination with an aim of growing the industry supporting SMMEs. I wish you all the best in your business endeavours and hope you will become a beacon of hope and inspiration to other aspiring business entrepreneurs, particularly young people.
I thank you,
