Searching for black tourism operators on Panorama

 

Trip to Mpumalanga reveals low-scale participation by black business

The Panorama Route is a perennial favourite with local and visitors from abroad but the presence of black operators is still lagging far behind despite the assurances by one major player... 

 

My recent travel to the tourism magnet called the Panorama Route in Mpumalanga province of South Africa was not so much as to marvel at the breathtaking natural features there. This time I had a bigger mission, which was to assess the presence of black tourism operators.

This time I elected to enter this route, also known as the R532, off the R36 from Mashishing Lydenburg. At this point, there exists a spot with its own significance – the Echo Caves. The debate whether the caves are part of the Panorama Route never ends. Geographically the Echo Caves are clearly off the Panorama Route, and in Limpopo province. But in terms of experiencing this sought-after route, popping into the caves is something not easy to avoid.

The Echo Caves are breathtakingly massive and strike your spiritual sense in a totally different way, purely because this natural wonder is in the belly of the earth. The caves were carved in a phenomenon called karst geomorphology, something I studied in school geography without the privilege of seeing it physically or by video footage back then. To linger a little longer on the jargon, the caves were carved over thousands of years by subterranean streams flowing through a dolomitic bedrock.

I noticed a group of middle aged women travelling in an unmarked minibus. I greeted them and proceeded to engage their driver. He said the vehicle belonged to his boss, a taxi operator based in Tzaneen, Limpopo. The driver perfectly understood what a tourism operator is and expressed   regret that the owner was not keen on registering as a tourism operator despite the obvious benefits. Pity the owner is just satisfied to be able to ferry local groups on outings and nothing more.

Done with the caves, I drove about 12 minutes to the start of the Panorama. Earlier stages of the R532 are dominated by the greenery of the Blyde River Nature Reserve, as the road zig-zags along impressive hills. The first spot of tourism interest is the Forever Resorts Blyde, an old time favourite with holidaymakers due to its vicinity to the Three Rondavels – triple outcrops resembling African huts, rondavels – in the Blyde River Canyon.

Hidden on the other side of the road from the resort’s entrance is the village of Matibidi. I drove there and met a local busy tending to his garden in front of his house. Thapelo Sekgobela, a young man in his 30s, said he wasn’t aware of a tourism operator in his village but expressed the appreciation for the jobs the resort offered the locals.

“I am a part time DJ there (Forever Byde). Some weekends, the resort organises themed open days for locals to enjoy picnics and access to facilities there, such as the swimming pools and playgrounds for the kids,” Sekgobela told me. He said there was no decent black-owned accommodation in Matibidi.

I arrived at the parking lot for visitors to Three Rondavels and noticed a vehicle branded Amaqwathi Tours. The owner, Thabo, said he was originally from Kroonstad, Free State, but operated his business from Kempton Park, Gauteng.

From there I never spotted another tourism black business until I reached the town of Graskop. My disappointment over sparse black participation in tourism was eased when I discovered that the biggest accommodation, Graskop Holiday Resort, was operated by a black entrepreneur. And would you believe the irony of it all; this man, Elliot Marobela, is originally from Matibidi.

 His story gives so much hope, more so when he revealed that his establishment is largely supplied by black operators.  Hopefully there’s truly more meaningful progress than I saw for myself during my short trip.

This year, 2022, I am planning a longer tour of the Panorama Route and hopefully see some diversity in terms of tourism operators and other linked service operators.