INTERVIEW
From golf to culture, Limpopo has it all Nomasonto Ndlovu, the CEO of the Limpopo Tourism Agency, outlines the strategic thinking behind growing tourist numbers to South Africa’s northernmost province. What is the mandate of the Limpopo Tourism Agency?
Nomasonto Ndlovu
The core mandate is destination marketing, which includes increasing tourist arrivals, with an emphasis on domestic tourism. We provide strategic market intelligence and tourism information as well as market access support to tourism entrepreneurs. We focus on our seven strategic experience clusters, namely mega conservation, golf and game, special interest, family and recreation, hunting and safari, business as well as culture and heritage. How are the agency’s goals aligned with the Limpopo Development Plan? The Limpopo Development Plan has identified tourism as one of the key pillars of the province’s economic growth. Through our marketing initiatives, we want to create much-needed jobs. Do you have particular priorities for the year ahead?
BIOGRAPHY Nomasonto Ndlovu has wide experience in brand marketing, communications and events in the private and public sector. She worked as Strategic Executive Director for the City of Tshwane before taking senior marketing positions in fields as varied as banking (Standard Bank) and fast-moving consumer goods (Unilever in South Africa and Kenya). In 2005 she joined KwaZuluNatal’s tourism board and then worked as the global manager of business tourism at South African Tourism.
We are focussing on domestic and SADC markets. We want to gain a better understanding of the travellers visiting friends and family, as we have the lion’s share of this market. We want to convert them into holiday-makers that contribute to increased spend in the hospitality sector through inspiring and affordable packages. We have specific initiatives that aim to raise brand awareness and destination profile in SADC markets. We will build on our recently launched Tour de Limpopo cycle race, which is aimed at showcasing the areas of Makgoebaskloof, Modjadjiskloof and Tzaneen in the Mopani region. We want to educate tour operators in other provinces of our product offerings and experiences. Are you planning to focus on a type of tourism? One of the differentiating factors about Limpopo is our people and diversity of our cultures – only in Limpopo will you encounter the Tshivenda, Sepedi and Xitsonga cultures. The other niche is business events (MICE). Limpopo has unique venues nestled in the bush, with varied capacity. How important are the Mapungubwe and Marula festivals? These two events remain very strategic for LTA. We are committed to assisting in building these properties into household events that attract not only locals, but national and SADC visitors.
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LIMPOPO BUSINESS 2018/19