Limpopo Business 2016-17 edition

OVERVIEW
Fourteen of the province’s resorts have been targeted for refurbishment,
creating 320 temporary and 120 permanent jobs. Annual revenue
of R10-million is expected to be gained from these revamped resorts,
which include these facilities in the Waterberg:
• Nylsvley Birding Lodge, a registered RAMSAR wetland area
• D’nyala Game Lodge
• Mokolo Dam
• Nwanedi Resort (Vhembe Region)
• Modjadji Nature Resort (Mopani Region)
• Blouberg Nature Reserve (Capricorn Region)
• Tambotie River Lodge (Sekhukhune Region)
Private game reserves, resorts and lodges
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 Park, with animals free to roam in and out of
the private reserves.
Legend Lodges, Hotels and Resorts has three properties in Limpopo.
Both Entabeni Safari Lodges and the Legend Golf & Safari Resort are
located within the Entabeni Safari Conservancy in the Waterberg district.
The exclusive Jackalberry Lodge (16 guests at a time) lies to the
east within the Thornybush Game Reserve which is a reserve of 10 500
hectares of pristine bush just outside the Kruger National Park.
Forever Resorts encompass the warm water springs of the southern
Waterberg (Warmbaths at Bela-Bela), the exotic baobab trees of the
north (Tshipise Resort), the adventurous offerings of the Blyde River
Canyon (Swadini Resort) and the true bushveld experience on the edge
of the Kruger National Park (Phalaborwa Safari Park at Phalaborwa Gate).
All but the latter of these resorts have conference facilities ranging from
130 to 700 delegates.
Tourism routes and clusters
The Bush to Beach Tourism Route covers sites and sights between
Phalaborwa and the east coast of Mozambique, an example of
Limpopo’s successful partnership with a neighbouring country. A
grant of more than R600 000 from the Limpopo Local Economic
Development programme aims to link the poorer rural communities
along the route with the more mainstream economic nodes. Open
Africa is the lead agent in developing community tourism.
From game reserves in Limpopo
(including the Kruger National
Park) to the beaches of Xai-Xai in
Mozambique, the route has been
supported by private operators
and investors and therefore is
able to offer excellent products
and services to complement the
natural scenery.
The Bush to Beach
Tourism Route is one of several
such routes in the province,
including:
• Kruger to Canyon, linking
Phalaborwa to the Blyde
River Canyon through the
Kruger National Park
• Seraki Blouberg, in the
Blouberg mountain range, including
two nature reserves
and encompassing the land
of the 160 000 people living
in 117 traditional settlements
• Land of Legends, in the land
of the VhaVenda (northern
Limpopo). Thohoyandou is
the hub for exploring the area
around the Soutpansberg
mountain range that contains
more than 500 species
of trees. Features include the
sacred sites of Lake Fundudzi,
the Thathe Vondo Forest
and the Phiphidi Waterfall. A
3 000-year-old baobab, 43
metres around, is found near
Sagole Spa.
Other tourism routes in the
province include: the African
Ivory Route, the Golf Route,
the Limpopo Valley Route,
the Mapungubwe Route, the
Ribolla Open Africa Route, the
Soutpansberg-Limpopo Birding
Route, the Valley of the Olifant
Route and the Waterberg
Biosphere Experience.
LIMPOPO BUSINESS 2016/17
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