It’s almost noon and the swelter tells the rest of the story of Limpopo, South Africa’s tropical province. Just two hours ago, we were departing Johannesburg, a bustling jungle of sky-smooching shiny buildings. That landscape has given way to sweeping savannah views on either side of the N1 highway that spans 2,000km from Cape Town, via Johannesburg and Pretoria, to Beit Bridge – the border with Zimbabwe.
Dissected by the Tropic of Capricorn, Limpopo is easily accessible. Regular flights and buses ply the route between Johannesburg and Polokwane, the provincial capital, as well as secondary towns.
Ghanaian citizens have been exempted from Mzansi visas for two years. The move was belated but, on a continent where visa limitations remain rife, it’s worth a mention. Meanwhile, a guide says that this highway, N1, part of the Cape-to-Cairo network, traces ancient trade routes to more than 1,000 years ago. So, it predates North Africa’s Mamluk Empire and the construction of Great Zimbabwe. Somehow, ancient African polities, including the Empire of Mali, are missing from the curricular. Ask any university professor and schoolteacher. Self-erasure, you wonder.
The ancient route started long before //Hui !Gaeb, now Cape Town, became “a site of the beginnings of apartheid-like racial order,” Zimkhitha Mabonga notes in ArtThrob. The renaming of //Hui !Gaeb – to Cabo Tormentoso, in the 1400s, Kaap de Goede Hoop and, since, Cape Town – tells a story of dispossession and death and denials and deletion of heritage.
For its part, Limpopo is the eponym of the 1,750 km-long river, bordering the province on three sides. Home to a tenth of the country’s 60-million strong population, this destination’s unparalleled beauty gave it its nickname: Eden. Our ancestors, who must have been enchanted by the beauty, scythed these lands from time immemorial to lean on archaeology and oral history. That contrasts the colonial curriculum that insists on an “empty land” fallacy, perhaps to excuse the land grabs that the subcontinent suffered at the hands of the marauding forces for centuries.
Home to Mapungubwe, Cradle of Humankind, the planet’s only savannah biosphere reserve, a massive national park and umpteen ancient rock paintings, this destination brags a year-round summer. Fields of varying sizes, hectares of farms and pine and tea plantations pervade. Still, grazing livestock in the countryside occasionally share roads with their two-legged mammal cousins and four-wheeled metal beasts. Plenty waterbodies are a year-round spectacle and the place to be for activities like canoeing, boating and even picnicking. Dams and waterfalls on weekends teem with folks frolicking, swimming and gambolling. Stargazers swear by this destination. Many people exude warmth and human stars abound. Icons like author and broadcaster Aletta Motimele and freedom fighter and intellectual Charlotte Maxeke hail from here. So does musician Master KG, known for his Jerusalema hit. Don’t forget Vakhegula Vakhegula, an iconic grannies’ football club.
The sky is a stunning blue this October morning. The air, generally crisp and clean, is even cleaner today after the recent rainfall. Sites of ancient history and unparalleled beauty, with birds adding a melody to that frame, complete the picture. That picture, promising memories that will linger long after sunset on the bushveld, awed our forebears who, as hunters, artisans, traders and so on, explored these plains. As far back as circa 1200, the people of Mapungubwe participated in inter-continental trade: some of them exported gold and other commodities to North Africa and beyond, taking in coastal states like Mombasa.
Yanking us to the present, Limpopo-born youngster and anthropology student Vhuthuhawe Ramuli explains that a trip to Mapungubwe is akin to “a history lesson with a side of lions”: that site welds history and wildlife. The Mapungubwe heritage trail, treading our ancestors’ footsteps, nourishes us with age-old, natural beauty. Keeping true to its age-old tradition, the escarpment, on some days quietly mingling with mist or tired clouds, looks on. Baobab trees raise their hands in benediction. Their hands are still up.
“If you love nature and enjoy great weather, you’ll love Limpopo: the landscape, the scenery, sweet birdsong,” marvels Nakidde Grace, a Kampala-based entrepreneur.
Visa restrictions are an own goal. To switch to West Africa, the visa waiver that came into effect in 2023 lifted the number of SA-bound visitors from Ghana by a hefty 200%, close to 40,000, and “continuous targeted integrated marketing initiatives executed by South African Tourism to attract visitors from Ghana,” Pretoria reported.
The southern nation put its overall annual inbound traffic at nine million visitors who contributed ZAR 93-billion to the economy and sustained millions of jobs. For context, SA’s total is half Morocco’s 17.4-million (out of an overall 85-million for Africa).
Tourism props numerous sectors, including transport, retail, and film (a close cousin). Own goals persist such as VFS Global’s prohibitive fees and mistreatment of travellers from African nations like Nigeria and Uganda. Johannesburg financial media have observed that “visits [to SA] from the rest of Africa are low”.
One case is that of a Lagos entrepreneur Clara Okoro who only got her visa after three attempts. In contrast, VFS claims commitment to supporting” the development of “travel and tourism to and from the continent” amid Nigeria’s Premium Times report of “gross extortion” and dehumanisation by “members of VFS staff”.
Further, Pretoria requires visas from DRC nationals but exempts most of the Global North. Zambia and Malawi’s recent visa waivers exclude the Congolese despite geographic and cultural proximity. It’s a sad irony. At any rate, the DRC doesn’t have a sister city in SA and Ghana has just one but none in Congo.
SA’s inbound traffic hugely relies on eSwatini, Lesotho, Moçambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Southern Africa accounts for almost two-thirds of Mzansi-bound arrivals. Europe is the source of 1.3 million visitors (14%) and Asia 3%, exposing SA’s lazy marketing in the petrodollar-rich UAE or China, a market leader with 145 million outbound travellers. Today’s leaders ought to draw inspiration from Mapungubwe which, centuries ago, penetrated global markets.
Though SA is consistently ranked in Africa’s Top 5, in terms of traffic, it’s a serial underperformer. By now, the country’s tally should be nearing the 30 million mark given its numerous advantages: air connectivity, world-class infrastructure, nice weather, cool pricing, visa exemptions for the subcontinent and the Global North, and a diversity of attractions. The country’s medical tourism sector is punching below its weight and the 2010 soccer jamboree, the globe’s biggest PR campaign, is yet to be capitalised on.
Visa restrictions are an own goal. To switch to West Africa, the visa waiver that came into effect in 2023 lifted the number of SA-bound visitors from Ghana by a hefty 200%.
“There’s so much that makes me want to come back. The experience was breath-taking,” Ms Grace adds, likening Limpopo to western Uganda. She recalls fondly her visit to an achingly beautiful Makgobaskloof (Magoebaskloof), a misty town east of Polokwane, reachable via the scenic R71 road, of kiwi and pine plantations. Marula trees are ubiquitous but beneficial. The young Ramuli is suitably charmed.
“If I showed someone around, I’d take them to Blyde River, Mapungubwe and Magoebaskloof,” she says, singling the latter for people who “love adventure like zip-lining, or just screaming your lungs out”.
She’s won over by Blyde River, a real gem near Kruger, the world-famous park where you’re likely to see the Big Five and even share a selfie with a cheeky impala!
The landscape here must have inspired the genius of Moses Tladi who went on to produce “poignant yet charming” works, reported the Mail & Guardian. “His repertoire brings to life panoramic vistas of many sites in Limpopo’s Sekhukhuneland, the Free State and in Magaliesberg (Mogalesberg, actually). The Crown Mines painting is a reminder why the newspaper Umteteli wa Bantu described him as a “native genius” as soon as his work went public.”
Panoramic vistas are everywhere. Majestic views reign. That’s no throwaway line. Look at the data. Limpopo is the most popular destination for the domestic market.
Valleys, glades, ravines as well as hills and mountains blend delectably here. It’s as if this frame is from Tladi’s canvas. Though off the beaten track, Waterberg – a birders’, hikers’ and photographers’ favourite and an oasis for city rats – is wondrous: the landscape gets greener and temperature warmer as you venture deeper. The reserve, larger than Cyprus, Jamaica and Mauritius combined, is a snapshot of the globe.
On the savannah reserve’s eastern frontier is Tiveka Game Lodge, a hit with travellers seeking luxury and adventure. Launched in 2006, the lodge is now among the bushveld’s most loved leisure spots: offering horse riding, swimming, and traditional meals while the eyes feast on the picturesque green hills. “Some guests fall in love with our game drives and seeing the animals up close. Everyone seems to find their own special experience here,” says founder MD Tiveka Mathumbu. Asked about her favourite way to explore Limpopo, she lists Kruger’s Mopani Camp and, switching to our ancient past, Echo Caves.
With this year’s G20 summit almost here, will government officials host, in Limpopo, politicians and captains of industry from Austria, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Ethiopia, France, Ghana, Japan, Saudi Arabia or Zambia? Or even for city twinning?
Back to the ever-busy N1 highway: windmills beckon as if to signal the presence of homesteads. Some of the northbound trucks ferry cargo from Joburg, Durban or Limpopo’s farms to as far as Lubumbashi. Toyota kombis, Japan’s top export to Africa, ferry the masses. Bela Bela, a resort town liked for its hot mineral springs, is to the far south. In areas notable for key attractions, busloads of tourists, sample curated authenticity where hotel bosses gather Africans to sing, dance and, sometimes, serve beer or offal to guests. That’s not authentic. Fellow Africans, regardless of visa and budgetary constraints, aren’t rushing to the south to sample time warp or clap at fake authenticity draped in animal skins.
Anyway, materialising towards the culturally-rich Mokopane, is the escarpment with many names: Drakensberg, Lebopo, Maloti. Mokopane, just south of Polokwane, has crawled a long way not least its shrugging off of racism. Its eponym is King Mugombane who the Dutch and the French called Makapan. The Cradle of Humankind heritage site, also known as Makapansgat or Makapans Valley, musters a drop by way of visitors thanks to poor marketing. But, if you ever made it there, by the time you’re done – especially if your guide is Mariri Peter Molomo, who effortlessly melds palaeontology, geography and all else, and fun-filled storytelling (in many tongues) – you’d you’ve traced the timelines from the 1900s and Stone Age and back to the 21st century.
From palaeontology to crystal balls: Limpopo tourism boss Moss Ngobeni predicts annual domestic and global traffic will grow by a third, to hit 10-million, this year. However, overreliance on wildlife can harm the environment and stunt sectors like gastronomy, meetings, and creative industries. Of the 71,000 West Africans who visited the south, only a drop in a bucket would have toured Limpopo. Of the 70 million Europeans who holiday abroad, only a trickle come here. This province records 500,000 annual arrivals, overwhelmingly from the region.
With this year’s G20 summit almost here, will government officials (tourism, arts, economic development, youth, etc.) host, in Limpopo, politicians and captains of industry from Austria, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Ethiopia, France, Ghana, Japan, Saudi Arabia or Zambia? Or even for city twinning?
Like baobab trees with their raised hands, young hospitality graduates are praying. So are the drivers and the rest of the food chain and the medical tourism sector, actually. Savannah vistas and gems are waiting to see and to be seen: soul-rejuvenating Magoebaskloof, historic Mapungubwe and Waterberg, an obvious slice of Eden, and indeed museums or sports events. Will the South African and provincial leaders bring their G20 guests there? Pity, top dogs don’t care. Look at the VFS mess and untapped beneficiation avenues. Look at unrealised job opportunities especially in a country with a toxic mix of rife joblessness and high levels of alcohol abuse.
Yet, beyond safaris, Limpopo’s menu is long: magical sunrises, mountain camping, heart-pounding abseiling, magical hot-air ballooning, stargazing, and so on.
For Ramuli, the anthropology student, exploring these climes is about immersing yourself in nature and culture. This is the junction of adventure and laughter, it’s the place where the present hangs out with the past.
By Bunye Tshikhudo and Shoks Mnisi Mzolo
Source: ghanabusinessnews.com
