Simon Anholt and Akela

I attended the Brand Africa Forum in Johannesburg where the keynote speaker was Simon Anholt, someone I’ve wanted to meet for a long time.

He’s been a policy advisor to over 40 governments, author and researcher. He specialises in national identity and reputation, public diplomacy and the public perceptions of nations, cities and regions. Simon developed the concepts of the ‘nation brand’ and ‘place brand’ in the late 1990s.

The first question he asks heads of state when they consult him, is “what is your country’s purpose?”   All lay claim to the “warmth of their people” as one of their greatest attributes.

The interview with him will be published in CapeInfo’s interviews section soon and I hope I will do that remarkable interview justice.

When he heard about Akela, he just had to meet her.  His comment was fascinating — “the dog she looks most like is the Alsation, which isn’t a dog I’m particularly fond of, but she’s much more beautiful.”

AS FAR AS WE CAN GO: Akela looks over Zimbabwe. The white specks on the horizon below the mountains are the Zimbabwean town of Beit Bridge.

The N1 starts in Cape Town and ends at Musina near the SA border crossing to Zimbabwe at Beit Bridge — 1,919km later. Is that the longest road in South Africa? If it is, Akela, Kenya and I have driven it together!

Whatever the distance, this feels like another country — harsh, rarely friendly and so last century. I’m starting to understand what Schultz (Mr Tzaneen Country Lodge) — who was very friendly — was trying to explain when he told me about the difference between Limpopo’s tribes. Contrary to what one finds in southern Limpopo, the Venda in the north are outgoing, confident and arguably the most friendly in South Africa.

It takes a trip like this to discover that Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu’s Rainbow Nation doesn’t describe the whole of South Africa.  It does describe the Western Cape where the unique mix of people ensures that domination by one racial or political group is never a given. In northern Limpopo, “rainbow” refers more to the origins of tribes like the Venda, who migrated to the area from Zimbabwe.

Beit Bridge - the border crossing to Zimbabwe. The border fence that runs the entire length of SA's northern and eastern borders is in the foreground. It was built when there was a perceived threat from SA's neighbours - a wide swathe of no-man's land marked by razor wire fences on either side and an electrified fence down the middle. The dirt road alongside the fence was tarred because mercenaries planted land mines in the dirt road. The electric fence was switched off post-1994 at the insistence of human rights groups. The razor wire fence is dotted with holes cut into it by Zimbabweans who swarm across on a daily basis.

A Baobab tree: some of these trees are the most ancient living things - at 3,000 years old - on our planet.

This particular trip covers just the northern part of Limpopo province — rich in history and home to the Venda. It’s where you find SA’s ancient Kingdoms of Gold: Mapungubwe (SA’s newest World Heritage Site) and Thula Mela (a 13th century global trading centre); Thohoyandou — Venda’s capital, the Limpopo River and the Soutpansberg mountain range.  And the famous Baobab trees.

Driving north along the N1 from Polokwane, the next major town is Louis Trichardt 140km away.  Getting out of Polokwane is the biggest challenge with poor road signs or road signs that lead you nowhere.

Long, crisp vistas and views towards the horizon are rare in Limpopo because of ever-present haze, but through that haze the appearance of the massive Soutpansberg mountain range breaks the monotony of the plains and rocky outcrops.  Turning east at Louis Trichardt towards Thohoyandou only 70km away starts one of the biggest surprises of this trip.  Climbing into the foothills of the Soutpansberg, the vegetation and scenery changes dramatically.

The road to Thohoyandou runs through intensively-cultivated, wealthy farmland.  During the apartheid-era Venda homeland, these farms lay outside the homeland borders and have always been white owned.  This seems to be a recurring situation — black farmers rarely practice and maintain intensive agriculture and land redistribution so often leads to the failure of agiculture, as one has seen in Zimbabwe.  Can land redistribution continue without equal, or even greater, attention to ensure that agicultural production continues and grows even further?

Simply stunning - hedges of alternating pink and purple flowers line the road.

Roadside sellers - dead sheep!

Notwithstanding the organised agriculture after leaving Louis Trichardt, I’ve never experienced the vibrancy and feeling of authentic Africa as much as while driving the road to Thohoyadou.

I came across a group of women with three piles of “green leaves” in front of them. I stopped to ask what it was. The one pile was “Dead Sheep — good for gout and high blood pressure.”  The second pile was leaves from a Cabbage Tree and they didn’t know the translation for the third.  I bought and brewed some “Dead Sheep”… it tasted vile and I don’t think it did me any good… or harm.

Fresh produce stalls in one of the villages en route to Thohoyandou

After driving hundreds of kilometres without a single roadside farmstall, the road to Thohoyandou was a pleasure dotted with fruit sellers providing perfect photo opportunities.

Tea plantations abut the town of Thohoyandou, with the Soutpansberg in the background.

ALFRED MUNYAI: When I got out the car at my destination, a passerby greeted me and asked where I was heading. I told him I had a meeting at the municipality and he offered to help me find the person I was to see. We chatted a while and he said he'd gladly show me around Thohoyandou after my meeting. And so I gained a very good insight into Thohoyandou later in the day. Thank you, Alfred! He seems quite an entrepreneur and is looking for developers who want to invest there.

Thohoyandou is a typical large town that demonstrates the usual bad land-use planning and African chaos — judged by Western standards. But it works better than most and has good formal shopping.

I also felt very safe there — taking long walks till way after sunset and again long before sunrise.  I enjoyed the vitality of street activities and the whimsy of some street traders.

Don't Care Spaza Shop : in suburban Thohoyandou before opening time. The owner is on the right and his ambition is to open a supermarket. At the moment his prices are far higher than those in town.

Suburban Thohoyandou - there is a huge difference between traditional Western and African cities and towns. As living expectations in African towns rise, one must wonder how sustainable the traditional low densities can be.

PHILLIP NEMAKONDE, Local economic development & tourism @ Thulamela Municipality: When he learnt I was interested in visiting Thohoyandou, he called me and it was his enthusiasm that ensured my visit did take place. A passionate and competent man who opened doors for me, he is someone I hope remains a friend.

Nandoni Dam on the outskirts of Thohoyandou - A popular resort and base for the community fishing industry.

It must have benefited from its status as the capital of the Venda homeland during the apartheid era — which defied its Pretoria paymasters on occasion — through investment intended to make the homeland system work, but more importantly the skills and confidence as a regional centre.  As a homeland capital, it did get a university and a casino.

If the fame of the Zulu nation stems from its prowess as warriors, the Venda are less well known but have a far longer heritage which started with the Mapungubwe kingdom in the 9th century.  King Shiriyadenga was the first king of Venda and Mapungubwe.  The sacred city of Thula Mela (Place of Birth), not far from Thohoyandou near the confluence of the Limpopo and Levubu Rivers in Kruger National Park, dates back to the 13th century.

It was on one of major trade routes of that time — Islamic traders on the east coast of Africa were the conduit between the interior of Africa and Asia and the Middle East.

Thula Mela was never discovered and ransacked by colonists, and is the only known site in the region that was untouched until archeologists started work.

One can’t help wondering why South Africa, under Thabo Mbeki, invested so heavily in antiquities at Timbuktu when there are so many stories within South Africa awaiting to be uncovered and told.

The pride and confidence of the Venda people does stand out, making them much easier to engage in conversation.

Just to the west of Thohoyandou lies the Thathe Vondo Holy Forest, a beautiful indigenous forest that incorporates the sacred burial ground of the chiefs of the Thathe clan, while the scenic Guvhukuvhu Pool is believed to be the home of water spirits that foster good relations with the ancestral spirits.

No ordinary VhaVhenda people may walk in this sacred forest and, as a visitor, one may not leave the dirt track going through the forest. Two mythical creatures keep guard — the white lion (the spirit of Nethathe, an important chief) and the thunder & lighting bird called Ndadzi, which according to myth flies on the wings of thunder.

North of the Holy Forest lies Lake Fundudzi, one of the best-known sacred places. In the Mutale River, as legend has it, a giant python god of fertility dwells that demands the sacrifice of a maiden each year. Lake Fundudzi is surrounded by mountains and special permission has to be obtained to visit this sacred Lake. No-one washes or swims in this lake.

This annual sacrifice became an integral part of Venda life, together with the remarkable ceremony known as the Domba Dance which has become part of the initiation rites of young women. The dance, also known as Python dance, is performed by rows of girls imitating movements of a python. Both the lake and the Domba Dance may only be viewed by obtaining permission from local authorities.

I didn’t get to visit these areas because I was advised that the roads were in a very poor state.

I did get to visit the Phiphidi Falls, another sacred site closer to Thohoyandou.  A complex collection of laws and rituals, some of which are closely guarded by clan elders, govern clan practice and behavior at Phiphidi; the site has traditionally been off-limits to all but the Ramunangi. Traditional belief holds that the waterfall and pool are inhabited by ancestral water spirits who require offerings of grain and beer, which are made on LanwaDzongolo. These powerful spirits receive prayers from the people for rain, health, agricultural abundance and community peace. Traditionally, these offerings were made throughout the year, with one primary and complicated annual rite that lasted many days.

The sacred Phiphidi Falls - traditional belief holds that the waterfall and pool are inhabited by ancestral water spirits who require offerings of grain and beer

The vhaVenda clans are among the SA’s most traditional, observing rituals and practices passed down from their ancestors. Among these clans, the Ramunangi are acknowledged as the traditional custodians of Phiphidi Waterfall, a small cascade that is central to the clan’s relationship with ancestral spirits. This custodial responsibility, however, is not legally recognized, which has limited the Ramunangi’s ability to protect their sacred site from tourism development. A rock above the waterfall — one of the site’s most holy areas — was recently destroyed as part of a road-building project, and for years, the Ramunangi have been denied full access to the site to perform their rituals and custodial duties.

ALBERT DZEBU: Local economic development & tourism @ Musina Municipality. He broke into his lunch to take me to the road under Beit Bridge and along the border.

The next stop was Musina, and for that one has to go over the Soutpansberg at Wyllie’s Poort. The highest peak in the mountain range is Lajuma — 1,747m.

Driving down the northern descent of the Soutpansberg.

The first white person to reach and name the mountain was Coenraad de Buys, a colonist who fled from Graaff Reinet after a failed rebellion in 1795. He settled near the mountain in 1820 and was the patriarch of a half-caste clan, the “Buysvolk” or Buys People, who are still to be found at Buysdorp.

Driving over the Soutpansberg one just has to wonder how it must have been crossed by ox wagon. The vegetation on the southern side is almost imprenetrable it’s so thick. The road curves (with no laybyes for photo opportunities) below steep cliffs. It is a stunningly beautiful drive!

It’s only 92km from Louis Trichardt to Musina, but when you cross the Soutpansberg you enter a different world: one dotted with those weird and outlandish Baobab trees.

Trucks and more trucks for kilometres and kilometres waiting to cross the border post into Zimbabwe at Beit Bridge.

Musina is a mining town — copper, iron ore, coal, magnetite, graphite, asbestos, diamonds and semi-precious stones — but its recent claim to fame is as one the busiest road in Africa and one of the busiest in the world — due to black market importers from Zimbabwe, a situation that will hopefully diminish.

The drive along the border fence was illuminating. Apart from the holes in the border fences, we drove past a military camp. Groups of Zimbabwean refugees were being detained for repatriation, but what really caught my eye were the army tents — with air conditioning units sticking out of the sides of the tents. The SA Army is not what it used to be!

The crisis in Zimbabwe did bring some prosperity to Musina but that, like the mines, won’t last forever. Increased regional tourism could help to fill the gap and Albert Dzebu is hoping that Musina can get a deal out of Anglo American similar to the one Phalaborwa received from Rio Rinto. (See Mining can add value.)  I hope so because I am getting the feeling that most mining companies don’t contribute as much to communities as they claim.

It’s almost incomprehensible that two towns — Thohoyandou and Musina — only about 100km apart as the crow flies, can be so different.  Yes, micro-climates and vegetation play a role, but I’m starting to get the feeling that mining towns have the guts sucked out of them by the companies that “own” them.  Mining stifles community entrepreneurship and creativity — the mines are all that count.  But that’s for another blog post.

I didn’t get to Mapungubwe, only 80km to the west and SA’s newest World Heritage Site.  SANParks never answered my email asking for permission to visit with a wolf.

Why is Mapungubwe special?  It abuts the Limpopo River where the borders of South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe meet.  It is the site of an ancient civilisation that predates the great Zimbabwe Ruins.

Mapungubwe Hill, seat of the Mapungubwe Kingdom (1075-1220). Mapungubwe means "place where jackals eat", derived from phunguwe (Venda for jackal), as the hill was littered with human bones which attracted these scavengers. It is a sandstone hill, with vertical cliffs about 30 metres high and a plateaued top approximately 300 m in length. There was a natural amphitheatre at the bottom of Mapungubwe Hill where the royal court was likely held. However, the king actually lived inside a stone enclosure on a hill above the court.

I define tourists as discretionary spenders — they have a choice and decide where they want to go.  They are attracted by environments, leisure options, shopping, a stimulating place for meetings, etc.  They have a choice.

Now that 70% certainly doesn’t service a tourist market as defined by discretionary spenders — they have a captive market that mainly services the mines and other industries in their towns.  They cater for the commercial travellers that have to visit a certain town.

So why is this important?  These establishments don’t need to participate in destination marketing, they just need to make their products known and a good relationship with the mines or whatever is usually sufficient.  They don’t demand quality, stimulating and competitive environments because all they sell is shelter — a bed for the night rather than a compelling place to visit.

Now this has a big impact on destination marketing and is one of the reasons that Limpopo is so badly marketed — 70% of the product owners have different needs.  This also shows in the priority which municipalities give to tourism and destination marketing.  It shows in the attention given in major towns to quality environments conducive to tourism.

Two exceptions I’ve come across on Mopani’s Route 71 are neighbouring Tzaneen and Phalaborwa, where there seems to be a battle going on for South Africa’s national Cleanest Town of the Year Award.  They are trying, but are they taking it far enough?

Probably not but then tourism product owners who are part of the destination marketing effort haven’t banded together sufficiently, investing in destination marketing and demanding that their local municipalities do the same.  Businesses that participate in their local destination marketing should be recognised, and Limpopo Tourism should accredit effective local tourist offices’s and encourage them with funding.

Limpopo Tourism should not be running the local Tzaneen Info office!  It is the local municipality’s legislated function and this only encourages them to abrogate their responsibility.

What’s the most important difference between commercial travellers and real tourists?  Real tourists spend more money and, if the enjoy their stay, they come back to invest in the area. They invest in property and businesses, but frequently they are also moved to help improve local communities.  (Click here for an example.)

Limpopo Provincial Government and Limpopo Tourism & Parks have provided little discernable leadership to date.  There is no tourism legislation as exists in the Western Cape.  There is no tourism business plan except for what’s in someone’s head (more on this in another post).  It’s mind boggling that taxpayers funds can be allocated in the absence of an approved business plan!

If I sound harsh on Limpopo Tourism, there appears to be some light.  I met Morris Mabada (their new regional manager for Mopani) briefly yesterday.  He impressed me!

Bruce Barritt, MD of First Car Rental, says it's people that make the difference

IN A WORLD where global brands rule, there is a South African car rental company that is taking a wholly South African brand onto the world market.  And its commitment to people – which is all that really differentiates one car rental company from another – is so great, that there was an in-house joke when they started that they had more staff than cars!

I met up with Bruce Barritt, MD of First Car Rental, at Indaba in Durban.  First Car Rental is a subsidiary of Combined Motor Holdings (CMH Ltd) which is listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.

While First Car Rental is a relative newcomer in comparison to their competition (having opened its doors in 1999 as the National & Alamo brands), Bruce Barritt has a 30-year track record in the car rental industry.  Bruce Barritt ran the National Alamo franchise in SA for nine years – winning numerous awards as the best global franchise – until the National Alamo EMEA brands were sold to Europcar… South Africa was really a by-product of an International transaction – without much consideration & after First Car Rental (then National Alamo South Africa) paid R180 million in royalties.

But they had their own systems and a very loyal client base so the change to First Car Rental was smooth and their growth since then has been rapid.

His first passion in the company are the people because that’s what sets the company apart.  “We have very committed people at First  Car Rental – they are the lifeblood of the business.  This is a people business,” he says.  He expects everybody within his compliment of staff to make the customer’s experience hassle-free and memorable.

He is also committed to having the most user-friendly systems in the industry and their online systems are very, very good.  They have been innovative, introducing a number of firsts in the local industry.  The vision of wanting to move to a process where bar-coded vehicles and contracts replace the paper trail is more than 50% there, giving staff more time to interact with and get to know their customers.  His biggest nightmare is losing the personal touch and not having direct and immediate contact with all FCR’s customers.  “If something goes wrong, I want to pick up the phone and fix it,” he says.

The in-house joke about more staff than cars started when they rolled out their very impressive national footprint.  You can rent a First Car Rental vehicle almost anywhere in SA.

The move to roll out the First Car Rental brand started in Mauritius and was followed by a former National Alamo franchisee in Malta who needed to be part of a international brand to keep his airport slot.  A few other international franchisees are under consideration at the moment.

Increasing the revenue stream is less important than the marketing footprint of a global brand and it’s with some pride that Bruce says that this is the first time a South African car rental brand has gone international.

First Car Rental also has a servicing agreement with Sixt Rent a Car which is very strong in Germany and also has a presence throughout Europe, South America and the Asia-Pacific region.

They have just launched Direct Transfer, a chauffered service that picks you up and takes you from A to B.  Click the link to check it out.

When CapeInfo started looking for a marketing partner and sponsor for Travels with Akela, FCR stood out  as the most responsive, friendly and innovative.  They are a delight to work with.

Click here to rent your next vehicle.

SA Tourism have also matured and their side of the organisation has become very slick. (The only exception was, on responding to an invitation to interview CEO Didi Moyle, Monde Mateza never responded to my request.)

At the start of this blog I said that I’m a typical Capetonian who believes that the Western Cape is more blessed than almost anywhere else on earth. Well, I still believe that to a certain extent, but my travels have shown me people, products and places that really do excite me. More than ever, I realise that Southern Africa as a whole has the potential to beat all other regional destinations… if we just change some mindsets.

So, after three months away from home, it was with no lack of eagerness that I set off to find the Cape Town and Western Cape area at Indaba first. It took some effort because the organisers had signposted the direction incorrectly. And then, at the tail-end of the whole Indaba complex, I found an anonymous tent.

Cape Town & Western Cape's No-Name Brand

For South Africa’s leading city brand to be presented in this way was just not good enough; I was astounded. I was embarrassed as a Capetonian.

Was I being over-critical? I spoke to Cape Town Tourism’s Mariette du Toit-Helmbold and learned that the usual tent had been commandeered for Jacob Zuma’s coronation and their banner couldn’t be accommodated in the new tent. I greeted CTRU’s Dave Fransen (responsible for the Western Cape pavilion) several times but he seemed to make a point of avoiding me.

I spoke to Peter Bacon, CTRU’s chair, and he agreed that it was unacceptable and needed a serious rethink.

I spoke to Nils Heckscher, MD of Winchester Mansions Hotel and CTT board member, who always shoots from the cuff. He agreed it wasn’t as good as it should be and said that maybe the Province was resting on its laurels. He added that things will be different next year with the new alignment of provincial and city politics.

I spoke to Rema from Fedhasa Cape, based in the main ICC at Fedhasa Natal’s stand. She felt that the Western Cape area lacked its usual vibe and buzz: “and it reinforces the typical view of Cape Town… that we want to be apart from the rest.”

I bumped into an old friend, Di Campbell (now Dagh), as we looked at the CTT stand. “Is that Cape Town Tourism?” she asked incredulously, “I thought it was Cape Point Routes!” Great for Cape Point Routes, bad Cape Town branding.

Free State's position was centrestage and their external branding was excellent.

Mpmalanga's stand in the Durban Exhibition Centre displayed branding clarity. Stylish and classy, someone commented 'Yoh, these people know what they're doing. I want to go there!'

Cape Town Tourism's area... come on guys, you can do much better. Does this explain why Johannesburg won SA's Leading City Tourism Board award?

Vast empty spaces in the Western Cape tent just emphasized a feeling that it was not as well attended as other destinations.

CTRU will say they had a large banner at the one end of the tent (see right hand side). Yes, and it was a stunning photograph of an unusual view of Table Mountain. But to anyone not familiar with the mountain, it's almost meaningless. To use it for branding is just muddled thinking.

The promise of the Free State pavilion outside wasn’t carried through inside, where strong brands (like Clarens) fought with geo-political districts.  And what on earth was the Limpopo Treasury doing with a stand at Indaba?  Now that’s an example of misguided efforts (and budgets)!

While I am seeking out the best of the best in people and products during these Travels, what interests me most are destinations and destination brands, and it’s here that the SA tourism product doesn’t fare well at all.

World Travel Awards
A highlight at Indaba was the presentation for the World Travel Awards. We publish the list for Africa and South Africa in full.

For some, Indaba is a chance to get out of the office and party; for some it’s a rare opportunity for networking or checking out the opposition; and for some — like Horst Frehse and Rick Taylor who I repeatedly tried to say hello to — it’s a time to really work hard!

So I decided to take an old-fashioned (and free) National Road from Mokopane to Pietermaritzburg — the N11.  (The thought of all the traffic around Pretoria for Jacob Zuma’s coronation also discouraged passing through Pretoria.)

The trip started early, in the dark, and it was long after crossing the N1 near Marble Hall (in Mpumalanga Province) that I was already cursing the SA National Roads Agency.  At the first of many stop-go sections, traffic was allowed from both directions onto the single lane — rather frightening, not to mention dangerous, on a road under construction in the dark!

One must wonder why such long sections of road have to be single lane (with little construction work in sight) because it just increases the waiting time at either end.  This alone, with the slow single lane sections, probably added two hours to our total trip time.

Driving past Groblersdal reminded me that the late Hendrik Schoeman, a minister of transport in the 1980′s, had been one of SA’s most successful farmers and farmed around there.  Harold Gorvy, a prominent businessman, and I first met him (and tourism minister, John Wiley) in 1985 after the Pierhead Festival which had demonstrated the public attraction of Cape Town’s derelict docklands.  Both agreed to form an inter-departmental commitee to report on redevelopment of the area.  That committee was headed by Arie Burggraaf and led to the V&A Waterfront!

It’s a fascinating area and, like Tzaneen which I visited a few weeks ago, is one of the few areas in Limpopo I’ve visited that is extensively cultivated.  Most of the towns impressed for their cleanliness and more sense of order than I’d seen in Limpopo — Grobersdal and Middelburg stand out in this respect.

What has really become evident in these travels is the importance of municipalities in making or breaking tourism.  Unfortunately, few have a clue… if they are not one of the 95-or-so local authorities that are technically bankrupt!

Here at the entrance to Mpumalanga, the contrast between cultivated areas and typical bushveld is more apparent. The next surprise was coming across the Loskop Dam.

Loskop Dam on the Olifants River is located in a really stunning area and there are a number of resorts that capitalise on this.

If I think of tourism/leisure developments along the Western Cape’s Garden Route and West Coast, I’m sure it won’t be long before the Loskop Dam area sees a mini-boom.  One hopes that effective environmental and aesthetic controls will be in place before it begins.

From rise after rise, the landscapes revealed new pictures that just begged to be photographed.

Driving south-east from Middelburg, the topography is characterised by more rolling hills and valleys; one has entered the Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal grasslands.

This is part of the South African Grassland Biome, now unique among the grasslands that once used to cover nearly 50% of Africa’s surface. A change in climate around three million years ago allowed trees to encroach into these grasslands and create the savannas we know today.

I couldn’t help wondering what economic benefit the area held — it’s sparsely populated apart from occasional sheep.  Well, montane grasslands and fynbos are effective “collectors” of rain water. The southern montane grasslands of Mpumalanga provide year-round water supply essential for the cooling of power stations.

One out-of-date statistic I came across says that the eight Eskom power stations in Mpumalanga supply 70% of SA’s energy needs.  Over 2,000 km² of the Mpumalanga Highveld is taken up by South Africa’s major gold and coal deposits, much of which are mined in opencast pits.

I must find out about environmental legislation governing the mining companies (and maybe someone can answer it in the comments).  The waste heaps are a blot on the landscape.  The heavy-vehicle traffic on the road also made me think back to the 1980′s, when it was very difficult to get road-haulage licences to favour SA Railways.  Maligned as it was then, it reduced the number of trucks on the roads and the damage they do to road surfaces.  Companies should be forced to use rail transport more often!

Mpumlanga grasslands... very few people, very many sheep!

Outside Volksrust, the last town in Mpumalanga before entering KwaZulu-Natal, a signpost points to Majuba, immortalised on 27 February 1881 as the main battle of the First Boer War where the Boers crushed the British. Over 280 Britons were killed, captured or wounded against Boer casualties of one dead and five wounded.

The battle is historically significant because it led to the signing of a peace treaty and the Pretoria Convention, between the British and the newly created South African Republic, ending the First Boer War.

The Boers’ fire and move tactic employed by the Boers in the final assault on Majuba Hill was years ahead of its time.

Following defeats at Laing’s Nek and Schuinshoogte, Majuba ratified the strength of the Boers in the minds of the British. “Remember Majuba” became a rallying cry in the second Anglo-Boer War.

The upper part of the Drakensberg mountain range curls along the west side of Newcastle, the largest town and third largest urban centre in KwaZulu-Natal. It's first name was Post Halt Two, on the journey between Durban & Johannesburg. It is named after a British Colonial Secretary, the Duke of Newcastle.

The N11 ends just past Ladysmith where it joins the N3 which links Gauteng to Durban.  Here we joined a toll road for the first time and, yes, it was a pleasant experience!  Wide roads, a dual carriageway with a wide median and spectacular scenery through the Natal Midlands.  But when the upgrading of the N11 is finished, there is little doubt that it will become the route of choice from the north.  It will be a splendid drive through memorable scenery.

Akela meets Nicholas Kitching, the ICC's security manager

The fantastic people at Durban’s ICC who made arrangements for Akela to visit were all keen to meet her.

These photos are the highlights of the people she met — the story on Indaba and our travels there will follow.

Most ask if they can touch Akela but only women get lucky — she’s female and only makes friends with women and children, running away from men. (She’s bonded to her pack so hard luck to all other men!)

ICC's Nicolette Elia gets lucky but Johannes Basi just looks on.

Hanneli Slabber is one of SA Tourism's real stars and has been enormously helpful to Travels with Akela. She meets Kenya (an immediate fan) and Akela for the first time.

Some people dance with wolves... Hanneli and Akela talk to each other.

Melissa Storey of First Car Rental, which have made Travels with Akela possible, also meets Akela in Durban for the first time.

I have never had such a fast, positive and helpful reply.  Nicolette Elia’s answer suggested alternatives, mentioned concerns — for Akela — and was thoroughly thought out.  Obviously there must be a very strong team at the ICC.

Minutes after my email reply, I had a call from her to firm up on what she suggested, which she followed up moments later by email — with clear directions and cellphone numbers of anyone I might need.

In our conversation, she even mentioned that security staff had offered to water and walk Akela if necessary.

I told her how impressed I was by her first email and she replied, “It’s sad that one should be impressed by something like that…”  Indeed it is.  Limpopo Tourism’s first response to Travels with Akela was that a wolf wouldn’t be welcome at Limpopo establishments.  They have been proved wrong.

Thank you ICC.  I have started a list of Hospitality Superstars and you’re on that list.

Bramasole lies alongside a dam and nestled against an ancient indigineous forest. Kenya prefers looking at the camera.

I had anticipated something special after visiting their website and discovering that the owner is an architect – Robin McIntosh of Intersect Architects.  I worked with architects and planners for 25 years on projects like Mitchells Plain, St George’s Mall and the V&A Waterfront, and started Architecture SA in 1978 (becoming the journal of the Institute of SA Architects the following year).  Architects and planners can be the most enjoyable people to work and socialise with.

I wasn’t disappointed!  He bought a truly spectacular property before prices started rising which just had a massive shed — a really massive shed.  It had been used variously for breeding rabbits, as stables, growing magic mushrooms, and storing trucks.

The old shed and its new lease of life as Bramasole

The decor by Melanie McIntosh and sister Kathy Moulder are stunning.

Robin says that using the old shed meant it could never be a pretty building, but that’s only half true… from the moment you arrive you are aware of QUALITY and attention to detail.  But it is a surprising building to find in rural Magoebaskloof.

But stepping inside is breathtaking.  The spaces, materials used and quality of the furnishings are superb.  This is four star, but it’s four star that’s also exceptionally well designed.

A few things set Bramasole apart.  It is self-catering and it has the best self-catering facilities I’ve come across in a comparable establishment.  It also offers bed and breakfast.

Then, Bramasole’s setting showcases the splendour of indigenous Africa.  The bedrooms look straight into a dense forest that almost seems a set for Lord of the Rings.  We saw a really cute, young Samango monkey (rare, CITES Appendix II) but a rooibok had been on one of the paths we took not long before we were there. Birdlife is prolific and a birder’s dream.  But it was the variety of trees that fascinated me most.

Walking in the forest is escaping into another world

The suites and bedrooms are luxurious and stylish. If you appreciate good taste, this is the place for you. Each of the five rooms has a different theme, so pick your fantasy. And best of all, Bramasole offers real value for money - from about R450 a person.

Magoebaskloof itself is a very special place.  Where did it get it’s name?  Read Myths & Memories to find out (and if any locals have other stories to add there, they are appreciated.)  Haenerstburg, a charming village, is just a few minutes away. The area offers an abundance of activities and interesting people.

The scenery is spectacular - the view across Bramasole's neighbours.