Johannesburg – It’s been a month since South Africa moved to level one lockdown and the battered economy is still trying to recover, especially though local tourism.
Minister of Tourism Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane has been visiting several holiday destinations in the country and last week, visited Limpopo.
Although the industry had been one of the hardest hit by the pandemic, owner of Palala Boutique Game Lodge and Spa Maria du Plessis says tourism is picking up in this part of the province – most people visit with their families and they’ve managed to carry on working remotely from this section.
“We have not retrenched anyone – we managed to survive – and we hope it will pick up,” says du Plessis.
Limpopo is hoping for green shoots – its tourism MEC, Thabo Mokone, calls it the “Garden of Eden” and wants to share its beauty and delights with more locals.
“We are rise again – rising we are blossoming like flowers in summer … we want to encourage people to start going around again.”
Minister Kubayi-Ngubane said: “I’m still studying … I am exhausted … but I can’t rest now… I need to save this sector and I need to make it work.”
