May/June 2010

Hosted by RETOSA and organised by Adele Lucas Promotions, activities during the festival will include cultural entertainment, arts and craft markets, tourism exhibitions, investment opportunities workshops and the promotion of the Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs) in the Southern African region. 

Participating member countries will be represented at individual stalls, showcasing the tourism attractions, culture and investment opportunities of each country.

The festival will also host an international broadcast centre, which will be broadcasting an average of seven to ten hours per day of coverage into North America.

RETOSA member countries adopted this during a meeting in Malawi in April 2010.

Citizens and tourism operators across the region are called upon to spread the word through all means possible to encourage all who live in Southern Africa to support the South African team. “Rooting for Bafana Bafana, the only Southern African country participating in the tournament, can serve as a great unifier between the nations of the SADC,” says RETOSA Executive Director Francis Mfune.

Ms Berthe Akatshi Osako, Director-General for Tourism in the DRC, said the festivities were aimed at unifying locals and send a message of hope and progress. “The DRC is an awe-inspiring, beautiful place with a rich traditional culture and much potential for tourism and development. In this time of international focus, a positive and vibrant enthusiasm will go far in promoting our country as a worthwhile destination.”

In addition to official visits from high ranking Belgium officials, several local events will showcase local culture and dance as well as a Miss Congo Competition, a boxing gala, art exhibitions and a film festival. A few small events are also planned outside the country, mainly in the UK. Visit www.congo50.com

The National Arts Festival in Grahamstown is South Africa’s premier arts showcase and is a not-to-be-missed winter outing. Showing both professional and fringe productions, as well as boasting a wide variety of exhibitions, buskers, markets and vibe, the event is well worth the trek to this Eastern Cape university city. 20 June to 4 July. Visit www.nafest.co.za

www.mzuri-kaja.or.tz

The Zanzibar International Film Festival is East Africa’s premier film, music, art and culture showcase. Stone Town, Zanzibar with a few smaller events on Pemba Island and mainland Tanzania. 10 to 18 July - www.ziff.or.za

Botswana – Boasting one of the largest concentrations of game in Africa, including 120 000 elephants, Chobe National Park is the ultimate safari destination.

DRC – Lake Tanganyika is the second largest and deepest freshwater lake in the world, holding prolific fish species including bright coloured cichlid species.

Lesotho – Thaba Bosiu, the flat-topped hill where Moshoeshoe established his nation, is a fascinating place where ruins of the king’s dwellings, the village and the royal cemetery can still be seen.

Madagascar – The capital, Antananarivo, is a tourist explorer delight with palaces and ancient monuments to pick and choose from. Well-versed guides speak fluent English and French.

Malawi – Featuring the richest concentration of ancient rock art in central Africa, the Chongoni Rock Art Area is a World Heritage Site.

Mauritius – Picnic, hike and visit the information centres of the Black River Gorges National Park, the inland area protecting the island’s threatened rainforest and several endemic fauna and flora.

Mozambique – The unspoiled islands of Bazaruto Archipelago are collectively a protected national park and offer unsurpassed deep sea fishing, salt water fly fishing, scuba diving and snorkelling.

Namibia – The Fish River Canyon, at 160 kilometres long and with a depth of up to 550m, is the second largest canyon in the world. The very-fit can take on the five-day hike up part of the gorge but the best viewpoint is within easy drive.

South Africa – Kruger National Park is one of the largest nature reserves in Africa with prolific, easily accessible animals and birds that can be viewed on self-drive and guided tours. Various accommodation options and adventure activities are on offer inside and around the park.

Swaziland – Experience traditional Swazi culture at the Swazi Cultural Village in the Mantenga Nature Reserve, a living museum depicting typical Swazi lifestyle during the mid 1800s.

Tanzania – Serengeti National Park is a world heritage site, best known for its annual animal migrations in which hundreds of thousands of antelope, zebra and wildebeest trek for fresh grazing. Also large herds of buffalo, elephant, giraffe, eland and buck.

Zambia and Zimbabwe – Covering an area of 5 580 square kilometres, Lake Kariba is the largest artificial lake and reservoir in the world. Several islands in the dam, as well as a tourism support structure, have turned the surrounding area into a watersports wonderland.

Southern Africa is proud to have 38 such sites in 12 of its member countries. This issue features the Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve in Madagascar, which was declared a heritage site in 1990. Situated near the west coast of the island, the unique needle-shaped karst limestone formations, known as ‘tsingy’ in Malagasy, are the main feature of the reserve. The spectacular Manambolo River canyon and preserved mangrove forests are home to rare and endangered lemurs and birds. Tourists can access Tsingy by road from Morondava, a town 150 km south of the reserve.

TFCAs have also been earmarked for tourism development and several investment opportunities are available to private investors and operators.

This issue features the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, a park renowned for its prolific animal, bird and floral kingdoms, historic artifacts and tropical beaches. The park links the Kruger and Limpopo National Parks in South Africa and Mozambique, three conservation areas in Zimbabwe, as well as the Sengwe communal land (Zimbabwe) and the Makuleke region (South Africa). Proposed investment opportunities within the park include community lodges and houseboats on the Massingir Dam in Mozambique. Visit www.boundlesssa.com for more information.