August 2013

AUGUST 2013 - VOLUME 25
UMHLANGA HOLIDAY
ON SEPTEMBER 2
STA’s Official Monthly Bulletin (Vakasha)
REED DANCE, SITF - TWO MOST SIGNIFICANT FESTIVALS
T
wo important events are happening in the tourism calendar
this month. First, it's the Umhlanga Reed Dance ceremony, and
then it's the Swaziland International Trade Fair.
Both events, although different in stature, have over the years put
Swaziland on the world map due to their popularity. While the Reed
Dance is undoubtedly the country's leading tourism event, the SITF
has succeeded in bringing together different cultures to sample a
diverse feel of the African spirit.
For the last two decades or so, the Reed Dance and the SITF have
effectively managed to attract droves of tourists from within and
beyond Africa to the heart of Swaziland.
Bongani Dlamini
STA Marketing Manager
While tourists would ordinarily attend the SITF to witness various
exhibitions during early morning, they have been able to travel to
Ludzidzini Royal Residence to witness the best of Swazi culture. If they
still have any strength left after such a long and fruitful day, they are
able to return to the SITF for our popular music gigs and soccer
tournament. In between these activities, tourists have been able to
spare some time to do a bit of sight-seeing, marvelling at some of the
country's leading tourist sites.
If there is anything that has been very successful in attracting scores of
tourists into Swaziland, it has been the Reed Dance. It is during this
ceremony that people from various cultures get to appreciate
Swaziland's culture. While some have unsuccessfully tried to discredit
this chastity rite, through unconventional means, hundreds, perhaps
thousands of tourists have gone to town about how this culture should
be celebrated the world over.
It's simple: the Reed Dance is aimed at empowering the girl child to
love and appreciate herself: by refraining from irresponsible conduct
and keeping herself for marriage. No wonder other cultures have
stolen a few pointers from our ceremony. In the midst of a high HIV
prevalence, such should be encouraged in all corners of the planet.
This year, we have had the privilege of having the Reed Dance holiday
announced earlier than usual. This was, of course, done with the
tourist in mind. If you had any doubt about when to take that vacation,
this is your chance to come to Swaziland to witness the world's leading
cultural showpiece.
Coming back to the SITF, this is a wonderful opportunity for
consumers and businesses to mingle and not only sell their products
but also network and share ideas. It is through the SITF that we get to
appreciate what we are capable of doing with our own hands. This
event is particularly important for tourism because it promotes not
just domestic tourism, but the sharing of valuable information that
could lead to a booming business network in Africa and beyond.
What better place to be than in Swaziland this August!
2
STA’s Official Monthly Bulletin (Vakasha)
UMHLANGA HOLIDAY ON SEPTEMBER 2
In between marching, singing and dancing, the
maidens cut the reed and deliver it at the
c o u n t r y ' s t ra d i t i o n a l h e a d q u a r t e r s ,
Ludzidzini Royal Residence. The reed is
delivered before Their Majesties, members of
the Royal family and the entire Swazi nation.
The reed dance in a nutshell
Day 1: The girls gather at Ludzidzini. They
come in groups from the 200 or so chiefdoms
and are registered for security. They are
supervised by men, usually four, appointed by
each chief. They sleep in the huts of relatives in
the royal villages or in the classrooms of the
four nearby schools.
I
n a first of its kind, the annual Umhlanga Reed Dance holiday
was announced early this year, giving tourists ample time to
plan, prepare and make travelling arrangements.
Minister of Home Affairs Prince Gcokoma announced Monday
September 2, 2013 as the Umhlanga Main Day. Explaining the early
announcement, Prince Gcokoma said this was meant to give
tourists enough time to prepare themselves for this annual
pilgrimage.
Swaziland Tourism Authority (STA) welcomed this development.
STA markets the Reed Dance throughout the year in various
forums, such as trade and consumer shows, therefore, early
announcement of the date would give tourists ample opportunity
to plan ahead of the big day.
"Those who may need to take vacations will now be able to apply
for leave from their workplaces. This is definitely going to have a
positive impact on tourism as we anticipate receiving thousands
and thousands of visitors," said STA Marketing Manager Bongani
Dlamini.
Visitor numbers have continued to grow during the Reed Dance
ceremony over the years. Last year alone, over 100 000 maidens
participated in the event. The Reed Dance is perhaps the leading
traditional showpiece in the country, succeeding in attracting
throngs of visitors from within and beyond the African continent.
It is best regarded as the pride of the Swazi nation as maidens
come together in song and dance to celebrate their chastity.
Day 2: The girls are separated into two groups,
the older (about 14 to 22 years) and the
younger (about 8 to 13). In the afternoon, they
march, in their local groups, to the reed-beds, with their
supervisors. The older girls often go to Ntondozi (about 30
kilometres) while the younger girls usually go to Bhamsakhe near
Malkerns (about 10 kilometres). If the older girls are sent to
Mphisi Farm, government will provide trucks for their transport.
The girls reach the vicinity of the reeds in darkness, and sleep in
government-provided tents. Formerly the local people would have
accommodated them in their homesteads.
Day 3: The girls cut their reeds, usually about 10 to 20, using long
knives. Each girl ties her reeds into one bundle. Nowadays they use
strips of plastic bags for the tying, but those mindful of tradition
will still cut grass and plait it into rope.
Day 4: In the afternoon the girls set off to return to Ludzidzini,
carrying their bundles of reeds. Again they return at night. This is
done "to show they travelled a long way".
Day 5: A day of rest where the girls make final preparations to their
hair and dancing costumes.
Day 6: First day of dancing, from about 3 to 5pm. The girls drop
their reeds outside Ludzidzini. They move to the arena and dance
keeping in their groups and each group singing different songs at
the same time.
Day 7: Second and last day of dancing. The King will be present.
Day 8: King commands that a number of cattle (perhaps 20-25) be
slaughtered for girls. They collect their pieces of meat and go
home.
3
3
STA’s Official Monthly Bulletin (Vakasha)
4 500 CLIMB SIBEBE ROCK
S
waziland Tourism Authority
(STA) joined throngs of
climbers to summit the Sibebe
Rock on July 28.
The STA team arrived at Mbuluzi at
around 7:30am and was amongst
the first to climb the world's second
largest granite dome.
STA Marketing Manager Bongani
Dlamini exclaimed at the way the
annual event was growing each year.
This year alone, over 4 500 climbed
Sibebe.
Dlamini, in an interview, described the Sibebe Survivor Walk as
one of the greatest tourism events in the local calendar due to its
ability to attract a diverse audience each year.
"Swaziland Tourism Authority does not only promote tourism
involving tourists from other countries but also domestic tourism
and supports community tourism initiatives such as the Sibebe
Survivor. To us, Sibebe Survivor is one of the biggest domestic
tourism events in the calendar as people come from all walks of
life for a day of adventure," Dlamini said.
He said nothing beat the thrill of standing on top of the world for
the first time.
"When you climb Sibebe for the first
time, you feel like 'mission
accomplished.' But when you go
there for the second or third time,
you almost feel certain that Mount
Kilimanjaro may not just be a pipe
dream anymore. Summiting at
Sibebe is like floating mid-air and
the world looks awesome from up
there," he said.
He said STA was looking forward to
the day another Swazi becomes the
world's biggest climber and follow
in the footsteps of Sibusiso Vilane; Africa's first Mount Everest
climber. Vilane is making waves in South Africa where he is
appearing in various television commercials for companies such
as Isuzu and Windhoek Lager, amongst others.
His latest excursion at Mount Kilimanjaro was aimed at raising
funds for several girls in South Africa in honour of Mandela Day.
Sibebe Survivor is an initiative of Rotary Club Mbabane. Its
headline sponsor is Nedbank Swaziland. This year, Sibebe
Survivor Walk was celebrating its 10th anniversary.
Nkonyeni, Royal Swazi should work together
S
A Golf Trader
Magazine owner
Louis Naude and
his editor Neville Bellairs
were so blown away by
the Nkonyeni and Royal
Swazi Spa golf estates that
they feel these two should
work together for the
advancement of the sport.
The duo, who were in the country courtesy of the Swaziland
Tourism Authority (STA), said although they visited several golf
estates during their four-day stay in Swaziland, Nkonyeni and
Royal Swazi took the cake.
“Although the other three are really nice, they are not really
championship courses. Nkonyeni really stood out; it's definitely a
place we will tell people to visit. Together with Royal Swazi, they
are really good facilities," said Bellairs.
4
The two also sampled Mbabane, Mananga and Mhlambanyatsi
Golf courses.
Naude believes if the two golf estates came into partnership, this
would be mutually beneficial to both of them.
"If they worked together, it would be easy for people coming here
to appreciate both of them. For example, someone who would
come here for four days would really appreciate spending two
days and nights in each," said Bellairs.
Naude, on the other hand, said SA Golf Trader would be promoting
Swaziland not only as a place to play golf but as a holiday
destination.
"There's lots of stuff to do for the non-golfer amongst which is the
fantastic game reserves," he said.
The two visited Hlane Royal Park where they saw a number of
game including elephants, rhinos, impala, bushbucks and
warthogs, amongst others.
Their experience on Swaziland will be published in the
September issue of SA Golf Trader.
STA’s Official Monthly Bulletin (Vakasha)
SD's hassle-free entry requirements commended
Naude, on the other hand, was impressed with the country's
cleanliness.
"Oh, Swaziland is very clean compared to South Africa. All the
parks we saw were unbelievably clean. And there is a feeling of
security that makes you feel safe everywhere you go. Neville was
even saying when we went down to Luphohlo Dam that he didn't
feel threatened at all," Naude said.
Both praised the country's road network, saying it was amazing.
However, they felt some of the road signs could do with a bit of
improving, particularly along the Manzini-Mananga Corridor.
"I'll definitely make Swaziland part of my itinerary when I come to
visit with my family en-route to Hazyview later in the year," said
Bellairs, who felt the fact that the country's currency was equal to
the South African rand put it at a tourism advantage.
About SA Golf Trader
Started by professional golfer and former SA Open Champion
Clinton Whitelaw and top amateur golfer Louis Naude, SA Golf
Trader first hit the shelves in October 2004.
Neville Bellairs joined the magazine in 2006 and today Louis and
Neville run the magazine. Initially available in Gauteng only, the
magazine launched nationwide in January 2006.
Their offices are in Durban North. The partners are passionate
about sport as well as having experience in a diverse range of
industries thus bringing various skills to the business. The
magazine has always worked in tandem with their website
www.sagolftrader.co.za.
S
outh African amateur golfer Louis Naude and his SA Golf
Trader Magazine partner Neville Bellairs have created a lot
of positive hype about the country, even taking to social
networking site, facebook.
The two, who visited the kingdom earlier last month, courtesy of
the Swaziland Tourism Authority (STA), started posting about
their experiences the same day they arrived through the Ngwenya
Border Post on their facebook page
www.facebook.com/sagolftrader. Their first post was about the
hassle-free entry requirements at the border.
"Coming across the border is very pleasant and very easy. There
are no unnecessary hassles and the officials are very friendly and
welcoming," said Bellairs, in an interview before departure.
They went on to describe their stay in the country.
"The accommodation was excellent; there are lots of exciting
things to do in Swaziland. For example, we witnessed glass
blowing and traditional dances. The Memorial Park (King
Sobhuza II Memorial Park in Lobamba) was very interesting and
the museum was fine, even though we would have loved to learn
more about the history of Swaziland," Bellairs added.
5
STA’s Official Monthly Bulletin (Vakasha)
Kid tells of SD's remarkable adventures
…11-year-old believes Swazis are the most content, peaceful in the world
went for a totally awesome zip-line tour. The next morning we
went exploring and made friends with some blesbuck (funny
looking antelope.) The mountains were full of rushing waterfalls
and streams," he said.
Aubrey further described her experience on top of Sibebe
Mountain, the world's second largest granite dome.
"It was one big rock! That night there was the most amazing
rainbow after a big storm and I knew it was telling me I am the
luckiest girl in the world. The next morning we boarded a house
boat on the Maguga Dam. The boat was super fun, I even got to
drive! Later we went to a glass factory and watched them blow
delicate pieces from 100% recycled glass and a candle factory
where they mould wax like clay into different shapes. My
favourites were the blue elephants," the excited young explorer
wrote.
"
Swaziland was one of the most incredibly amazing countries I
have ever been to and it will always have a very special place
in my heart.”
These were the words of Aubrey, a 11-year-old girl from Santa
Barbara, California, who visited Swaziland recently as part of a
family world tour. Aubrey then wrote about her experiences on
her blog, Passport to Roam, published in the National Geographic
Kids Blogs site. The National Geographic Kids Blogs allows a group
of children, who are selected and monitored by NG Kids staff, to
share their unique thoughts and experiences online, through
words, pictures, and videos.
"Swaziland is full of fascinating culture that hasn't changed for
hundreds of years. In each country we visit we like to experience
the local culture so one of the first things we did when we arrived
was tour a Swazi village and The National Museum. Did you know
that there hasn't been a war in Swaziland for over 100 years?
Swaziland is one of the last counties in the world to carry out its
native traditions and heritage," wrote Aubrey.
She went on to direct prospective tourists to Swaziland, marveling
at the way the country is landlocked by Mozambique and South
Africa. Aubrey also described Swazis as people living "content
lives surrounded by natural beauty".
"We experienced this endless beauty when we hiked to the top of
Sheba's Mountain and in the Malolotja Nature reserve where we
6
From Ngwenya, Aubrey and her family travelled to Ngwempisi
Gorge, a valley she described as filled with massive boulders.
"I felt like I was in a Flintstones cartoon. To wind down an
incredible visit in Swaziland we stayed at a beautiful B&B,
Malandelas on a sprawling sugar cane farm. The family also own
Gone Rural, a program that employees over 750 women who
weave intricate baskets in rural parts of Swaziland and gives them
a chance at a better life," she concluded.
Aubrey has also visited Mozambique, Botswana, Zambia and
South Africa, amongst her many African adventures. Her
adventure story on Swaziland has also been retold in Herald de
Paris, a worldwide news, information, and entertainment
resource newspaper. Herald de Paris is published in two
languages; French and English and is read in 197 countries.
STA’s Official Monthly Bulletin (Vakasha)
UK students take voluntourism to Njonjane
A
group of students from the
United Kingdom have donated
over E23 000 (US$2 360)
towards the building of a pre-school at
Njonjane Care Point in the Lubombo
region.
The students, from the School of St
Helen and Katharine and Abingdon Boys
School, were in the country courtesy of
Jenny Bowen, the Director of UK-based
tour operating company Sense Africa.
One of the students was from South
Africa.
Bowen, an exclusive promoter of
Swaziland in the UK, has been doing
voluntourism in the country since 1999 for various tour operators.
Last year, through Sense Africa, she brought a group of students to
Mayenjane Merry Centre for a women empowerment project. Bowen
has partnered with the Christian Family Church based in Tambankulu
for these projects.
"I love Swaziland and I've been coming to Swaziland for the past 15
years," Bowen said.
She said the reason she felt the need to help Swaziland was that the
country's government was not yet in a position to fund early childhood
care and education. While at Njonjane, Bowen and the students helped
build one of three pre-school classrooms.
"We helped in the mixing of cement,
plastering, moving the bricks around and
other stuff," Bowen said.
Sense Africa provides tailor-made holiday
packages and is the only tour operator in the
UK that specialises in Swaziland.
"Swaziland is a great destination. The people
are friendly and it's a safe place to visit.
There's a relaxing feel to the kingdom and I
always promote it as a true African
experience," said Bowen.
Meanwhile, Christian Family Church Senior
Pastor La'Salette Duarte, explained that the
land in which the pre-school was being built
was given to the church.
"We saw the community's needs and we connected with partners in
the United States and the Children's Cup in Swaziland who were
interested in working with us. Our care point has about 285 registered
children, between the ages of 3-11, who eat here daily but the number
grows up to 600 a day," Pastor Duarte said.
The church takes care of over 2 000 children countrywide.
"We also provide school fees for some children and at the moment we
have about 85 beneficiaries. Soon, we will be building a children's
home; which will be the second one after the one we built at
Mayenjane," she said.
Sense Africa a true friend of SD - Tourism CEO
T
he Chief Executive
Officer of Swaziland
To u r i s m Au t h o r i t y
( S TA ) E r i c M a s e k o h a s
described UK-based tour
operator Jenny Bowen, the
director of Sense Africa, as a
true friend of the kingdom.
Speaking at Njonjane Care
Point in the Lubombo region
last Friday, Maseko said the
government of Swaziland
would be very pleased to know
of Bowen's immeasurable contribution to the development of
orphaned children in the country.
"You couldn't have given the children a better gift than education.
Jenny has not only been a good friend to us but has also become a part
of us now. To the team, thank you very much for what you have done
for the kingdom, we really appreciate it," Maseko said.
He further implored the students from St Helen's and Katherine's
School and Abingdon Boys School to become ambassadors of the
kingdom in their country.
“To the kids, we hope you appreciate what you have been given and
will make good use of this gift. Our wish is to see you visit the UK one
day, probably to further your studies and tell them thank you very
much for this precious gift," said the CEO.
Maseko was in the company of Marketing Manager Bongani Dlamini
and Marketing Officers from the organisation.
Meanwhile, Christian Family Church Senior Pastor La'Salette Duarte
praised Sense Africa for choosing Swaziland as beneficiaries of their
corporate social initiative. She said other tour operators could learn a
lot from Sense Africa.
"I believe tourism is playing a major role in improving the livelihoods
of people. And what Jenny is doing is really appreciated," Duarte said,
adding that she met Bowen through mutual friends last year prior to
the project at Mayenjane Care Point.
The UK students, on the other hand, promised to promote Swaziland
back home.
"Swaziland is not a place that is very well-known but now we will be
telling everyone about what a wonderful place it is," said one of the
students.
To read more about Sense Africa, visit www.senseafrica.co.uk
7
Compiled by Multimedia-00268 2404 5284