SA Tourism, in partnership with the Nelson Mandela Foundation, has launched the Madiba’s Journey app, which allows tourists to navigate through attractions that relate to Nelson Mandela.

The app was launched at Liliesleaf in Rivonia and is based on the ‘Madiba-inspired tourist attractions’ map introduced in 2014.

The GPS-enabled app uses location-based services to establish which attraction the user is visiting and provides real-time information about the site. This includes audio describing the attraction and other relevant information, such as contact details, map previews and photo galleries.

The app also includes an itinerary builder for users to plan their route. Tourists can share their experiences and check in on social media. As tourists visit attractions, they receive rewards, a system aimed at encouraging tourists to visit more than one Madiba site.

Minister of Tourism, Derek Hanekom, said: “This innovation is exciting because it uses communication of the future, the mobile device. Tourists are relying more and more on their mobile devices for information. This includes getting marketing information about destinations, making bookings, transacting and commenting on the places they visit.”

“This app makes ‘walking in the footsteps of Madiba’ much easier than before, and greatly enriches visitors’ experiences of the attractions associated with one of the greatest men of our time, Nelson Mandela,” said Hanekom.

Madiba’s Journey app is now available for download in English and will soon be available in other languages, including Afrikaans, Zulu, Xhosa, Dutch, French, German, Italian, simple Mandarin and Portuguese.