When it comes to experiences, incentive travellers want unique and authentic. South Africa has a strong supply of both, writes Liesl Venter.

“Generally speaking, there are two stops for the incentive traveller – Cape Town and then a safari destination,” says Joanne Holroyd, Senior Incentive Programme Manager for Tourvest Incentives, Meetings and Events.

Henk Graaff, MD of destination management company, SW Africa, says not having Cape Town on the itinerary is almost unheard of.

Combining South Africa with other countries in Southern Africa is also quite popular. As South Africa is a long-haul destination, it often just makes sense to do a regional trip rather than just visiting one country, says Graaff.

“We do really well as a destination particularly when it comes to 40- to 300-person incentive programmes,” says Daryl Keywood, MD of Walthers DBS. “Whilst we do have some high costs – flight access, hotels and certain lodges – the one comment we constantly receive from our clients is that costs, once on the ground, are extremely affordable.”

But, with so much interest in Cape Town and safaris, availability has become one of the biggest challenges.

“The trend is to book later and I think I speak for many DMCs when I say that our biggest challenge is not our competition, or budget but finding availability for clients wishing to book only a few months or weeks before travel,” says Daryl.

Offering a wide variety of experiences across South Africa has become a focus for the South African National Convention Bureau. According to Amanda Kotze-Nhlapo, Chief Convention Bureau Officer, it is in the varied attractions from the much sought- after safaris to the beach and scenic attractions to cultural and lifestyle activities and the numerous outdoor adventures – all underpinned by South Africa’s warm and welcoming people, that the country has a competitive advantage.

According to Corne Koch, Head of Cape Town and Western Cape Convention Bureau, the average incentive itinerary is still between five and 10 days and usually includes a short period in Johannesburg or Durban followed by three to five nights in Cape Town and the larger Western Cape area.  A trip is often combined a safari experience in another part of Africa, if this experience is not conducted in South Africa.

The most popular experiences in the Cape, she says, still include the Cape Town central business district and Table Mountain. “Activities vary from market and age,” says Koch. “Popular activities are helicopter flips of the city and the Peninsula, which is often combined with a unique experience on one of the wine farms that includes not only a wine tasting but a food experience of some sort.”

According to Holroyd elephant or rhino notching or similar conservation experiences are fast gaining track while dinners in the bush remain in demand.

In the Western Cape wine remains a drawcard and no incentive visit is complete without a tour and a tasting at one or more of the numerous wine farms in the region.

“Culture and heritage are increasingly providing amazing experiences to visitors,” says Koch. This includes experiences such as jazz in a township shebeen, exploration of the architecture of Cape Dutch homesteads dotted through the region, or cooking in a local home in an area such as the Bo-Kaap.

According to Graaff the variety of activities in the Western Cape has particular allure for incentive travellers. “In a relatively short time you can have a range of really unique experiences from diving with a shark to spotting a whale or swimming with a penguin or seal to tasting some of the finest wines.”

He says while the province is not necessarily renowned for safaris, within a two-hour drive of Cape Town there are some great offerings for travellers to see and experience wild animals, making it very budget-friendly for those companies that want to incorporate a safari but don’t have the funds for a trip to the northern parts of South Africa.

Most incentive travellers, says Graaff, really want to take advantage of our climate and therefore outdoor activities remain high on the list of requests.”