The Lilizela Tourism Awards provincial awards began in Kimberley with the Northern Cape ceremony on September 5, followed by the Mpumalanga ceremony on September 6.

The provincial awards form part of the preliminary events leading up to the National Lilizela Tourism Awards on November 9, being held at the Sun Arena in Pretoria.

Of the 11 winners on the night in the Northern Cape, seven were women, a great achievement and testament to the growing efforts of the South African tourism industry to be more inclusive and have women in leadership.

Among them was Mpho Cornelius, the founder and director of The Workshop ko Kasi. Her establishment won both the Culture & Lifestyle and Roots & Culture awards. In 2017, Cornelius was the recipient of the Lilizela Emerging Tourism Entrepreneur of the Year award.

Speaking at the event, MEC of Economic Development and Tourism, Maruping Lekwene, said: “Through their hard work, determination and courage, the industry players continue to put our province on the domestic and international tourism radar and they have become strategic players who are contributing toward putting our province as a destination of choice. It is on that basis that the recipients of these awards, as well as other stakeholders in the tourism business who have entered the Lilizela competition today, should be seen as true Tourism Ambassadors of our beautiful province.”

The Mpumalanga event was held at the three-star Ingwenyama Conference and Sport Resort. Winners on the night included Forever Resorts, with four awards, and Jackalberry Ridge – which took two awards for the Caravan & Camping and Self-catering Shared Vacation categories. 

MEC for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, Pat Ngomane, drove home the importance of tourism in the current international economic climate, saying: “I continue to argue that tourism is our new gold mine in the province – it is the goose that lays the golden eggs – and if we nurture it properly, by always striving for excellence in all we do, it will indeed continue to create the much-needed jobs for our people.”

All the winners:

Northern Cape 2019 Lilizela Provincial Winners

Tour Operator

Touch Let’s Go Travel & Tours Agency

Events Venue

Naba Lodge Conference Facility

Action & Adventure

Gravity Adventures Northern Cape

Culture & Lifestyle

The Workshop ko Kasi

Roots & Culture

The Workshop ko Kasi

Self-catering Exclusive

Rhino Manor

Bed & Breakfast

Browns Manor

Guesthouse

African Vineyard Guesthouse

De Herberg Lodge

River Place Manor

Naba Lodge Guesthouse

Lodge

Mattanu Private Game Reserve

Hotel

Road Lodge Kimberley

Mpumalanga Lilizela Awards Provincial Winners

ETEYA

Mbombela Experience

Meetings, Exhibitions & Special Events

Blyde Canyon, A Forever Resort

Conference Centre

Loskopdam, A Forever Resort

Wildlife Encounters

Inyati Game Lodge

Caravan & Camping

Jackalberry Ridge

Country House

Welgelegen Manor

Hamilton Parks Country Lodge

Guesthouse

LaRoca Guesthouse

Lodge

Needles Safari Lodge

Ebundu

Self-catering Shared Vacation

Jackalberry Ridge

Blyde Canyon, A Forever Resort

Mjejane Bush Camp

Self-catering Exclusive 

The Cycad Lodge & Chalets

Hotel

Emnotweni Sun

Road Lodge Mbombela

Badplaas, A Forever Resort

Schneider’s Boutique Hotel

Town Lodge Mbombela

Bed & Breakfast

Matumi Golf Lodge