Bush on a budget?
SAFARI experiences are a
tough sell to domestic
travellers, largely
because of the lingering
perception that they are
unaffordable.
Anneke Jordan, gm of
Harvey World Travel South
Africa, believes there is
indeed a market for safari
experiences, with customers
ranging from high-end leisure
travellers to overseas
visitors and corporate
travellers entertaining foreign
colleagues.
However, these experiences
are typically perceived as
being out of the reach of the
average South African leisure
traveller, says John Ridler,
PR and media manager of
Thompsons Holidays.
Hara Jackson, group sales
manager of Legacy Hotels,
says the bulk of Legacy’s
success with its lodge
product has been with the
inbound market, rather than
domestic travellers. “The
domestic traveller is still
there, but they are not the
success factor,” she says.
And the biggest reason
is price. “Often domestic
travellers don’t look at the
rate and realise it’s fully
inclusive – the only other
thing they would need to pay
for would be drinks. Often,
when you work it out, it is
actually very affordable.”
Anneke confirms pricing is
definitely a factor, especially
in the current economy.
“However, we do have access
to good local deals through
our preferred partners, our
sister company BushBreaks
and others,” she says.
A number of domesticoriented
tour operators
focus on ensuring prices
are affordable for the South
Africa market, says James
Robb, aha Hotels and Lodges
international sales manager.
“They do this by targeting
short lead-time bookings and
low season periods, when
lodges are happy to give
discounted rates for local
residents.”
And it seems that the local
market is open to being
convinced by affordable
offerings. Nic Griffin, ce of
Thornybush Collection, says
South Africans currently
make up almost 20% of
Thornybush’s guests – up
from 7% just five years ago.
“Many of our lodges are wellpriced
to encourage South
Africans to enjoy a bush
experience,” he says.
When South Africans do opt
for safari experiences, they
are willing to go elsewhere
in Africa. “Sometimes
customers who have
already experienced safari
holidays in South Africa
like to experience crossborder
holidays in places
like Zimbabwe, Botswana,
Namibia and Kenya,” says
Anneke.
John says there is a
growing interest in travelling
to the Serengeti in Tanzania,
on three to five-star
packages. He adds that
visitors to Victoria Falls are
now also including a short
game experience in their
itinerary.
Big five, big value
Things are tough on the local
corporate business scene at
the moment, Nic points out.
Hara agrees, saying fewer
SA corporates are heading
out on safari for the usual
conference or incentive, but
they still book game lodges
for entertaining international
colleagues. On the
conferencing side, companies
are rarely prepared to pay for
a full five-star, Big five game
experience, but instead are
opting for “country-venuetype
experiences”, without
comparing how much more
value they would get from a
true Big five experience.
Nhlanhla Ngwenya,
communications coordinator,
Tourism KZN, points out
that conferences are often
not a core business for
many safari lodges, and
some of them don’t even
have conference facilities.
She believes safari lodges
and camps are better
suited to smaller meetings
and teambuilding-type
experiences, and should be
sold accordingly.
How to bag local bushbabies
TRAVEL agents looking
to make sales to both
leisure and corporate
travellers first need to
debunk the perception
that these experiences
are unaffordable.
“To do this they need
to negotiate good rates
and more reasonable
packages,” says Tourism
KZN’s Nhlanhla Ngwenya.
First, agents must
ensure they ask lodges
whether they have
special SA residents’
rates, says aha’s
James Robb. Explaining
to clients that most
rates are full board
and include all meals
as well as afternoon
game drives will help
to demonstrate the
value for money these
experiences offer.
On conferencing
specifically, Hara
Jackson of Legacy
Hotels believes clinching
the deal is about helping
the client understand
just how much value
they are getting from
a full five-star Big five
experience.
Hara says SA
leisure travellers are
increasingly booking
online, so agents must
have an online solution if
they want to attract this
market.
Create value by crafting
a safari experience that
speaks to the client’s
requirements. “When
agents consult with the
customer and ask the
right questions, they are
able to tailor the holiday
experience to meet the
traveller’s needs,” says
Anneke Jordan of Harvey
World Travel SA.
Whether or not
customers have children
will also impact the
decision, says Anneke.
Anneke also advises
taking the presence of
malaria into account.
It can be a good idea to
add unique experiences
like culture and
community interactions
into the safari package,
recommends Nhlanhla.
“People are looking to
create life-long memories
when they travel, and it’s
important to keep this in
mind,” says Anneke.
“Rovos Rail, hot air
balloon rides, animal
interactions, guided
bush walks, helicopter
transfers and outdoor
spa treatments are
all options that can
heighten a customer’s
safari experience,” she
says.
Game lodges need to transform their offering
THE difficulty in marketing
game lodge experiences
to local travellers goes
further than understanding
affordability.
According to Barba
Gaoganediwe,
spokesperson for
the Gauteng Tourism
Association (GTA), South
Africa history also plays a
part. “A culture of travel
and tourism, especially
among black people, has
not been that common.
This is primarily because
of issues around lack of
resources and access,
but also because of the
way young black people
are raised – we knew that
during school holidays
we would be visiting
relatives, unlike our white
counterparts who would
have been saving for travel
during the holidays.”
This problem, says Barba,
is perpetuated by products
which appeal only to the
segment of the population
that has resources and
the predisposition to travel
from a young age.
“Issues of pricing remain
the biggest challenge,
mainly because we have
not seen an increase in
the number of new players
in the market,” comments
Barba. “Game lodges are
still primarily owned by
players that service the
traditional market.”
However, progress is
being made. “In Gauteng
particularly, the bulk
of game lodges under
government supervision,
including the Dinokeng
Game Reserve as well
as other nature reserves
in the province, consider
community involvement,
with community
beneficiation and
transformation in mind.”
In the Dinokeng Reserve,
for example, a group of
community members have
come together to produce
ornaments and artefacts
that depict the Big five.
They also offer township
tours to enhance the Big
five experience.
“That is transformation
at its best. Normally
you’d have people visiting
these reserves, checking
into their lodges and
experiencing the Big five
without ever engaging with
these townships. And these
communities would have
been denied the benefit of
their visit. But, Dinokeng
is a good example of
how boundaries around
class and resources can
be broken,” says Barba,
adding that the same
model has been replicated
in the Cradle of Humankind
through the ‘Hand that
Rocked the Cradle’ project
– a crafts initiative to
benefit communities in and
around the Maropeng World
Heritage Site.
Five-star bracket dominates
THE Tourism Grading
Council of South Africa
(TGCSA) listed 172
graded game lodges as
of March 31, 2018.
By definition, the
TGCSA classifies a
game lodge as an
accommodation facility
providing formal and
informal services,
located in natural
surroundings beyond
that of an immediate
garden area and located
in a natural setting
usually, but not always,
away from human
settlements.
Any property actually
advertised as a game
lodge must have
animals which are
free roaming and not
contained in enclosures.
The only exception
would be endangered
or indigenous species
which should then be
housed in adequately
spaced viewing areas
that should resemble, as
closely as possible, the
natural environment of
the animals in question.
Of the 172 game
lodges graded by the
TGCSA:
46% are five-star
graded
40% are four-star
graded
13% are three-star
graded.
In terms of geographic
spread, 30% of all
graded game lodges are
situated in Limpopo,
while 23% are located in
the Eastern Cape.
Clients want contact, community, culture
THE more the tourism
industry grows to include
transformed players that
involve their surrounding
communities in their
game lodge offerings, the
more we’ll see greater
numbers of South Africans
become interested in
game lodge experiences,
believes the Gauteng
Tourism Association’s
Barba Gaoganediwe.
“We need to offer different
experiences and employ
more tour guides who
understand the language
and history of the reserves,
rather than just providing
information about animals.”
Barba says travellers
are all about those
personalised experiences –
things they can see, touch,
feel and interact with.
Game lodges in the
context of only being able
to do a safari are becoming
mundane, he adds.
The need to incorporate
new players extends
beyond the leisure space
into corporate buying and
selling, conferencing and
exhibitions, says Barba.
New suppliers are needed
across the spectrum of
product packaging to
add missing elements.
If operators are able to
consolidate their offerings,
Barba believes corporates
will have more in terms of
incentives and team builds.
Barba is clear though
that the development
of new products is not
simply about creating
different add-ons. Rather
it’s about integrating new
interactions throughout the
experiences. “Dinokeng
is a classic example, with
a shebeen experience on
offer in the middle of the
reserve. Instead of building
a new shebeen, an existing
shebeen has been made
available to visitors within
the reserve.”
Another example is the
Suikerbosrand Nature
Reserve and other game
lodge facilities which are
being integrated with
lifestyle trends, like hiking.
“We are increasingly
seeing people going out
on weekends and hiking
– so now when they have
finished hiking they can go
out and enjoy the game
lodge experience,” says
Barba. “Gone are the days
when products could stand
on their own.”
Catering to all price
brackets is also important.
For example, in Dinokeng,
there is the five-star
experience offered at
Mongena Game Reserve, a
two-star camping experience
at Kwalata Lodge, or a selfdrive
experience. “There are
over 300 products within
the reserve, offering a
complete variety of five-star
to one-star experiences,”
comments Barba.
Makalali gains momentum
AHA Makalali Main Lodge, in
the Greater Makalali Private
Game Reserve west of the
Kruger National Park, is the
newest addition to Makalali
Private Game Lodge, which
recently received five-star
rating. Makalali Main Lodge
opened late last year and
boasts 30 upscale rooms
with en-suite bathrooms,
indoor and outdoor showers,
a personal bar and airconditioning.
Guests can
enjoy a variety of African
and contemporary cuisine at
the central dining area and
outdoor dining facilities are
also available.
Ruzandri Stoltz, marketing
manager of aha, says: “We
are gaining momentum
and we have received
some great reviews from
various travel bloggers and
influencers. We are focused
on getting site visits
secured from key buyers
and business partners. We
are very excited to offer
a premium product at a
competitive rate.
Did you know?
Cottar’s 1920s Safari Camps, situated in the Olderkesi Conservancy,
bordering the Serengeti and Loliolondo reserves in Kenya, has
introduced electric mountain bikes, known as E-Bike Bush Rides.
Instead of heading out on a game drive, guests can game view on a
solar-powered E-bike ride, while decreasing their carbon footprint.
They can opt for either a full day on the E-bikes, totalling six hours, or
the three-hour, half-day option.
Where to find affordable offerings
SOUTH Africa offers safaris
to suit any pocket, and
understanding a number of
factors will help agents get
a good deal.
The Thornybush Collection
adjacent to the Greater
Kruger National Park, for
example, has 12 different
lodge offerings both large
and small. “We offer a great
mix of lodges to meet most
pockets,” says Thornybush’s
Nic Griffin. Nkelenga, for
example, is a very wellpriced
self-catering option
at around R1 200 pp per
day. On the other hand, the
group also offers extremely
luxurious options like
The River for around
R12 000 pp per day.
“With our 27km eastern
boundary fence now down
and open to greater Kruger,
we can offer outstanding
game viewing experiences,”
adds Nic. He points out
that excellent air access to
the lodges is also available
with five daily flights into
Hoedspruit from both Cape
Town and Johannesburg.
Aha’s James Robb says
aha is very aware of the
need to make its lodges
affordable and accessible
to the local market. “As a
result we have excellent
SA residents’ travel rates,
especially for travellers
who book within seven
days of their travel dates.”
These special rates apply
to a significant number
of aha’s properties in
South Africa and beyond,
including aha Thakadu
River Camp, Ivory Tree
Game Lodge, Shepherd’s
Tree Game Lodge and aha
Madikwe River Lodge in the
North West Province; aha
Sefapane Lodges & Safaris
and aha Makalali Main
Lodge (within aha Makalali
Private Game Lodge) in
Limpopo Province; aha
Bongani Mountain Lodge in
Mpumalanga; and aha The
David Livingstone Safari
Lodge & Spa in Zambia.
Thompsons Holidays
packages a number of
affordable game lodge
experiences, says John
Ridler, adding that most
of these are within driving
distance of Gauteng, Durban
and Cape Town. “This
helps to bring the game
experience within reach of
many travellers.”
Choosing an
accommodation option
just outside the Kruger
gates, allows travellers to
acquire day visitor access
into the park, and this
enables agents to package
more affordable bush
experiences, says Harvey
World Travel’s Anneke
Jordan. “Sanparks also
offers very affordable
accommodation options,
including self-catering
options,” she adds.
