The first leg of the 2019 Lilizela Tourism Awards kicked off in Kimberley, Northern Cape and Mpumalanga on 5 and 6 September respectively. Of the 11 winners on the night in the Northern Cape, seven of them 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.
South African Tourism
The awards recognise the best of the best in the tourism and hospitality industry.
One of the Northern Cape women 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 towards 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, held at the three-star Ingwenyama Conference and Sport Resort saw the nights winners 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."
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 |
The provincial awards form part of the preliminary events leading up to the National Lilizela Tourism Awards on 9 November 2019, being held at the Sun Arena in Pretoria.
