Mmegi

Lessons from KwaZulu-Natal for Botswana’s tourism future

Scenes from Durban: The KZN coastal city is a tourism hub
Scenes from Durban: The KZN coastal city is a tourism hub

If there's one thing that KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) South Africa taught me, it’s that tourism is not just about destinations; it’s about stories. Real narratives that make people feel. SHARON MATHALA* argues that the next chapter of Botswana’s tourism industry must go beyond the elephants and the Delta, to people, our language, our songs, our food but most importantly our rich history

As I watched KZN confidently sell its story, I found myself reflecting deeply not just on the experiences I was having, but on what Botswana could be if we embraced tourism the way South Africa has, especially in provinces like KwaZulu-Natal.

“Come Find Your Joy” is the tagline South African Tourism uses and after spending a few days in KZN, I couldn’t find a more fitting phrase. Joy was not only found in the high adrenaline experiences like shark cage diving or flying over the Indian Ocean on a microflight, joy was present in the Zulu stories told with pride, in the cuisine and in how seamlessly the past and present come together to welcome visitors.

Editor's Comment
The Boko-led administration has to tread carefully

‘When you make peace withyourself, you make peace with the world’- Maha GhosanandaThis may come at a huge cost if not handled properly. What started off on Labour Day in Letlhakane this year, where Boko was in attendance when the militant lawyer-cum-trade unionist, Robert Rabasimane rebutted the President’s address in defence of the trade union has seemingly spiralled out of control. The issue is now creating a cat-and-mouse type of a...

Have a Story? Send Us a tip
arrow up