Zululand Spring Festival

Zululand’s premier combined entertainment and exhibition showcase, THE ZULULAND SPRING FESTIVAL, will take place in Richards Bay, on Friday 30 September - 14h00 to 22h00. Saturday 01 October 2011 - 09h00 to 22h00. Sunday 02 October 2011 - 09h00 to 14h00.

The second largest combined entertainment and exhibition event in KZN, the Zululand Spring Festival provides an ideal platform for local and national trade, plus the opportunity for the public to enjoy the latest in South Africa’s, top entertainment. Entertainment includes both local and national artists and performers, making up a spectacular fusion of entertainment, that suits all age groups and cultures. The Zululand Spring Festival in Richards Bay once again attracted major crowds with 25 000 visitors and nearly 250 stands being sold at Spring Festival 2010.

The success of Spring Festival is evident by the R10 million turnover that emanates from the event into our community over this three-day period. Massive pre-publicity sets the pace for Zululand Spring Festival and the quality of the entertainment programme is of high standard and calibre, with many of South Africa’s top performers joining the ranks in the entertainment programme. Exhibitors from all over South Africa will once again display their products or services, which range from decor, sports and leisure, arts and crafts, fashion and accessories, motor industry, outdoor and garden, technology, tourism, education and industrial exhibits, as well as an array of flea market stalls, with an ambit of unusual products to choose from.

If you want to take full advantage of making new contacts and improving your sales or image, or being involved in a sponsorship exchange agreement, then Zululand Spring Festival is the place to be - a marketing opportunity not to be missed!

Click here for more information

New categories for entrants in 2012 AA Quality Assured Awards

South Africa’s only consumer-based accommodation awards programme has undergone extensive changes to keep up with modern trends in the hospitality industry. Hence, particulars of the 2012 AA Quality Assured Accommodation Awards programme have been announced.
 

Vanessa Sand, managing director of AA Travel Guides, convenors of the awards, says the programme is keeping up with trends in the accommodation sector so that achievers gain the maximum benefit from their participation.

“All AA Quality Assured Accommodation members – of which there are currently just under 2 500 in southern Africa – have automatically been entered into the awards,” says Sand. Guests can enter feedback into the review section of each establishment’s listing on www.aatravel.co.za, via traditional AA guest review forms, electronically via an APad, which has been customised into a digital guest book, or via eGuestSurv Reviews. “We now have the technology in place for feedback received to go live within a week of it being received, making the system so much more user-friendly to both the consumer and the establishment,” says Sand.

According to Sand, AA Travel Guides – having managed these awards for the past 18 years – has done extensive industry research and consultation in recent months, and has revised the award categories that establishments can enter 

“It was necessary to structure our award categories in line with current accommodation industry trends,” she says. “We are confident that establishments will find the exact relevant category for them to enter and that consumers understand these category definitions to be in line with their expectations.”

Feedback received from consumers relates to aspects such as service levels, the quality of food, ambience and value for money. AA Travel Guides will accept feedback until 30 April 2012, where after all reviews will be processed.

Provincial finalists and winners will be announced in July 2012. These winners will then compete against one another to become national winners, to be announced at the 2012 Getaway Show.
Finalists and winners will have the opportunity to profile themselves in the annual awards publication ‘South Africa’s Best’, 100 000 copies of which will be distributed via Getaway magazine, tourist offices and Caxton publications.

“With our new focus on AA Quality Assured properties only – truly our gateway product – we believe the awards programme will grow even further,” says Sand. “The AA brand is associated with trust, integrity and quality and we are now creating a platform that members can use to market themselves even more widely and effectively,” says Sand.

For more information on the AA Quality Assured program click here

Don't Miss The 2011 RBM Annual Birdwatch

Getting up close and personal with an Eagle Owl

The 2011, Richards Bay Minerals annual "Birdwatch" is a highlight on the Zululand eco-tourism calender with birders flocking from across the country to enjoy some of Richards Bay's best birding.

The event kicks off with an evening talk on Friday the 4th November by Shanan and Ben Hoffman of the African Birds of Prey Sanctuary. The talk will introduce the public to the fascinating world of raptors and include an "up close and personal" opportunity to experience these majestic birds.

Saturday the 5th Novmber's program starts off with guided birding walks at Lake Nhlabane in the RBM lease area. Lake Nhlabane and the surrounding forests is a legendary birding site along the Zululand Birding Route as it provides the southern most location to see species such as Livingstone's Turaco, Woodward's Batis, Southern-banded Snake Eagle and a host of water birds from Pygmy Geese to African Finfoot.

The weekend is specifically designed to get the public involved and out there birding, it does not matter if you are a seasoned "twitcher" or casual beginner - the RBM Birdwatch event is an ideal family weekend out!

To register visit our facebook event by clicking here or email us

34 000 Trees Planted at Zululand's Annual Reed Dance

Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini has joined the Department of Environmental Affairs to launch a Greening Project that will see 34000 trees being planted in Nongoma, as part of the annual Reed Dance, one of the highlights on the Zululand Heritage Route, Route 66.

About 34 000 trees were planted by Zulu-maidens during the Reed Dance. The initiative comes ahead of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change - popularly known as COP 17 - taking place in Durban in November. Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini with the Champions of the Environment Foundation plan to raise awareness about climate change through the project. 

Each of the 30,000 maidens who attended planted a sapling – led by Zulu King Goodwill Zwelethini and SA President Jacob Zuma. The trees were all grown by ‘tree-preneurs’ – individuals who support their livelihoods by growing trees and exchanging these trees for food, clothes, bicycles, education support, building materials, JoJo tanks and other goods they need.

More on Cop 17, click here  For more on the Zululand Heritage Route, Route 66, Click here

Tourism and the Consumer Protection Act

(Courtesy Dave Jack of BnBSure)
There’s been huge reaction to the introduction of the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) in the tourism industry and we have seen this particularly in the B&B and guesthouse sector. Is the news as bad as we’ve been led to believe? Certainly many experts on the CPA have been giving lectures and going into individual clauses which have terrified their listeners.

Perhaps I’m very guilty of over-simplifying the Act, but I think there are a couple of basic things we need to remember. Firstly, the act was introduced to protect the consumer from unethical practice. Secondly every one of us almost every day is a consumer and thirdly - and probably most central to the entire Act - is to ask oneself “How would I want to be treated?” Taking this simple question into all aspects of the running of one’s business should give the B&B or guesthouse owner a fair degree of comfort. The question needs to be looked at from every angle though: reservations, brochures - and especially websites: “How would I want to be treated?” For instance - how would you feel if you’d been told that an establishment had wonderful sea views, when in fact all you can see is a tiny bit of the ocean when you walk to the bottom of the garden? How would you feel if you were told that the establishment had ‘secure’ off street parking? As an example: the use of the word ‘secure’ could be extremely dangerous. If a guest drives through your gate and somebody either slips in on foot or ‘tailgates’ and holds him or her up - is the property secure? If the guest felt that by saying your parking was ‘secure,’ you’d engaged in false advertising - and if he or she had been severely traumatised and in view of this false advertising, he or she would want compensation. Would he or she succeed in a case against the establishment?

We don’t know at this stage as this kind of event has not been tested in court - but we do know that it can be costly to defend such an action. Even if you win. So: does insurance help? It is seldom, if ever, that one will get insurance to protect against false advertising. But what is available to BnB SURE policy holders is an optional section to cover Tax and Legal Costs arising from the enforcement of the CPA should this sort of thing arise or should one get a visit from SARS. It’s crucial that establishment owners check all their advertising and look for - and take steps to mitigate - dangers in the operating of their establishments (particularly, where establishments are multi-listed on several tourism websites you need to ensure that all are correct).

Just remember the golden question: “How would I want to be treated?”
You can download BnB SURE’s A Guide to the Consumer Protection Act and Consumer Rights here

Zulu Coast Film Office - How Can Your Business Benefit?

The Zulu Coast Film Office, a joint initiative between uThungulu District Municipality, Enterprise Ilembe and Umhlosinga development Agency, seeks to promote and market the Northern Kwa-Zulu Natal region as a prime location for Stills and Film Production companies.   It acts as film industry facilitator with regards to locations, permits and services with the objective to create opportunities for development and growth within the regional film industry.
The filming industry requires a wide variety of services when filming in the region, this ranges from accommodation to transport to carpenters for set building to make up artists to extras. To ensure that film industry demands are met when filming in any of the regions, a comprehensive database of available service providers is required for the following services:

• Acting (Cast & Extras & Stunts)
• Marine services (boat & yacht charters)
• Catering,
• Crane hire,
• Production Facilities,
• Pyrotechnics,
• Animal handlers,
• Cameras & Lighting,
• Choreographers,
• Accommodation Establishments,
• Vehicle Rentals,
• Communications/IT,
• Aviation Charters,
• Photography (Agents,Equipment)
• Props & Costumes,
• Make up Artists & Hair Stylists,
• Travel Agencies,
• Taxi Services,
• Security Services,
• Courier Services,
• Electrical Services
• Carpentry.
  

To register, please visit www.film-zulu-coast.com and click on service providers. All service providers will be charged a R240 per year listing fee, this will give service providers exposure on the Zulu Coast Film Office Website, E-Brochure and Production Manuals.

Arbor Week - Making Our Country Beautiful !

In South Africa, Arbor Day was first celebrated in 1983. The event captured the imagination of people who recognized the need for raising awareness of the value of trees in our society. As sources of building material, food, medicine, and simple scenic beauty, trees play a vital role in the health and well-being of our communities. Collective enthusiasm for the importance of this issue in South Africa inspired the national government, in 1999, to extend the celebration of Arbor Day to National Arbor Week. From 1 to 7 September every year, schools, businesses and organizations are encouraged to participate in community "greening" events to improve the health and beauty of the local environment and propose a green future for South Africa.

So why not do your bit to make our area more beautiful and leave a lasting legacy by simply planting a tree! The 2011 Tree Of The Year is the Jacket Plum or Pappea capensis - This is a relatively common tree of the warm bushveld areas of Zululand, besides being a hardy and excellent tree for attracting birds and other animals to your garden (due to it's profusion of tasty fruit) the Jacket Plum has a whole host of traditional uses including the leaves, bark and the oil extracted from the seed are used medicinally against baldness, ringworm, nosebleeds, chest complaints, eye infections, and venereal disease. The bark is also traditionally used as a protective charm and research has reported that the leaves are very effective in killing snails.