Stellenbosch is on course to become Africa's technology and sporting
capital and doesn't seem to be breaking a sweat in doing it. Not only
has the town decided to have a facelift but there's a whole range of new
investment - both foreign and domestic.
Let's start with the Stellenbosch revamp.
Celebrating
its 333 years of existence, our country's second-oldest town is looking
to promote authentic cultural tourism that will directly benefit
community entrepreneurs looking to get off the ground - in turn
providing tourists with compelling local experiences. According to
Annemarie Ferns, CEO of Stellenbosch 360, the aim is to find those
emerging entrepreneurs in the townships and rural communities and bring
them into the mainstream of tourism.
"There’s so much cultural
talent in those communities that until now just hasn’t had the
opportunity to interact with the tourism industry or really benefit from
tourism, " says Ferns.
"We will pair talented individuals from
the townships and rural areas with established tourism enterprises in
and around our towns.
"An example would be where Stellenbosch 360
might pair a woman who does Malay cooking in a township with a
Stellenbosch guesthouse. The guesthouse will be able to offer guests an
authentic experience by either having the host cook a meal at the guest
house, or by taking the guests to the township for the meal.
Other opportunities could be storytellers, talented musicians or dance groups who are able to provide unique entertainment.After
recently attending a Stellenbosch 360 banquet hosted in the old town's
Drostdy Street, I can confirm that they're well on track to implementing
this. The town's talent was out in full regale, reinforcing that
Stellenbosch 360 isn't going to be short on tools to make this dynamic
tourism venture a success. Having the backing of communal spirit will
ensure that it continues to pack a punch.This well-timed image
revamp, coincides with the fact that they’re about to be the first city
in Africa to have free wi-fi. That in itself is a feat.The aim is
to give everybody in the community a cap of 500 megabytes a day, which
will be quite substantial for those new to constant internet access. The
endeavor has been championed by the collaboration between the
municipality, the University of Stellenbosch, and Mxit, Africa’s largest
mobile social network. The idea is to include internet as a part of the
city’s infrastructure, which would increase business productivity and
output. According to Stellenbosch councilor and head of the
municipality’s finance portfolio, Pieter Venter, the trial network went
live in February. The next phase involves extending the network to the
greater Stellenbosch area over a six month period, thereafter
Franschhoek and Pniel.
In addition to this technological "African
wonder” the Stellenbosch University Sport Performance Institute's SUSPI
is a hub of expertise in sport. Offering world-class facilities it has achieved considerable success, with a number of national
and international athletes and teams using the state of the art
equipment and facilities - in particular the Springbok Sevens. It
provided the perfect opportunity for me to be a bit of a fanatic and
tell the Sevens coach Paul Treu that he was doing a wonderful job.
Stellenbosch
is a hub of excitement at the moment and I would recommend going to
experience it for yourself, because try as I might to explain what's going on,
the electric atmosphere in the town is what will capture it’s essence
best.
Here is a helpful guide on some popular things to do in Stellenbosch.
- The
Village Museum - The Stellenbosch Village Museum currently comprises of
four houses of historical interest. Each of these homes represents a
different period in the architectural development of Stellenbosch. The
houses and their gardens have been restored, furnished, planted and
decorated to illustrate the particular style and taste of the time.
- Spier
Estate - Spier, in the heart the famous Cape Winelands, is more than a
hotel. It is a destination in itself. The first luxury hotel in South
Africa to be Fair Trade in Tourism certified, Spier offers visitors a
variety of authentic experiences - from food and wine to outdoor
activities - in beautiful surroundings.
- Jonkershoek Nature
Reserve - Is a very good option for nature lovers. This full-day
Vineyard Hiking Trail, a fairly new 24-kilometre long trail, starts on
the slopes of the Papegaaiberg and winds its way through vineyards,
forests, olive groves and coastal renosterveld.
- Morgenster Wine
Estate - Comprised of a wine cellar, olive cellar and nursery
Morgenster Wine Estate is said to be one of the must visit for both its
wine and olive oil.
- Wine Tasting at the Town Hall - Go Wine
tasting inside of the Cape Dutch architecture with its white washed
walls. How often will that opportunity present itself?
