Ghanaian and Nigerian specialists tour South Africa

A team of tourism industry professionals from Ghana and Nigeria have arrived in South Africa for a week-long experience of the country.

The team was sponsored by the tourism authority of South Africa to tour and experience some selected tourism destinations in the southern African country.

The hosting of this group from the West African countries is an effort by South African Tourism to give them first-hand experience of what the country can offer to those who would like to travel to South Africa for tourism purposes.

Predominant in the team are travel and tourism professionals from both countries who went through the SA Specialist online training course and passed.

During the South African Tourism's recently held West Africa Roadshow in Kumasi, Accra, Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja some among those who had taken the course and passed were chosen to be part of this trip.

According to the West Africa Trade Relations Manager of South African Tourism, Mr. Mohammed Tanko Kwajaffa, the objective for this hosting is to give "the graduates first hand opportunity to experience what they have learnt from the course."

He also added that the graduates through the benefit of this trip will be "expected to use the knowledge acquired to contribute immensely to the growth and development of their organization as they continue to promote South Africa as the preferred tourism destination.

Also on the trip are staff and officials respectively from stakeholder organizations from the two countries such as South Africa Highways, South Africa High Commission, VFS Global, national tourism associations and the media.

The seven-day tour which begun on Monday 5th September will continue till Sunday 11th September when the participants will return to their individual countries. During the seven-day tour, the participants will travel across three different provinces namely Gauteng, North West and Western Cape.

Some of the experiences the team will have include quad bike safari, hot air balloon ride, tour of Sun City Resort, visits to Table Mountain and Robben Island, water safari and tour of Zulu cultural village.

Members of the team did not hide their joy at such an opportunity to acquire first-hand knowledge of places they have been selling or will be selling to their clients and thanked SA Tourism for the opportunity given them.

Source: Ghanaian and Nigerian specialists tour South Africa

RMB's Top 10 African investment destinations

Most investors still believe Africa offers a treasure trove of opportunities. In Rand Merchant Bank's (RMB) annual investment report, some countries have emerged as hidden gems, while some of the perennial favourites have lost their sparkle.

"Governments are gradually coming to the realisation that diversification is necessary to foster meaningful growth, but transformation cannot be achieved in isolation," says Nema Ramkhelawan-Bhana, Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) Africa analyst and co-author of RMB's sixth edition of its annual Where to Invest in Africa – A Guide to Corporate Investment report. "Structural reforms and greater private sector participation are crucial to unlocking Africa's potential. Our analysis of sectoral developments – specifically in the spheres of finance, infrastructure, resources and retail – strongly support this point of view."

The analysis of Africa's development in RMB's latest report plots the evolution of African economies using the RMB Investment Attractiveness Index and focuses on the theme "Back to the Future".

"Rather than evaluating the continent at a point in time, we sought to highlight its evolution over the last decade," says RMB Africa analyst and co-author of the report, Celeste Fauconnier. "We compare current realities to past occurrences to better understand aspects that will shape future events."

RMB's Top 10 investment destinations are remarkably similar to last year with one noticeable difference being Côte d'Ivoire which re-enters the fold after a 13-year hiatus, squeezing Tunisia out of the Top 10. Other countries are holding their positions – somewhat tenuously in a number of cases. RMB's top 10 investment destinations in Africa include:

South Africa The country continues to stand firm at number one but risks losing its coveted spot in the next few years as a faltering growth outlook and uncertain business environment slowly eats away at its investment score. Despite a stream of negative news, the country remains a bastion of institutional integrity and continues to boast one of the best operating environments in Africa.Egypt There is a possibility that Egypt could unseat South Africa as the leading investment destination in Africa if it succeeds in consolidating the economic gains accumulated in the aftermath of the Arab Spring. However, the country's operating environment could be an inhibiting factor considering that it lags South Africa in all aspects of governance.Morocco Hot on the heels of its North African peer, Morocco is holding steady at number three for a second consecutive year, buoyed by solid economic growth, favourable geographic positioning, sturdy infrastructure, strong regulatory policies and a stable political setting.Ghana Within a whisker of the top three, Ghana is brandishing the title as the most attractive investment destination in West Africa. Despite a myriad of economic challenges, the country labours on as it slowly rebuilds confidence in its processes and policies under the watchful eye of the IMF.Kenya Having nudged Nigeria out of fifth position, Kenya is exceptionally worthy recipient which has steadily progressed up the ranks, surpassing both Ethiopia and Tanzania. Investors are attracted by Kenya's relatively diverse economy, pro-market policies and brisk growth in consumer spending.Nigeria Weighed down by a dismal economic growth outlook and weak operating environment, and despite its many challenges, the West African giant is still regarded as a viable long-term investment destination but will be forced to endure painful structural adjustments over the next few years to safeguard its prospects.Ethiopia The country might well surpass Nigeria in 2017 as scores of foreign investors seek to benefit from the country's young and vibrant population, low unit labour costs and thriving manufacturing sector. Notwithstanding the regulatory challenges in establishing operations locally, the opportunity to participate in this budding economy cannot be overlooked.Côte d'Ivoire As the unsung hero of West Africa, Côte d'Ivoire debuts at number eight. After years of political paralysis, the world's top cocoa producer has earned its place in the sun, supported by a booming economy, an emerging middle class, robust infrastructure development and an improved business environment.Tanzania Having flirted with the Top 10 for many years, Tanzania holds steady at number nine, barely nudging out Algeria and Tunisia. The new political dispensation's focus on industrialisation and enhanced productivity is encouraging, though protectionist tendencies could undermine the government's pro-business rhetoric.Algeria Algeria has slid two spots to number 10. High reserves and low debt levels have helped to cushion the blow of low oil prices, but there is a desperate need to implement reforms to diversify the economy away from the hydrocarbon sector.

"From a global perspective, Africa is still at the lower end of the investment spectrum", says RMB Africa analyst and co-author, Neville Mandimika. Out of 188 countries analysed globally, a large proportion of African countries are still ranked between 120 and 188. South Africa, the only African country featured in the Top 40 in 2006, has dropped to 45, surpassed by a number of emerging economies in East Asia and Latin America.

Source: RMB's Top 10 African investment destinations

Cricket Xtra: South African quotas could see more Kevin Pietersens head elsewhere

Sport360's Ajit Vijaykumar explores the potential ramifications of South Africa cricket's decision to adopt racial quotas for their national team setup.

Melting pot: South Africa beat New Zealand this week.

Cricket in South Africa has taken a new path and it is not a particularly endearing one. The country's cricket board has formally adopted a racial quota policy whereby any national team will have at least six players of colour on an average over a season.

This has been done to meet 'transformation guidelines' set by the country's sports minister who in April said national federations failing to have the desired number of coloured players in the team will be ineligible to bid for any international event.

While Cricket South Africa president Chris Nenzani said the new move has got nothing to do with the government's order, it is clear why it has been done.

South Africa is a major destination when it comes to hosting international cricket events and the national board cannot afford to be debarred by its own government.

While this is a socio-political decision, it has very real ramifications on the cricket field. Firstly, what the decision does is deny the coach and captain the freedom of selecting the best playing XI.

Getting a top class bunch of professional players is hard enough, especially in cricket where players are forever tempted to ditch one of the formats or even their national team for lucrative T20 leagues. And if you are asked to leave a few players out regularly for non-cricketing reasons forever and with no sporting benefit at the end of it, it can be a nightmare for the captain.

I have no doubt in my mind that AB de Villiers had grown disillusioned, as captain over the past season, with the way the game was developing in his country.

Exile: Pietersen left South Africa for England.

In his autobiography, de Villiers reveals that on the evening before the 2015 World Cup semi-final against New Zealand, he received a phone call from an administrator to include a barely fit Vernon Philander in place of Kyle Abbott. The South Africans lost the match with just one ball to spare.

Though de Villiers doesn't blame Philander for the defeat in his autobiography, his demeanour over the past season shows it is getting too much for him.

Then, we have the quality of the side. According to the new system, a team's racial profile will be assessed over a season. So if in some matches the management picks six or even seven white players, they can make up for it later in the year.

As has been pointed out by some critics, this will allow the team management to pick the team they want for crucial matches and compensate for it against 'easier' opposition.

Most importantly, cricket ceases to be a fair sport.

Athletes put their heart and soul into becoming professionals and if they are told that they will have to make way even if they are performing, then there will be resentment. Let's not forget what drove Kevin Pietersen to England's shores.

The Pietermaritzburg-born batsman quit Protea cricket as he felt the quota system was restricting his chances at KwaZulu Natal. The quota system has been in place at the domestic level for many years. Now that it has reached the highest level, I can only wonder how many more Pietersens will leave South Africa.

A cricketer can handle tough conditions, vicious bowling and attacking batsmen. But a quota system is beyond imagination.

A self-imposed restriction on team composition might appease a section of the society, if at all, but there is no way South African cricket can prosper under this system.

No good can ever come from keeping a deserving player out of the team.

BCCI stands its ground

The Indian cricket board is not known to follow popular sentiment when it comes to crucial cricketing decisions. Earlier, the board had opposed the umpire Decision Review System with all its might despite the complete support of all other nations.

And now, it's the proposed two-tier system in Test cricket which BCCI chief Anurag Thakur has said it will oppose.

West Indies is crying out loud for a two-tier system in Test cricket...No contest is the biggest bane of Test cricket!

— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) December 11, 2015

The two-tier system will have seven teams in the top section and five in the bottom with leading Associate teams like Afghanistan and Ireland joining regular Test sides in the second division. This proposal enjoys the support of the Australian, English, South African and New Zealand boards but the BCCI is having none of it.

"This system may be good for the top five countries, but apart from that, everyone else will suffer. On the one hand, we say we need to support teams like West Indies, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, while on the other we will cut their legs," Thakur was quoted as saying.

There is no doubt Test cricket needs something new, be it day/night matches or a relegation system. But the Indian board is averse to the two-tier idea.

Their reservations regarding the review system ultimately proved to have some justification with many teams and even commentators admitting the system is nowhere near fool-proof.

Let's see if the BCCI is correct this time as well.

Source: Cricket Xtra: South African quotas could see more Kevin Pietersens head elsewhere

Rwanda signs $818m deal with Portuguese firm to deliver its biggest international airport

President Paul Kagame's dream of seeing Rwanda have a new airport that would be the country's biggest, has finally gotten the needed investment. The Rwandan government has signed a deal with Mota Engil Engenharia e Construcao Africa, and will see the first phase of the project completed by the end of 2018. The successful completion of this project would see it complement Kigali International Airport, the country's only international airport at the moment.

On Wednesday in Kigali, the Aviation Travel and Logistics Holdings Limited (ATL), on behalf of the government signed an $818 million deal with Mota Engil, a Portuguese construction firm to begin work on the highly anticipated Bugesera International Airport. The construction of the airport is expected to commence June next year and be completed in December 2018.

Under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) agreement, the government will not incur any cost as the Portuguese company would spend US$418 million in the first phase. By the completion of the project in 2018, Mota Engil is expected to deliver a facility of international standards with a capacity to handle about 1.7 million passengers every year.

According to Mota Engil's Africa Chief Executive, Manuel Mota, soon after the first phase of the project is completed, the company will commence expansion works to increase the airport's capacity to 4.5 million passengers per year. This will cost an additional US$400 million, bringing the total amount spent on the entire project to US$818 million. In recouping its investment after the first phase is ready, the company will run the facility's operations for 25 years with another 15-years extension option. No definite time was given for the start of the second phase.

Currently, Rwanda has four domestic airports and two international airports. The Kigali International Airport was recently upgraded by the country's Civil Aviation Authority to accommodate 1.5 million passengers per year. "More than ever, we need an airport that can match the growth we are witnessing in the aviation industry," James Musoni, the Minister of Infrastructure said.

The East African country is looking towards expanding its airports at a time when most of Africa's aviation industry is shrinking due to economic downtime. Since the beginning of the year, Nigeria has been hit by a massive 'airxit' which saw many western airlines close operations in the country.

Playing down fears of the airline business' decline in the continent, the acting chief executive of ATL, Jean Paul Nyirubutama told The New Times that, "The aviation industry across the continent might be going through headwinds which are just temporary and caused by the general economic situation in Africa, but airlines in Africa are set to grow given that the continent is the next frontier of aviation and the growth rate is high enough to accommodate carriers in Africa."

Rwanda's investment in its aviation industry can be likened to a farmer tilling the soil during the dry season in expectation of rain; the country is positioning itself to meet a global demand for stronger growth prospects. Apart from complementing the existing airports in Rwanda, which are operating in maximum capacity, the successful completion of Bugesera International Airport will make Rwanda another top destination for investors coming to Africa.

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Source: Rwanda signs $818m deal with Portuguese firm to deliver its biggest international airport

Conde Nast Traveller Readers Vote South Africa in Top 5 Best Countries in the World

Source: bushmanskloof.co.za/

The annual Travel Awards asks its readers to rate their favourite countries based on various criteria including food, accommodation, scenery, value for money.

The readers – from around the globe – voted Greece as the number one spot in the 2016 Readers' Awards, Italy as the second (with the best food), USA third (with the best places to stay) and South Africa as fourth, offering the greatest value for money. France came fifth. Australia came eighth but won the best scenery category for its "vast open spaces and dramatic coastlines".

AND in the 'Ultimate Travel Top 20' category – which lists the very best of the best travel experiences around the world (be it a country, island or hotel) – a South African luxury lodge –  Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve & Wellness Retreat – was featured in 20th position.

Source: bushmanskloof.co.za/

Bushmans is nestled in the foothills of the Cederberg Mountains offering a "distinctive wilderness experience among open plains and ancient sandstone formations, including over 130 sites of bush art paintings", according to its website.

Source: bushmanskloof.co.za/

The only other African destination in the list was Singita Grumeti in Tanzania, at fifth.

Others in the list included Eden Rock in St Barth's in top position, Maldives at second, and celebrity haunt Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes, France, at thirteenth. Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur was at sixth.

View the full lists here. 

Source: Conde Nast Traveller Readers Vote South Africa in Top 5 Best Countries in the World

Rwanda signs $818 mn deal for new international airport

Rwanda has signed a deal with the African division of Portuguese construction firm Mota-Engil to build an international airport at a cost of $818 million, the company and government officials said.

They said the first phase of the airport, which is part of a push to attract more tourists and boost Rwanda as a conference destination, would cost $418 million and is expected to start in June next year and be completed by December 2018.

Rwanda's plans for the new Bugesera International Airport date back to 2011 when it first announced it was seeking bids from the private sector to design, build, finance, maintain and operate the airport through a 25-year concession.

"The first phase is for 1.7 million passengers (per year) capacity and it gets all infrastructure associated for $418 million," Mota-Engil Africa Chief Executive Officer Manuel Antonio Mota told reporters late on Thursday after signing an agreement with government officials.

Rwanda said in a statement that Mota-Engil would operate the airport for 25 years, with an option to extend another 15 years.

When it first sought bids, the government said the first phase would involve building passenger and cargo terminals and a 4.2 km runway to handle large commercial airplanes, while the second phase would be for a second runway and more terminals.

Mota-Engil said the second phase costing $400 million was expected to raise the airport's handling capacity to 4.5 million passengers per year.

Neither Mota-Engil nor the government said when the second phase would start.

The existing international airport in the capital Kigali has an annual capacity of 1.6 million, according to the Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority, though it has little scope for expansion.

"Bugesera International Airport is coming in at the time when it is badly needed because we all know that the current airport capacity is not matching the growth of our traffic in terms of aircrafts, in terms of passengers," James Musoni, Rwanda's minister for infrastructure, said.

The coffee and tea producing country expects its economy to grow 6 percent this year and 2017 and then 6.5 percent in 2018.

(Editing by George Obulutsa and David Clarke)

Source: Rwanda signs $818 mn deal for new international airport

SA in top 10 adventure destinations

© iafrica.com A cheetah seen in South Africa. Credit: pexels.com

In a ranking outlining the top countries for luxury adventure travel, South Africa has placed in the top 10.

International luxury travel network Virtuoso looked at its data for adventure travel bookings and insights from its travel agents to determine which places their clients are heading to.

The agency says that adventure travel is a rapidly growing market - but which destinations are travellers heading to?

Iceland is the top destination for luxury adventure travel, while Galapagos/Ecuador places second. Some travellers are heading to far-flung destinations such as Antarctica and the Arctic.

South Africa placed in ninth place in the top ten, just ahead of Australia.

Our country proved popular due to the demand for safari experiences. SA also offers other popular adventure activities such as hiking, biking and wildlife viewing.

The top adventure destinations gaining in popularity are:

1. Iceland

2. Galapagos/Ecuador

3. Costa Rica and Chile/Patagonia (tie)

4. New Zealand

5. Peru

6. Cuba

7. Antarctica

8. Arctic/North Pole

9. South Africa

10. Australia

Source: SA in top 10 adventure destinations