Over the two days in Maputo, GTA will, among other activities, host a cocktail event with the media, key influencers, the travel trade and other tourism industry stakeholders. The visit will close off with a #GPLifestyle nightlife activation comprising a fashion showcase by renowned fashion designers Ephymol and Thula Sindi in collaboration with their Mozambican counterparts. The nightlight life activation will feature DJ Kenzhero, South African-born DJ with a huge following in Maputo. In addition, music group Kitchen Mass will perform live for the audience on the night.
"The Mozambique activation will seek to consolidate our position as a leading destination for African travellers visiting South Africa," GTA CEO Siphiwe Ngwenya said. “We hope to grow the Gauteng City Region profile and brand as a buzzing African metropolis ready for business and pleasure.
“Already as it were, research shows that 71 percent of all African tourists come to Gauteng and Mozambicans constitute a sizeable portion of the percentage. But we don’t want complacency to creep in because of the successes we have had in the African travel market so far; instead, we want to grow the already impressive numbers.”
Many of the Mozambicans come to South Africa and Gauteng for business purposes and buy goods including furniture, office equipment, clothes, and shoes building material. They also bring products such as seafood and cashews for trading.
Ngwenya added that over and above the trade that Mozambicans do in Gauteng, GTA wants to interest them in more of what the province had to offer particularly in the areas of lifestyle, entertainment and leisure events. “We want to encourage the Mozambican travellers to spend more days in Gauteng to experience the culture and the people. “We want more of them visiting our townships to experience what they have to offer. It is with this in mind that we will be taking several township-based along to give them market access while showcasing the products and experiences that they offer.”
GTA uses events as the anchor of its Visit Gauteng and Stay Another Day campaigns. The Gauteng City Region is in the throes of its events peak season, which runs from July to March, and the Maputo activation will promote some of the main ones including the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz and the Gauteng Sansui Summer Cup.
