Flashback to the Eighties: I am a child of the struggle, marching, singing freedom songs, being teargassed and fleeing from brutal, whip-wielding police and their snarling dogs. Present day: I’m many things, but importantly a content writer at Flow Communications.
Many of our clients work in the tourism industry, and it is exciting to play a small part in getting people to want to come to South Africa to experience our beautiful country. Tourism is one of South Africa’s growth sectors and has the ability to create thousands of much-needed jobs.
It is always exciting working with our varied clients, but recently I fell in love with Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism. We launched the Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism blog in the middle of May and since then I have been researching the city and coming up with surprising facts and attractions.
Of course just working with a Metro called Nelson Mandela Bay is enough to get me excited, but the fact that uTata Mandela gave the Metro his blessing to use his name means that there is something very, very special about this place.
Every time I’ve written a blog, be it about mohair, art or my personal favourite, documenting the city’s rich struggle history, my heart has sung. Who knew that Nelson Mandela Bay had so much going for her?
A rich colonial history, overtaken by the struggle for democracy, home of numerous struggle icons, a hotbed of insurrection and now an emerging tourism mecca.
Before I get ahead of myself, I have to remind myself that Nelson Mandela Bay is not just about the struggle. It also has amazing swimming and surfing beaches, game reserves where you can see the Big Seven – lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo, leopard, great white sharks and the southern right whale, a growing art scene, a casino and, above all else, its enduring reputation as the Friendly City (as well as the Windy City).
There is just so much to write about, and I love it when I have ideas that flow. During my research I’ve discovered there is a growing coffee culture, an active Instagram group, and colonial and struggle history are equally portrayed and complement each other. There are cannon, memorials, museums and a promenade that stretches for kilometres, along all the popular beaches.
The Western Cape can boast with its magnificent Route 62, a long and winding, scenic wine route but ... it leads to Port Elizabeth, part of Nelson Mandela Bay along with the neighbouring towns of Despatch and Uitenhage.
Speaking of routes, I had not heard about Route 67 until I started working on the blog. The exciting route (yes, it pays homage to the struggle) has been very cleverly designed to end at the Donkin Reserve.
There are 67 public art works along the route, the number symbolising Nelson Mandela’s 67 years of dedication to South Africa.
I am relishing the idea of writing about Route 67, and speaking to the artists and designers. In fact, I am as happy about it as Pharrell Williams in a music video.
Some will, however, still refer to Nelson Mandela Bay as the Windy City, but never mind – I’m from Cape Town, where the wind tosses and turns us regularly, and Cape Town is still one of the most beautiful cities in the world, with or without the wind.
This is an exciting journey for Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism, and a journey of which I am glad to be a part.
