Durban - The Big 5 took on a new meaning at the provincial Lilizela tourism awards ceremony.
Tour operator Jennae Bezuidenhout of Access2Africa Safaris of Hluhluwe, which specialises in accessibilty tours, safaris and travel for the disabled, handicapped and wheelchair-bound, including the deaf and the blind, won five coveted awards.
Bezuidenhout who runs the tourism company that was started by her husband, JJ, a quadriplegic, went up to the stage to receive her awards and certificates from Mike Mabuyakhulu, MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs and Thulani Nzima, the chief executive of South African Tourism.
Dave Davies, who is deaf and who Bezuidenhout employs as a tour guide to help with her accessibility tours, also shared in the limelight at the Greyville Conference Centre.
One of Bezuidenhout’s high-profile tourism guests was Australian journalist Anthony Bartl, a quadriplegic who is on a ventilator and who relies on around-the-clock medical care.
Bartl won A$50 000 (R470 000) on the TV programme, Who Wants To Be a Millionaire, to realise his dream of a lifetime – going on a Hluhluwe safari. Bezuidenhout subsequently spent two years helping him plan his adventure, which he made with a five-strong medical team.
“It was just an honour to be a provincial finalist, but to be the winner… I am speechless,” Bezuidenhout said afterwards.
Hospitality businesses across the province were recognised as the “cream of the tourism crop” in the awards, now in its third year.
The Oyster Box Hotel in uMhlanga and the Amakhosi Safari Lodge at Magudu, 41km from Jozini – each won two awards.
Mlungisi Nzuza and his wife, Sebenzile, the couple who own two inns and a lodge in Nongoma, employ more than 70 people and give generously to the needy in the area, were given a standing ovation when they were awarded the MEC’s special award.
Nzuza said the award would motivate his staff.
Entrepreneur, Rushen Naidu, of Durban, who has his own company, My Travel, which is handling the local arrangements for delegates (senior representatives from airlines, airports and tourism authorities) attending the four-day World Routes Development Summit at the International Convention Centre, was named the emerging entrepreneur of the year.
All the winners will now go through to the national finals in Johannesburg next month.
Independent On Saturday