The momentous occasion, introduced with the blessing of the Gauteng Tourism Authority, will see the watersport adding to the festival of exciting activities already available at the towers precinct in Soweto to amuse visitors.
Commented Soweto Outdoor Adventure’s founder and entrepreneur Kgomotso Pooe: “Bringing adventure activities to Soweto is our tradition and it has worked out since 2010.”
Pooe’s company already offers quad biking, go-karting, paintball, rock climbing, electric cycling, boot camp, township tours and an activity known as amazing race.
“Paddle boats are loads of fun, bringing visitors nothing but adventure and outdoor facilities in one of the biggest townships.
There is no better way to enjoy the Pimville Dam with its surrounding beautiful scenery and a view of the famous Orlando twin towers”, added Pooe, former Flight Attendant.
It is hoped that the new product offering will help attract growing numbers of visitors to the township of Soweto. The township is steeped in a rich political heritage that has been its draw card over the years, but it is evolving into an entertainment and lifestyle destination as well.
According to Gauteng Tourism Authority (GTA) CEO Siphiwe Ngwenya, entertainment and lifestyle products and experiences are the foundation of the promotional drive to increase visitation in the Gauteng City Region. “When the product and experiences innovations happen in the townships, they have us achieve the twin objective of growing the economies of the townships,” he says.
“Entrepreneurs such as the ones from Soweto Outdoor Adventures have an invaluable role to play in innovating tourism products and experiences that will grow the visitor economy in the townships. The Township Economy Revitalisation Programme of the Gauteng provincial government recognises township tourism as a core focus area.”
Ngwenya adds that tourism has the potential to create jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities where people live. “This could assist us in solving some of the apartheid spatial development problems that we have inherited from the previous political dispensation.
“It is, therefore, absolutely critical that we continue to enhance our product and experience offerings to attract even more visitors to our townships. It is with this in mind that we congratulate Kgomotso Pooe on the launch of the new product – he represents an example that other entrepreneurs, especially the youth should strive to emulate.”
At the launch, the precinct was abuzz with government representatives, a sizeable media corps, service providers such as catering companies who served breakfast and lunch to guests, deejays who also provided the public address equipment and a duo who provided quad bikes for the day, for visitors to ride on.
The newly introduced offering will set users back by R200 for a twenty minute thrill ride and has the two-tiered benefit of amusement as well as exercising.
The visitors at the launch visibly had a ball as they glided across the vast waters of the dam in their lifejackets in groups of either two or four – whilst they shared the aquatic space with families of resident geese.
Pooe, whose company already has a staff complement of eight, has recruited two young men who belong to the Soweto Rowing Club and are experienced swimmers in addition to possessing the advantage of being familiar with the dam’s outlay, since they’ve spent lots of hours kayaking for their club.
Quiet some swashbuckling sight in Samsons ‘mathanda-kitchen’ uniform [apparel familiar with the pantsula trend and which has its origins in the gold mines strewn across the Reef], Pooe ebulliently told guests that the Paddle Boat addition was but just a first of many water sport activities he plans on introducing.
“Zoo Lake, Vaal Dam, Hartebeespoort for what?” he teased guests as he drove over a point on the public address system emphasising why would visitors go all the way to those other spots when they can come to one situated in their vicinity.
After a taste of the new offering, guests were also afforded an opportunity to sample the quad bike experience on a 3.2 kilometre off and on road course – with the day’s repertoire of experiences culminating with a flourish in the form of the brave hearts amongst the visitors taking the leap of faith by bungee jumping off the twin towers which have come to symbolize Soweto.
The jump was a worthy one, since those who dared to, regrouped back to the dam’s bank where the rest of the party remained – armed with certificates and picture discs serving as testament to their bravura. The certificate, named the Orlando Towers’ Certificate of Extreme Valour is worth of a living room wall since it has inscribed onto it, recognition that a diver did infact risk life, limb and sanity by hurling body, flesh, bone and spirit off the 100meter high Orlando Towers, Soweto, South Africa.
Those who had just achieved the feat, re-joined the party for a treat of gourmet burgers, fries and chicken wings and as the deejays’ music pumped on the bank – they, under gazebos and stretch tents, quaffed and sipped on beverages as they watched the sun setting on proceedings.
Soweto Outdoor Adventures clinched the Township Entrepreneurship Award and Youth Entrepreneur of the Year at the inaugural Gauteng Township Entrepreneurship Awards held in March 2016.
The company reinvested winnings from the awards into the business, according to Pooe, who is famously known for the Hansa Pilsener Dreamer Ad.
Yes, this is part of watersport tourism!
