South African Tourism has once again delivered in spectacular style, successfully wrapping its third Mega Lekker Escape, this time hosting 110 Australian and New Zealand travel agents and media on an immersive, joy-filled familiarisation journey across the country.
Designed to showcase the sheer diversity of South Africa’s tourism offering, this ambitious initiative spanned all eight provinces, giving delegates the opportunity to experience everything from iconic wildlife encounters and vibrant cities to culture, cuisine, sustainability initiatives and adventure. The programme concluded with a two-day training and celebration event at Sun City Resort, set against the dramatic backdrop of the Pilanesberg Game Reserve.
On Tuesday, selected media had the opportunity to sit down with the very charismatic Thandiwe Mathibela, Acting CMO and Global Manager: PR & Communications (pictured), who spoke passionately about the evolution of the campaign.
“This year it has been bigger — more ‘mega’ — than ever before,” she said, emphasising the importance of first-hand experience. By taking delegates across all eight provinces, the campaign ensures participants can advocate authentically.
“It enables people to tell stories from their own personal experience,” she explained — a powerful tool in dispelling lingering misconceptions some Australians may still have about South Africa.
Australia remains one of South Africa’s key source markets and has already surpassed pre-Covid visitor numbers, with 121,000 arrivals recorded. New Zealand is showing remarkable growth, up an impressive 42.1%. The appetite is clearly there.
“We want more Aussies to come and learn about our history, our beautiful landscapes, our unique humour, adventure, sustainability and food,” Mathibela said. She also acknowledged the critical role of the trade, noting that Australian travellers rely heavily on travel agents — making them an essential part of South Africa’s tourism value chain.
Yana Shvarts, Marketing and Communications Manager Australia, reinforced the impact of the initiative. “One hundred percent of the agents we brought here are either first-timers or completely new to the regions they visited,” she said. “After the first Mega Lekker, 90% of participating agents booked flights to South Africa within the first year of returning home.”
As for the future? Mathibela was clear: “It works — it isn’t broken, but we are exploring other ways to partner with travel agents” so watch this space.
The event wrapped in true South African style, with a high-energy presentation evening showcasing team highlights, creative videos and vibrant entertainment, before concluding with a networking afterparty at the Valley of Waves — the perfect finale to a mega trip.
