I have lived in Africa for 33 of my total of 58 years on this mortal coil.
I arrived on the seventh of January 1977 a short six months after the Soweto ( Soweto is the acronym of SOuth WEstern TOwnship so called as it lies from Johannesburg ) riots on June 16 1976 brought huge pressure to bear on the infrastructure both politically as well as socially within South Africa. I arrived and became a " privileged " white man gifted with a well paid job with Edgars, a company flat and all the trappings that went with entering the commercial arena of South Africa that was the staus quo at the time. Standing on my balcony sixteen floors above the streets of Beria, Johannesburg, I wondered to myself why black people were on the streets and it was after 18.00Hrs, I also took horse riding lessons back in the UK before my arrival in the belief that all people in SA road horses. Strange thoughts ? Maybe, but they were in my mind.
Today, Friday the 24th of September 2010 as all of us celebrate our Heritage Day in our way and manner, I look back over the ebb & flow of southern Africa, the futile civil/border and racial wars that condemned us to cull the very national assets that would become our future. The trials & tribulations that each of the countries I associate with have moved through, the advent of democracy in Zimbabwe, Namibia, Mozambique and of course here in South Africa.
I take a look at how African people have been robbed of their heritage, natural style of living as it was many, many years ago. Observe if you will the millions of African folks both living overseas and within the cosmopolitan cities of the countries that make up southern Africa who have become Westerners in every aspect of their life. They no longer are African but a product of deAfricanisation through the insidious ways of the Western world. The majority of Africans live in the rural areas of their country. These folks have a simple but well entrenched rural lifestyle under the watchful eye of a Chief and his Elders, life revolves around the seasons, agriculture and subsistence farming. It has been this way for eons, until the Western influence of consumerism, money and the drive to remove commodities from Africa back to the Western world for the sum of becoming " sub Westerners " commenced.
My time in Rhodesia in 1978 remains a key element of my beliefs today. Moving to live in Salisbury/Harare in February 1980 and witnessing first hand the elation of democratic election in Zimbabwe was utterly incredible. At the Eric DAVIES shop by the Parkade, we stood around the wireless to hear the election results, all of us, blacks, whites and the management all together. The fateful evening on April 18 1980 when filled with the spirit of gin, I joined a ZANU (PF) troop gathering and we all marched through to Rufaro Stadium from Zanu (PF) house in Railway Avenue to witness the ceremony of Zimbabwe Independence with Prince CHARLES & President MUGABE. Eighty black troops in full battle gear and I a sole white man in civvies within their ranks. They were quite comfortable to have me within their celebrations. As we approached the waiting throngs of onlookers, we were tear gassed by the Zimbabwe Police men & women who, when hearing our chants and seeing a battalion of men in army uniform, thought that we had come to kill the new President ! Close on to thirty one years on, this act along with many others reminds me of the wonderment of African people.
For those of you who wish to experience a visit to Africa, I would recommend this very much. The reasons are varied, valid and diverse but there is one fundamental reason to come that is unique and special. African people have suffered and in fact continue to suffer through now both Western & Eastern direct influence and yet we can take you to meet folks who still talk & walk as Africans did, as pure Africans. Proud, instilled with purpose of simplicity, socially strong and family focused. There are many examples to share with you.
" Our heritage is the sum total of all the influences within our previous generations lives as they mould ours going forward ". Today I braai ( barbecue )and as I watch and listen to the burning wood of the fire, the African sun bearing down on my shoulders, I will recall the many African men & women who are part of my hertitage, who have moulded me, who have instilled much within me and who have taught me so much. As the afternoon progresses and these souls arrive within, the Spirit of Africa will course through my mind, my heart & soul. I live in Africa, I am blessed !
Ciao
Colin J. FRYER.
Centre Stage Travel, Cape Town - South Africa.
www.centrestagetravel.yolasite.com
Friday, September 24, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Right & wrong, a case of perception ?
My stroll along the path of life has in many ways been predetermined.
Colin J. FRYER has been conditioned through the last centuary by the input of all that have walked on the same path. Family tradition, the influence of parents, teachers, friends, events have all come to lay the hard wiring of my mindset, beliefs and manner of operation. Absorbing the moment to moment stuff that we entertain each day realises our reaction, thought process and to a great extent our very Self. I live in Africa and am contented to live the good, the bad and the indifferent to do just this.
I have therfore to accept: The raping of young African children on an hourly basis, one child every six second dies in Africa from malnutrition, we have the highest HIV infection rate in the world, we experience coruption, graft and corporate neglegence at a high level. That many of our governments are utterly corupt, nepotism rules and nothing else does. Agriculture, the mainstay of southern Africa is in decline, mining in South Africa is almost stripped of any semblence of corporate governence and the polarisation of our people continues to be exacerbated.
So why do I, in all good conscience remain contented to live in this Africa ? Because unlike the Western world, we are work in progress ( WIP ) ! Yes, alive with challenges and many untenable positions but still alive with opportunity, reality and Africaness. The rough crucible of Africa is hard and when pestle comes down to grind the wheat into flour, well it causes some to be crushed, some to be wasted and the remaining, to be the very sustinece of our people. Does the ramblings of MALEMA get to me, does MUGABE continue to make sense ? Does the colapse of out teaching system concern me, does the widening of the income gap between those who have and those who want it given to them rest easy in my mind ?
Africa is a paradox of lost African souls, caught up in the ways of the Western world in all its mediocraty, failings and blindness and their forefathers who strode across the continent in sure belief that they were right and all who countered were wrong. We witness profound loss of all that is fundimental every single day in Africa, the loss of life, the loss of family, the loss of hope, the loss of religion. Yet, if you take the time to stop for just one moment and allow the elements to form around you, a gentle spirit will alight, the spirit of Africa, the essence of the reality of the path we are walking on, a path where you have to have faith, where giving up is simply not an option, where one single thought does make the difference.
Is this right or wrong ? Neither, it is all in our perception in the moment of concept on the path. I live in Africa, love it, live it and appreciate the challenges for what they are.
Ciao
Colin J. FRYER.
Colin J. FRYER has been conditioned through the last centuary by the input of all that have walked on the same path. Family tradition, the influence of parents, teachers, friends, events have all come to lay the hard wiring of my mindset, beliefs and manner of operation. Absorbing the moment to moment stuff that we entertain each day realises our reaction, thought process and to a great extent our very Self. I live in Africa and am contented to live the good, the bad and the indifferent to do just this.
I have therfore to accept: The raping of young African children on an hourly basis, one child every six second dies in Africa from malnutrition, we have the highest HIV infection rate in the world, we experience coruption, graft and corporate neglegence at a high level. That many of our governments are utterly corupt, nepotism rules and nothing else does. Agriculture, the mainstay of southern Africa is in decline, mining in South Africa is almost stripped of any semblence of corporate governence and the polarisation of our people continues to be exacerbated.
So why do I, in all good conscience remain contented to live in this Africa ? Because unlike the Western world, we are work in progress ( WIP ) ! Yes, alive with challenges and many untenable positions but still alive with opportunity, reality and Africaness. The rough crucible of Africa is hard and when pestle comes down to grind the wheat into flour, well it causes some to be crushed, some to be wasted and the remaining, to be the very sustinece of our people. Does the ramblings of MALEMA get to me, does MUGABE continue to make sense ? Does the colapse of out teaching system concern me, does the widening of the income gap between those who have and those who want it given to them rest easy in my mind ?
Africa is a paradox of lost African souls, caught up in the ways of the Western world in all its mediocraty, failings and blindness and their forefathers who strode across the continent in sure belief that they were right and all who countered were wrong. We witness profound loss of all that is fundimental every single day in Africa, the loss of life, the loss of family, the loss of hope, the loss of religion. Yet, if you take the time to stop for just one moment and allow the elements to form around you, a gentle spirit will alight, the spirit of Africa, the essence of the reality of the path we are walking on, a path where you have to have faith, where giving up is simply not an option, where one single thought does make the difference.
Is this right or wrong ? Neither, it is all in our perception in the moment of concept on the path. I live in Africa, love it, live it and appreciate the challenges for what they are.
Ciao
Colin J. FRYER.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Change is the only constant.....
Have you checked into a hotel recently ? Maybe taken a vacation at a wonderful safari lodge here in southern Africa ? As we move from the cooler but sunny winter season into the decidedly warm climes of summer I note with great interest the manner in which many properties are setting their price modules.
There is clear understanding that global travel is under pressure. Noted that business travel in Asia & north America is looking good but traditional vacation style for us folks looking for a break is very definitely lower this year than last and last year was far from the best. So what are the suppliers of hotels, guest houses, safari destinations and other peripheral support suppliers doing to stimulate demand ?
Some offer a free night or two if you stay for a few, some are just cutting their rates by fearsome figures and other say " if we cannot get the rate we need, we will accept a lower occupancy ". A few, very few, are getting creative with added value options and combining their property with that of an attractive alternative. An African safari property joins hands with a beach property in Mozambique, great flow, energies and highly attractive. So what is the correct thing for these often multi million US $ properties to do in their pricing module ?
Before we go there let's take a step back. If you an owner of US $ 10 million worth of property here in southern Africa, how keen are you to get a reasonable return on your investment ( ROI ) ? That's close on R 75,000,000.00 of boodle tied up either working or conversely, not working for you. It concerns me to witness a buyer taking up an option to purchase say a safari or wilderness property with little or no idea of the very industry that they need to secure their ROI. They believe that if you chuck enough money, passions, enthusiasm and advertorial at their property all will be well ( in the Land of Nod maybe ).
We have far too much product ( hotels/safari/wilderness ) properties in southern Africa in the hands of the incompetent chasing the Holy Grail of guests. The sequence of events from the euphoria of buying their property to indignation and disillusionment of selling is profound, has an effect on our industry and sets up a knock on effect throughout the chain of supply. We see varied efforts to get their property onto the over supplied market place. Cut prices, unsustainable offers, meaningless discounts fall at our feet like confetti at a wedding.
So, how is a pricing module going to change all of this ? You have to only look at the likes of the longer players in our industry, Wilderness Safaris, Singita, Londolozi, &Beyond and possibly a hand full of the newer players such as Shamwari, Tintswalo, Last Word and Victoria Falls Safari Lodge as an excellent example of suppliers who appreciate, understand and work witin a pricing model that matches the industry at all levels.
It is all about sustainability, what we sell today HAS to be here tomorrow, next month, year and indefinitely if we are to do it justice. Too many rise and fall within a short span of time, consumed by their " importance " and disrespectful to the very animal required to secure its future.
Ciao
Colin J. FRYER.
Centre Stage Travel.
info@cstravel.co.za
There is clear understanding that global travel is under pressure. Noted that business travel in Asia & north America is looking good but traditional vacation style for us folks looking for a break is very definitely lower this year than last and last year was far from the best. So what are the suppliers of hotels, guest houses, safari destinations and other peripheral support suppliers doing to stimulate demand ?
Some offer a free night or two if you stay for a few, some are just cutting their rates by fearsome figures and other say " if we cannot get the rate we need, we will accept a lower occupancy ". A few, very few, are getting creative with added value options and combining their property with that of an attractive alternative. An African safari property joins hands with a beach property in Mozambique, great flow, energies and highly attractive. So what is the correct thing for these often multi million US $ properties to do in their pricing module ?
Before we go there let's take a step back. If you an owner of US $ 10 million worth of property here in southern Africa, how keen are you to get a reasonable return on your investment ( ROI ) ? That's close on R 75,000,000.00 of boodle tied up either working or conversely, not working for you. It concerns me to witness a buyer taking up an option to purchase say a safari or wilderness property with little or no idea of the very industry that they need to secure their ROI. They believe that if you chuck enough money, passions, enthusiasm and advertorial at their property all will be well ( in the Land of Nod maybe ).
We have far too much product ( hotels/safari/wilderness ) properties in southern Africa in the hands of the incompetent chasing the Holy Grail of guests. The sequence of events from the euphoria of buying their property to indignation and disillusionment of selling is profound, has an effect on our industry and sets up a knock on effect throughout the chain of supply. We see varied efforts to get their property onto the over supplied market place. Cut prices, unsustainable offers, meaningless discounts fall at our feet like confetti at a wedding.
So, how is a pricing module going to change all of this ? You have to only look at the likes of the longer players in our industry, Wilderness Safaris, Singita, Londolozi, &Beyond and possibly a hand full of the newer players such as Shamwari, Tintswalo, Last Word and Victoria Falls Safari Lodge as an excellent example of suppliers who appreciate, understand and work witin a pricing model that matches the industry at all levels.
It is all about sustainability, what we sell today HAS to be here tomorrow, next month, year and indefinitely if we are to do it justice. Too many rise and fall within a short span of time, consumed by their " importance " and disrespectful to the very animal required to secure its future.
Ciao
Colin J. FRYER.
Centre Stage Travel.
info@cstravel.co.za
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