Stakeholder sessions – 8 new Buffalo City Self-Drive Routes

BKCOB Tourism Committee in partnership with Buffalo City Tourism held 5 stakeholder sessions around the city in September to celebrate Tourism Month.

These information sessions were designed to introduce the 8 exciting new self-drive routes to the tourism product owners and to get their feedback and input on the final products prior to the launch.

The 8 Self-Drive Routes are as follows:

1.  The Friendly N6 Buffalo Route
2. The Wild Coast Jikeleza Route
3. The R72 Buffalo Kidd’s Escape
4. The Buffalo City Coastal Route
5. The Buffalo Ikasi ‘Township’ Route
6. The Buffalo Liberation Heritage Route
7. The Buffalo City Cultural Route
8. The Wars of Resistance Route (still under development)

The Friendly N6 Buffalo Route

The Friendly N6 Buffalo Route starts at the East London City Hall and winds it’s way along the Friendly N6 to Mpongo Private Game Reserve.  This route offers self-drive enthusiasts many family friendly, fun activities including plenty of wildlife, mashie golf, a padstal and a step back in time to when transport did not require the environmentally destructive burning of fossil fuels.

The stakeholder information session was held at the Summit Lifestyle Conference Centre and was attended by the business owners along this action packed route who contributed some great ideas and were supportive of this exciting new tourism offering.

The Wild Coast Jikeleza Route

The Wild Coast Jikeleza Route starts at the East London City Hall and lives up to it’s Xhosa name (meaning ‘to go around’) as it winds it’s way up the east coast, stopping at all the resorts and attractions along Schafli Road, up to the N2 intersection.  Jam packed with adventure activities, wildlife, spa’s, golf and of course, our local craft beer, there is a reason why this popular route was the first ever self-drive route in and around Buffalo City.

This stakeholder information session was held at the beautiful Olivewood Private Estate & Golf Club.  The highly interactive session was attended by many of the business owners who have offerings on this iconic East London self-drive route.

The R72 Buffalo Kidd’s Escape & The Buffalo City Coastal Route

The R72 Buffalo Kidd’s Escape Route starts at the East London City Hall and travels along the Sunshine Coast all the way to Hamburg.  Self-drive enthusiasts get to experience our laid back Eastern Cape sleepy fishing villages, a macadamia nut farming project and an iconic holiday village with a unique monthly market.  They can also visit the birthplace of some of our countries most iconic tapestries, some that currently adorn the walls of the parliament buildings in Cape Town and others that have toured and gained recognition worldwide.

In addition, the Buffalo City Coastal Route will take visitors along the city’s coast, stopping at our many scenic beaches and attractions along the way.

This stakeholder information session was held at the Hotel Osner on the main beachfront and was attended by the business owners who have offerings along the coast from Gonubie all the way to Hamburg.

The Buffalo Ikasi ‘Township’ Route

The Buffalo Ikhasi ‘Township’ Route starts at the East London City Hall and winds it’s way through the vibrant townships of Duncan Village and Mdantsane where it will introduce you to the warm amaXhosa people.  On this route, self-drive enthusiasts will get to experience local shopping at a popular street market, visit a monument to a local boxing hero, immerse themselves in the local arts and enjoy a traditional meal and some refreshments at one of our popular local lounges.

The stakeholder information session for this route was held at Jeff’s Place in Mdantsane and was attended by the business owners within the Duncan Village and Mdantsane areas.

The Buffalo City Cultural Route

The Buffalo City Cultural Route starts at the East London City Hall and follows the N2 and R102 to King Williams Town and on to Dimbaza.  On this route, self-drive enthusiasts can immerse themselves in the rich culture of the Eastern Cape, where the indigenous Xhosa people celebrate their individuality and steep themselves in their local culture.

This stakeholder information session was held at the Steve Biko Centre in Ginsburg, Qonce  (King Williams Town) and was attended by the business owners along the N2 and R102.

The Buffalo Liberation Heritage Route

The Buffalo Liberation Heritage Route is a compilation of all the Liberation Struggle sites within and surrounding the city.  Self-drive and Liberation Struggle enthusiasts can choose this route to visit the sites and attractions linked to The Struggle activities that took place in this area.

The Wars of Resistance Route (still under development)

Currently still under development, The Wars of Resistance Route will incorporate the sites of the 9 Xhosa wars/flareups that occurred between the Xhosa Kingdom and the British Settlers from 1779 to 1879.  These events go down in history as the longest-running military action in the history of African colonialism.

The BKCOB Tourism Committee and Buffalo City Tourism are hoping to officially launch the website in November after the attractions have all been added and vetted.  In addition, we will be loading supporting tourism businesses such as accommodation providers, food & beverage operators, wedding & conferencing venues as well as tour and transport operators.

We are proud of this initiative to showcase the many attractions available in and around our city and we encourage both locals and visitors to enjoy and support our local tourism products.  We aim to not only support our local tourism suppliers, but to encourage our locals and visitors to discover the wealth of activities available right here on our doorstep.

Article:  Sandy Loppnow (ShowMe East London)