WINNER Profiles
30 November 2006, Grand West Market Hall, Grand West Casino

The Provincial Welcome Award Winners: Tourist Guide Categories are in no particular order.

Introduced by: Linah Maqashu

This tourist guide always welcomes tourists with a warm smile, a handshake and believes in the German saying that “Der Kunde ist Koenig”, the visitor is King. This tourist guide is part of the following:

• Cape Tourist Guide Association (CTGA), she has also served on its committee before
• Body Mind Spirit Tourism Forum, which allows the guide to broaden her knowledge on various topics and promotes Cape Town and Western Cape as a spiritual destination to local and international visitors
• Actively involved in the Sothern African Sustainable Development Initiative and Habitat for Humanity SA to bring foreign tourist to SA to build houses for the disadvantaged communities

Jasmin Johnson receiving Award from Noxolo Ntenetya

Born and educated in Germany, this tourist guide first came to SA in 1996 as a tourist and fell in love with South Africa and a certain guy named Neil whom she has since married. This tourist guide has been guiding for the past 4-years. She is a Culture (Regional) Western Cape guide, and has also obtained qualifications to guide in Port Elizabeth and the Namaqualand. She describes her tours as interactive, innovative, inspiring and fun.

Feedback obtained from one the local tour operators states “Although she is not South African by birth she represents South Africa, in a balanced, informed and positive light. She ensures 120% client satisfaction, is friendly and willing to go the extra mile and is involved in various aspects of society, especially in township areas and integrates herself with love and passion within various communities. She is truly committed to being to part of the process of change and transformation in this country. This award goes to Jasmin Johnson

Ernest Sonnenberg

Introduced by: Anne Pedrito

After guiding for 13-years this tourist guide firmly believes that a township tour should be turned into a cultural diversity tour including visits to projects in all communities. This individual works closely with the community of Mitchells Plain and is an active member of the Mitchells Plain Tourism Forum. This guide has managed to build a close working relationship with SAPS, so as to further ensure the safety and security of the tourists. The SAPS in Mitchells Plain always receives a copy of his tour plan.

Together with a business partner, this tourist guide launched an initiative “Destination Mitchell’s Plain” aimed at educating the community of Mitchell’s Plain to put the Plain first before going elsewhere to look for services and products. With this initiative, they hope Mitchell’s Plain would be placed on the city’s tourism map. He has established a tourism route for Mitchell’s Plain and has invited the community to be part of the route. Minstrels, artists, musician writers, poets are some of the groups involved in this route as offerings to tourists. Destination Mitchell’s Plain aims to strengthen the community while affording the tourist an opportunity to learn more about the people and way of life in Mitchell’s Plain.

Qualified to guide in all the nine Provinces, this tourist guide has been encouraging international tourist to visit and interact with community based initiatives and projects in Mitchell’s Plain like the Beacon Valley Frail Care Centre. This award goes to Ernest Sonnenberg

Introduced by: Farhaana Allie

Wendy Bungeroth

Africa has a soul and a magic that enthralls all who visit her, and as a child of this magical continent I endeavor to enhance this amazing experience. I introduce the visitor to our diverse cultural make-up, our breath-taking scenery, our culinary delights and to us the people. Man originated in Africa and on my tours the visitor will sense our universal similarities in what makes us South Africans unique…all these elements I incorporate into the “typical visitor experience” writes this next winner. This tourist guide is a member of the following:

• Cape Tourist Guide Association and has served on the committee before
• Cape Town Historical Society
• Attends the winter series of lectures presented by Garth Angus from Footsteps to Freedom

Some of the tourists on her tours wrote “Thank you so much you have a wealth of information, the added information and your lovely personal touch were much appreciated, we appreciated your willingness to be candid. We will watch the news of South Africa differently now”.

In May 2002, SA Tourism and the then Western Cape Board invited 100 American top operators to South Africa. She was among the top 10 tourist guides selected to guide this group.

In 2003 she was a finalist in the Western Cape Tourism Board Tour Guide of the year category and in 2004/05 she was the finalist in the Western Cape Provincial Tourist guide of the year category.

To introduce this tourist guide here is a poem dedicated to her by one her clients:

Wonderful guide
Excellent storyteller
Never Gloomy
Definitely the Best guide Ever
You will be missed

This award goes to Wendy Bungeroth

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