The Madiba’s Journey mobile phone app will allow tourists to experience the soul of South Africa in addition to its great physical beauty, and the ‘many, many, many different tourism experiences‘ the country offers.
This was the message from Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom, who this morning introduced the mobile app to the world at Liliesleaf Farm in the Johannesburg suburb of Rivonia, an ANC safe house until the arrest of several cadres there in 1963, leading to the famous Rivonia Trial in which the late President Nelson Mandela – who had already been jailed in 1962 – was sentenced to life imprisonment.
‘The app,’ Hanekom said, ‘invites the world not only to come and visit South Africa. It also invites people to come and share our heritage, and the great South African story, with us. This sharing is through the provision of meaningful information: information that will help people understand the soul of South Africa, the priceless value of our freedom; and the fascinating human story of that freedom … both from a historic point of view, right up to the present day.’
The app has been developed by South African Tourism in partnership with the Nelson Mandela Foundation, whose chief executive officer, Sello Hatang, said it brought to light a man to whom the world looked up as a global icon of forgiveness, reconciliation and constructive action for positive and peaceful change.
‘It’s a tribute to South Africa’s heritage, pride and passion for the democracy and freedom that was so hard won, and is so joyously celebrated,” he said. “It makes it easy for us to share this unique South African story with the world, and to invite people to come on this pilgrimage to South Africa. It keeps Mr Mandela’s spirit alive, and keeps him with us through the places that shaped him and where he had a profound influence not only on South African history, but on world consciousness, too.’
Hanekom encouraged people to download the app, and use it to discover facets of South Africa that would amaze and inspire them. He encouraged the travel trade to package Nelson Mandela experiences of South Africa, to make the heart and the soul of the nation accessible to the world and people who travel in it.
The app gives users Nelson Mandela’s South Africa in their pocket, featuring each of the places on the now-famous Nelson Mandela’s Journey map that was launched in 2014. In addition, the app offers tour-guide information on each on the attractions on the route, helps users plan an itinerary, gives fascinating facts and historic details on each attraction, and gives distances and the time needed to travel between each attraction. It also offers a reward system, giving users rewards each time they check in at one of the attractions or post a photograph to social media platforms of one of the places on the Nelson Mandela’s Journey route.
The Madiba’s Journey app is available for free download now on Android and Apple devices.
