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WWith just over two months to go to the Lilizela Tourism Awards provincial events and three months to go to the national event, the country’s most prestigious tourism awards judges have been announced. Thirty-nine people from the larger tourism industry have been appointed to serve as judges for the 2016 edition of the Lilizela Tourism Awards.
In its fourth year, the Lilizela Tourism Awards continues to recognises the best of the best of business operators and service providers and plays a pivotal role in elevating the country’s reputation as a destination of excellence underpinned by a variety of quality-assured experiences and accommodation types.
Earlier this year, South African Tourism invited members of tourism industry to form part of the Lilizela Tourism Awards adjudication panel. This invitation was well-received, with the cream of the industry offering to do service on the panel of judges.
“Collaborations and partnerships are key in ensuring the growth of the South African tourism industry. We are therefore thrilled with the overwhelming response we received from the broader South African tourism industry. This can only be interpreted as a vote of confidence in the Lilizela Tourism Awards. The judges are a combination of experts who specialise in different areas of the tourism industry and are therefore well suited to recognise products and services that offer high quality of service excellence,” says Darryl Erasmus, Chief Quality Assurance Officer at Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA), a business unit of South African Tourism.
Along with these expertise, the judges are now able to consult with the Tourism Analytics Programme, which is a platform that consolidates all consumer reviews for all properties that have an online presence. This platform, owned by TGCSA, is used to equip Accredited Assessors and graded properties with information on their online ratings and is key in identifying of improvement, based on reviews from actual consumers.
Grant Thornton, which is one the largest audit firms in South Africa, was appointed to oversee the awards.
“These judges’ roles and the Tourism Analytics Programme give us the confidence of knowing every entry will be judged by people whose commitment to excellence in tourism is absolute. We are also confident that these awards will be given to business owners who exceed customer satisfaction and continue to make South Africa a world class destination.
The Provincial Awards Ceremonies will take place in September, during Tourism Month while the National Lilizela Tourism Awards winners will be announced on the 16th of October 2016 at the Sandton Convention Centre, in Johannesburg.
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Judges for the category ‘Universal Accessibility’ |
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Phillip Thompson |
Principal Member, IDC Consultants |
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Heinrich Spies |
Accredited UA Assessor, Tourism Grading Council of South Africa |
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Ari Seirlis |
National Director, Quadpara Association of South Africa (QASA) |
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Bekithemba Langalibalele |
Director: Responsible Tourism, National Department of Tourism |
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Judges for the category ‘Tour Operator’ |
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Alushca Ritchie |
Chairperson, Cape Tourist Guides Association |
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Chanel du Plessis |
Tourism Specialist: Tourism Planning & Research, Urban-Econ |
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Lizzie Mokgothu, |
Membership Manager, SATSA |
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Johannes Hatting |
Tourism Lecturer, Board Member on various Tourism Boards, Central University of Technology: Free State |
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Siphokazi Mjali |
Executive Member, South African Leisure, Tourism and Hospitality |
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Judges for the category ‘Visitor Experience’ |
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Stephen Daniels |
General Manager, Pine Lake Inn |
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Jonker Fourie |
CEO, Emfuleni Corridor Tourism (ECTOUR) |
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Kiéra Schoeman |
Tourism Specialist: Tourism Planning & Research, Urban-Econ |
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Phrosne Phillips |
Owner, Brochure Management |
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Rebecca Kambule |
Owner, REMPO Consulting |
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Nesang Maleka |
Secretary General, South African Youth in Travel, Tourism & Hospitality |
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Judges for the category ‘ETEYA’ |
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Jonathan Jacobs |
Founder and CEO, Skylar Investment Holdings |
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Loshni Naidoo |
Associate and Senior Incubation Coach, Awethu Project |
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Portia Sifolo, |
Lecturer and Researcher, Tshwane University of Technology |
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Alexander McLeod |
Founding Trustee, The School Entrepreneurship Trust |
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Sheila Sekhitla |
Owner, The View Guesthouse |
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Ntokozo Luvuno |
Manager, South African Youth in Travel, Tourism & Hospitality |
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Thembeka Semane |
Managing Director, Linea Di Fondo (Pty) Ltd |
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Judges for the category ‘Accommodation’ |
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Unathi Henama |
Tourism Marketing Lecturer, Tshwane University of Technology |
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Dewald Niemann |
Owner, Oudebosch Farmstall and Tsitsikamma Protea Farm Tours |
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Sthandiwe Mkhize |
Group CEO, Thinking Pair Incubator Designs |
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Debbie Goveia |
Accredited Assessor, Tourism Grading Council of SA |
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Roebendry Gangiah |
Accredited Assessor, Tourism Grading Council of SA |
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Vernon Kirsten |
Owner and Managing Member, ReservHotel International Africa |
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Barry Clemens |
CEO, EQ Hotel Management |
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Hloni Thabethe |
Managing Director, Ndalo Hotel & Conferencing |
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Judges for the category ‘B-BBEE’ |
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Mokgadi Rameetse |
BEE Field Manager, SANAS |
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Portia Tau-Sekati |
Chief Executive Officer, The Property Sector Charter Council |
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Mathibela Mankge |
Director: B-BBEE Sector Transformation, National Department of Tourism |
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Judges for the category ‘Tourist Guiding’ |
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Uveshnee Pillay |
Director: Tourist Guiding, National Department of Tourism |
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Joe Samuels |
Chief Executive Officer, South African Qualifications Authority |
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Khwezi Mpumlwana |
World Heritage Specialist, National Heritage Council |
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