Unique tour operator offers royal experience
TOUR operator Londiwe Ngcamu has a unique business that enables her to take tourists on exclusive guided tours of the seven royal palaces in Zululand.
Her company, Nongoma Siyavaya Tours, has been approved by His Majesty King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu to take tourists to the six palaces in Nongoma – in the heart of Zululand – and to the seventh in Ulundi.
King Zwelithini launched Nongoma Siyavaya Tours at the Osuthu Royal Palace during the Reed Dance traditional ceremony (where more than 45 000 maidens carry a reed to the King) in September 2015.
Having set up her tour business the year before, Ngcamu, who has the backing of four other investors, realised there was a gap in the market: local and international visitors to the region wanted to know about the way of life of the King, but were unable to get access the palaces because of stringent security measures.
“People do not understand that you need to observe certain protocols in the palaces and that is where I come in to train them how to conduct themselves. I take them through the entire royal protocol before taking them to the palaces,” she said, stressing that visitors have to book in advance to avoid disappointment.
“Palaces are not like any other tourist attraction as people are still living there and you can’t just turn up as if you are visiting a museum or a cultural village where things are often staged,” she explained.
The special packages that she offers include transport to and from the palaces, accommodation, cultural Zulu dance performances and VIP tickets if there is a royal cultural event happening, and even a dress-up experience, where tourists are able to don typical traditional outfits for their photographs.
Ngcamu wears a traditional outfit on her tours that are hand-made by the local community.
“What is so fascinating about Nongoma and its surrounding areas is the rich history, heritage and culture which is authentic and it is where the Zulu nation draws its lifestyle and inspiration.
The communities in Nongoma still practise the culture as a daily way of life,” she said.
Among the attractions in Nongoma are the Kings’ grave sites and battlefields, and tourists are particularly fascinated by the Mona shopping market where more than 2 000 traditional healers from all over the world gather every third Thursday of the month.
Ngcamu, the chairperson of the Nongoma Community Tourism Organisation, has some 16 staff who handle different aspects of her business, which also offers a variety of other tours, ranging from quad biking, to adventure tourism, to camping and a Big 5 experience (Nongoma is less than 45 km from the Hluhluwe/Mfolozi Game Reserve).
This is Ngcamu’s second year exhibiting at Indaba on the Tourism KZN exhibition stand and she acknowledges that the support she has already received from the tourism authority has helped her grow and exposed her to new markets that she would not have reached on her own. She secured deals and forged relationships last year and is certain it will be the same this year.
“My business is growing as there are people who are willing to assist and teach me and that has empowered and developed me along the way. If you are willing to learn, there are people who will take your hand every step of the way,” she said.
With plans of expansion, she has continuous discussions with other established role players to form working relationships and joint ventures.
One international operator has offered her offices close to London with the aim of building relationships in the UK, she said.
The details of Nongoma Siyavaya Tours are: 078 873 5635 / 076 443 3092; e-mail: londcare@yahoo.com or londcare@ nongomasiyavaytours.co.za; website: www.nongomasiyavayatours.co.za