Continuing Mandela's legacy!

I was still in bed on Monday morning when I heard the sad news of former president, Nelson Mandela’s passing. Most of you probably read it on Twitter or Facebook, or heard the news from family or friends. Upon hearing of his death, I felt as though one of my own family members had passed away. I am just one of millions of South African’s, who never got the chance to meet this wonderful man. 

The good he did for our country and his kind heart, filled with positivity about our future, has inspired many of us in so many different ways. Mandela’s memorial service was held at the FNB Stadium in Soweto today. The memorial left millions of people glued to their screens as international leaders, high profile global figures and celebrities, joined 95, 000 South Africans to celebrate the life of such a remarkable man. The president of the United States, Barack Obama addressed the memorial for former president, Nelson Mandela. The emotive speech left the stadium cheering and left me feeling proud to be a South African. 

As Obama mentioned, our country still has a long road ahead of us, there is still injustice, violence and hatred towards others of different races and religions. All I can hope for is that as a nation we unite as one, to honour the man who never gave up on freedom and democracy. If one man can change a country and even the world, imagine what we can do together. So for just one minute, take the time to reflect upon how you can be the change you want to see in this beautiful country of ours. Mandela once said: “It always seems impossible until it is done.”  

Understanding China Travel Services South Africa as a brand.

Very few South Africans have heard of China Travel Services South Africa (Pty) LTD or  (CTSSA), so I thought I would give a quick rundown of the company. CTSSA was established in 1991,  by Dabing Chen, who has a passion for travel and culture. His vision was to bring small groups to experience exclusive and cultural tours of South Africa. He wished to step away from the commercial, bulk group tours that tourists are accustomed to. Since then CTSSA has grown tremendously with offices in Cape Town, Cameroon, Uganda, Wuhan, Beijing and Shenzen in China.

Our name has in the past created confusion for people, who often think we only deal with travel to Asia. We do deal with clients from China/Asia who wish to travel to South Africa,  but we also assist clients who want to travel to China. However, we are not only limited to this type of service, we also offer local travel packages, including flights, accommodation, transport and any other additional services.

We are committed to making travelling as easy and stress free as possible for our clients. Our travel team consists of young professionals, who are constantly thinking of new ways to market CTSSA. We may not be a big company with a well known name, but we do offer the best service and value for money. So whether you want to travel Overseas or just to Hermanus, our team promises an unforgettable experience.

Visit our website for more information.

South Africa: The good, the bad and the ugly of 2013.

2013 has been quite a year and somehow it seems to have gone by in a flash. Yesterday felt like January to me. There have been so many ups and downs this year for South Africans. However I like to think we are resilient people, who have big hearts and have learnt valuable life lessons.

Our beloved former President Nelson Mandela became gravely ill and spent months in and out of hospital. As South African’s we all prayed he would recover and return home. Although he is now unable to speak and very weak, he is home surrounded by his family.

We heard tragic news about our Olympic sports hero, Oscar Pistorius who allegedly shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. South Africans all have varying opinions of his guilt. His much awaited trial will resume in March next year.

Violence against women and children has been on the rise, with South African’s reeling in shock of the rape of a six week old baby. The end of November and early December is the month to raise awareness against this kind of violence, with the 16 days of activism campaign.You can show support by wearing a white ribbon as it symbolises peace. Look at the website for more ways to help end the violence-16 days of activism.

Gautengers have had to fight against the dreaded e-tolls, which were put into effect yesterday. The increase in petrol price has not helped the situation. Many people are refusing to buy e-toll tags, even though the ANC is promising discounted rates and other benefits to those who register.

South Africans have spent so much time and energy on un-marketing Rhino Horns abroad. Much awareness has been raised about poaching these majestic creatures. The international ban on rhino trade however has not been enough of a deterrent. A solution for the poaching and near extinction of the rhino has been to inject the horn with poison, this does not affect the rhino but anyone who drinks the ground up horn will become gravely ill. We continue to fight the battle against poaching and many South Africans have become involved in projects like #iam4rhinos on social media platforms.  

Cape Town has been voted by the Telegraph Travel Awards, as the favourite city in the world for 2013. We also have an exciting year ahead in 2014, as we take on the title of World Design Capital for 2014. South Africa will also celebrate twenty years of democracy and freedom next year. The much anticipated movie, Mandela Long walk to freedom has also just been released in cinemas this week. It comes at such a fitting time for us as South Africans; to not only reflect on our turbulent past but to look at how far, we as a country have come since apartheid. May 2014, be a year of peace, happiness and personal growth for everyone.

What historic events in South Africa, good or bad stand out for you in 2013?