The purpose of the event was to promote South Africa as a tourist destination and familiarize the Turkish audience with South African culture.Lidia Martinuzzi, the marketing manager of Sun International, a luxurious South African resort, hotel and casino chain, provided general information about the country and took the audience on a virtual two-week tour of South Africa with a PowerPoint presentation. Noting that she hopes more Turkish people will choose South Africa for their next holiday trip, Martinuzzi said, “South Africa is one of the most diverse and enchanting countries in the world with its exotic combination of landscapes, people, history and culture, offering travelers a unique experience.” She explained that obtaining a visa was very simple, with the requirements being a valid passport and two unused pages when presenting the passport for endorsement, and noted that travelers were not required to provide health declarations except for anti-malaria certification when traveling during malaria season, which is from November to March.
Pointing out that many Turks are expected to visit South Africa in 2010 for the FIFA World Cup even though Turkey has not qualified for the event, Sarel van Zyl, counselor at the South African Embassy, stated that South Africa was ready to host the event and to show utmost hospitality to everyone.
The approximately two-hour-long program also featured a fashion show by Mosa Mokuena, a young and talented South African fashion designer who has a brand named Mosewamosa. While her collection includes mainly contemporary designs, Mokuena explained that tradition certainly has influenced the way she designs her outfits. “The clothes I design are not necessarily ethnic or traditional, but anyone back home can relate to them in some way. The freedom of movement as well as nature inspires my designs, which many people can relate to.” Aware of the challenge that lies ahead as she works to make it in the global fashion industry, Mokeuna said she is confident about her skills and is ready to explore new avenues to promote her fashion line and achieve success.
Speaking to Sunday’s Zaman, Seokolo said the event was aimed at promoting South Africa and its culture to the Turkish people, adding: “I think the event was very successful. We wanted people to learn more about South Africa and encourage them to visit. Now they have an idea of why they should visit South Africa and what to expect if they go.”
