By Mbali Tanana
Pumba Private Game Reserve has been named one of two finalists in the category of ‘Exceptional Safari and Game Park Experience’ by the Eastern Cape Tourism Awards.
The Makana-based reserve boasts of being “the ultimate destination for an authentic African Safari experience where tourists and guests get to encounter free roaming wildlife while reconnecting with nature and creating beautiful memories in the backdrop of the luxurious setting”.
Known for its exclusive collection of wild animals, including the rare white lion, Pumba will be battling it out for first prize in this category against the Jeffery’s Bay-based Kouga Rhino Sanctuary.
Organiser of the awards event, Wendy Knott-Craig, said this is the first time Pumba had been nominated. “We started the awards in 2019 but it was only for the Nelson Mandela Bay area with the main focus on the business tourism side. But last year we expanded the awards to incorporate all aspects of tourism,” she said.
The Eastern Cape Tourism Awards rely on nominations made by the public. “From there we contacted each nominated person or company (over 100 of them) and asked them to complete an online portfolio of evidence,” she said. In a two-day process, industry professionals and experts judged these applications, scoring the establishments based on their submissions.
Mande Bage, group public relations and international sales manager for the Port Elizabeth Hotel Group, which owns Pumba, said being a finalist was an honour. “It is such a huge privilege to be nominated as a finalist, not just for us as a reserve but for also the people who work at the establishment and the locals who support us. We really cannot do it without them. The nomination reaffirms the beauty of the Eastern Cape and what it has to offer.”
Makana Tourism acting director Prudence Mini said, “This is great news. Not only is it a great way to show off the province but it is also indicative of the lovely establishments we have. We are proud to see Pumba representing Makhanda’s gems shining on the provincial stage.”
Award winners will be named on Saturday 27 September at a gala dinner in Jeffreys Bay.
