There’s something deeply liberating about setting off in a top-of-the-range motorhome — wheels humming, dust trailing, anticipation buzzing. This I discovered on a journey hosted recently by South African Tourism as a teaser for its annual Sho’t Left Travel Week, which kicks off tomorrow and ends next Sunday.
Sho’t Left Travel Week, also known as the Great South African Sale, is a nationwide campaign offering discounts on accommodation, tours and activities. It’s designed to show that travel doesn’t have to mean long-haul flights and high hotel bills: affordable adventures lie scattered across this lovely land.
To demonstrate, SA Tourism recently hosted media and content creators on a five-day road trip to explore parts of Limpopo and a bit of wild Gauteng, with wheels courtesy of Maui motorhomes.
Mabeka Makola, marketing and communications manager at SA Tourism, explains: “Our partnership with Maui is centred on addressing one of the main barriers to local travel: affordability. A motorhome allows local travellers to journey with friends or family without worrying about accommodation bookings. Caravans and camping offer an affordable way to explore.”
The group explored a route that combined well-known family resorts with grassroots community experiences. The first stop was Forever Warmbaths in Bela-Bela, where the motorhomes parked in the caravan park under acacia‑lined skies, just steps from the mineral‑rich springs that give Warmbaths its name. “The biggest attraction is our hot water,” said marketing manager Paula Arthurs, adding that they do have a 2,500ha game reserve with animals including giraffe, warthog and buffalo — but no other Big Five.
That evening, a mobile catering outfit called the Braai Brothers took centre stage, theatrically cooking and serving up open-spit lamb with plenty of chakalaka. Braai Brothers founder Kgabo Tefu said he appreciated the chance to be involved and to “celebrate braai culture at that level”. He singled out the theatrical cooking as a highlight since it allowed “guests to be part of the experience taking pictures and videos — and making memories”.
From there, the group travelled north to Setsong Tea Farm near Groblersdal. Here, women cultivate indigenous plants for tea and elders demonstrate how to grind maize by hand, turning traditional maize into mealie meal right before our eyes. Shoulder to shoulder with the elders, we ground kernels with stone rollers, and later sipped on tea made from steamed leaves. It felt rooted, intentional, communal. This was not just sightseeing; this was participatory history.
The next leg was more high-octane, with zip-lining through the Waterberg treetops at Thaba Monate Game Lodge, before heading south again to Dinokeng Game Reserve, Gauteng’s only Big Five park. At Mongena Game Lodge’s Little Mongena camp, we glamped beside the dam, sipping welcome drinks in champagne flutes and heading out on a sunset cruise where hippos surfaced and crocodiles drifted just metres away.
For South African Tourism, these itineraries aren’t just pleasant diversions. They are meant to spread travel spend beyond the usual hotspots, open market access to small, community-run projects and boost local economies. “It’s about inclusive growth, responsible tourism and affordability,” Makola said. “Sho’t Left Travel Week is your golden ticket to explore your country without breaking the bank.” The road is open and spring is here — now it’s your turn.
• Sho’t Left Travel Week runs September 8-14. Finds deals and details at shotleft.co.za
