How luxury lodges for locals could keep tourism wolf from the door - Japie van Niekerk

The tourism industry has been hit particularly hard by the Covid-19 lockdown. The Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) has estimated that the industry is losing R748 million rand and that many jobs will be permanently lost. As South Africa’s border have been closed, no international tourists are allowed to enter. Amid this, entrepreneur Japie van Niekerk has launched, Cheetah Plains - which is aimed at the super rich. Van Niekerk told Linda van Tilburg that in the absence of foreign travellers, he is opening his lodge to locals at reduced rates to ‘keep the wolf from the door’ - but he is optimistic about the future. - Linda van Tilburg