10 Mar 2015

Kgalagadi District is renowned for its national parks with a wide range of game and mountain like sand dunes that attract tourists from all over the world thus contributing in the tourism industry and the economy of the country. 

The sand dunes that give Kgalagadi a beautiful landscape has turned Khawa into a bee hive of activity, hosting the now popular annual Dune Challenge event. Together with a wide range of wildlife and the polka dance, thr challenge has spurred an uptick in the tourism sector of the district, thus depositing greater demand for hospitality services.

In an interview, Mr Peloewetse of the department of tourism revealed that the hospitality industry was doing well in Kgalagadi, especially in Kgalagadi North. He said that was due to the mushrooming of tourists travelling from Namibia and South Africa along the Trans Kalahari Highway, who use hospitality facilities on a daily basis. 

As for Kgalagadi South, Mr Peloewetse revealed that the area’s hospitality industry was mostly utilised by government officers on their frequent trips.

He stated that Kgalagadi South tourism industry had the potential to boom if only it could be improved because most of the accommodation facilities were still poor, particularly because some of them had been converted from ordinary homes.

As such, the structures were mostly not in a good state with smaller than the required space compared to facilities that were erected with architectural plans, he said.

Furthermore, he said accommodation facilities that stand a good chance are those that involved the department of tourism during the building phases to monitor if the building process was in good track or if there was need for correction to meet the required standards for licensing.

It is against this background that Batshweneng Guesthouse was established in Kgalagadi South; it is situated in Tsabong and the facility has recently joined the family of hospitality industry in the area.

In an interview, the manager of the guesthouse, Mr Kingston Chidewu described it as one of the paradises in Kgalagadi that gives one a taste of heaven on earth and unforgettable memories.

Bathsweneng Guesthouse stands on what used to be Kings Liquor Restaurant and General Dealer; the old building was demolished and a multimillion building financed by the National Development Bank (NDB), was erected to be known as Batshweneng Guesthouse today.

Named after one of the ethenic groups residing in Kgalagadi South, Batshweneng was purposefully used to promote and preserve culture and also to instill proudness among the Batshweneng ethenic group.  The facility is situated a walking distance from the main tarred road that passes through Tsabong near the main bus stop is; it is also located less than half a kilometre fom the main village Mall. 

The yet to be launched guesthouse comprises ten air-conditioned and fully furnished ensuite rooms, seven of which are standard and three are executive.  Wi-Fi connection is installed in every room, giving visitors access to the world through fast internet. 

To spare themselves embarrassment and to avoid inconveniencing to its customers, Batshweneng guesthouse has a reserve water tank that reticulates water when there are water problems.One of the features that give the guest house its uniqueness is its swimming pool and this makes it the first and only one among the hospitality businesses locally that consists.

The swimming pool makes it not only unique but also gives customers an opportunity to cool off during summer as Kgalagadi can be unbearably hot during this season. He said he has employed professional chefs who know their staff and with the supervision and guidance of the manager who is also a professional chef, they cannot help preparing scrumptious food. Employees provide good customer service and the team includes the manager, assistant manager, two receptionists, chef, two kitchen hands, two waitresses, three house keepers and a gardener.

Mr Chidewu revealed that taking care of the welfare of employees is the recipe of Batshweneng and it has helped them win the employees’ dedication, loyalty, hard work and compassion for the guest house.

He highlighted that the business pays 50% for accommodation of employees, to lessen their expenses and to help them to save their money.

The employees also benefit an insurance life cover paid by the business; employees are also offered food at work to work efficiently and to avoid misdemeanours such as fraud. “We also intend introducing a medical aid scheme to our most treasured employees for which the business will be contributing 50% while the employee contributes the remaining 50%,” he said. Batshweneng is the latest of accommodation facilities in the area; there are seven competitors including: Dessert Motel, Berrybush Gusthouse, Mokha Lodge, Springbok Motel, Muller’s guesthouse, Dikukama guesthouse, and Deep Sands Inn, which have been operating. 

However the manager cited that being younger in the industry does not mean Batshweneng will settle for the smallest share in the market; the business through its quality and satisfactory services intends to acquire itself a good market share. 

One of the locals, Mr Thabo Lesole described the few minutes that he spent in the new guest house as heaven on earth.

“This is only the first phase of the project. If only phase one of Batshweneng drives people so much crazy what about phase two that involves, a conference facility, more rooms and a cinema, I anticipate people will ultimately run out of words to describe the aesthetics of Batshweneng,said Chidewu the manager of the lodge,” he said. ENDS