BY Aurelia Mbokazi-Kashe
Lumka Dlomo, Joburg Tourism Company’s (JTC) Destination Marketing Manager, is tasked with reviving tourism and branding Africa’s wealthiest city as a top destination. Known as Miss Joburg, she never misses an opportunity to convince people to visit the city.
Joburg is dynamic and has many facets as a place where people come to work, find love, start families and businesses. When packaging it, we try to showcase all these different facets.
My job is to put together strategies that will attract visitors who will contribute to Joburg’s economy, drive campaigns, build and maintain stakeholder relations. I work with a dedicated team who are just as passionate about the city and its attractions as I am.
I get to work with international and local brands, including travel companies who want to partner with the city for different ventures that best showcase Joburg. I sometimes get calls from individual travellers and groups asking for advice on what to do in Joburg. This also exposes me to new experiences and hidden gems in the city.
Destination marketing comes with its challenges. While I love getting positive feedback from travelers’ and stakeholders, negative comments give me an opportunity to identify gaps, grow and deliver on the promise we make to visitors.
It has been rewarding to see the fruits of the hard work the team puts towards promoting Joburg in the number of local and global accolades, recognition and awards, Joburg has collected and continues to collect.
Humble beginnings
I am originally from a small town, Qumbu, in the Eastern Cape, and I’m the eldest of nine siblings.
My parents were my role models. My late father was a policeman who served people in our community with dedication. My mother, a professional nurse, took the baton after dad’s passing and raised us with love and warmth.
I studied Hospitality Management at Stenden University SA in Port Alfred, Eastern Cape. I kicked off my career at Tsogo Sun Hotel Group as a receptionist and worked my way up to become a marketing coordinator. I later joined Indaba Hotel Spa and Conference Centre as Sales and Marketing Executive responsible for marketing and sales of the property.
I joined JTC in 2007 as an International Business Tourism Executive and moved on to the role of Marketing Assistant, which expanded my portfolio and prepared me for my current role.
Tourists visiting Joburg are spoilt for choice. There is everything for everyone from historical places of interest, markets, shopping, restaurants and places of worship. Lovers of the outdoors have an abundance of options to enjoy nature, adventure and outdoor food market routes. Visitors must include our colourful township experiences in their itinerary, be it going to Soweto for struggle, cultural and heritage experience or Alexandra for Mogudu Mondays. Each township visit leaves one yearning to know more.
My favourite Joburg destination is Constitution Hill because of its rich struggle history and is also home to the Constitutional Court. Over the years, this iconic site has evolved and played host to diverse events, festivals and launched many brands. It is also home to up-and-coming arts and creative businesses.
The most important take away for any visitor to this city is the friendliness and welcoming spirit of Joburgers– a true spirit of Ubuntu.
My career highlights include growing small local events like Makhelwane Festival, Basadi In Music Awards into bigger events and the city’s contribution partnership with international events like Miss World, AfroPunk, MTV Africa Music Awards and Joy of Jazz.
I have also had the privilege to host brand activations at international strategic platforms namely Cannes Film Festival, AfroPunk Atlanta, Joburg Meets Los Angeles, to mention but a few,
Another milestone was being announced as one of 2017 Top 100 Women in Tourism in Africa Award winners.
Conquering the world
I’ve had the privilege to visit many countries, among them Argentina, Brazil; Russia; China; South Korea; Japan; France; Italy; Germany and Switzerland. I have also been fortunate to travel across Africa where I visited Mozambique, Nigeria, Kenya, Angola, Swaziland, Botswana, and Lesotho.
I would love to visit Greece and explore its historic and heritage sites.
I love taking shot left experiences to relax and unwind away from busy city life. My most recent getaway was to African Hills Safari and Resort in Magaliesburg. This hidden gem is 45 minutes’ drive from Joburg. It is an idyllic bush setting with state-of-the-art facilities where you get to see the big 5 on their game drives and over 350 bird species. It is also home to some of the country’s most fascinating San rock engravings. Their spa treatments revived me after a long game drives and eased me into a beautiful evening of scrumptious dining experience.
