Limpopo Gears Up for Over 1.5 Million Easter Pilgrims

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JEREMY MAGGS: Now let’s shift our focus from agriculture to tourism. This Easter weekend, Limpopo is bracing for an influx of visitors—not due to rain, but due to a surge in people. More than 1.5 million pilgrims are heading to churches and religious sites throughout the province, along with countless others participating in football matches, marathons, and music festivals.

According to the Limpopo Tourism Agency, all preparations are in place to accommodate the numerous guests, accompanied by new infrastructure and promotional campaigns aimed at transforming brief spiritual visits into prolonged tourism experiences.

Nevertheless, as the chalets fill up and activities flourish, significant concerns persist. Is Limpopo truly equipped to handle such a significant influx? Can the existing infrastructure and emergency services cope? Moreover, are local communities genuinely reaping the benefits, or is it merely enhancing the visual appeal?

Joining us now is Moses Ngobeni, the chief executive officer of the Limpopo Tourism Agency. Mr. Ngobeni, welcome! Can you confirm whether the province is overextending itself with this Easter tourism push, or are you capable of managing this volume?

MOSES NGOBENI: Thank you, Jeremy, and to the listeners. Absolutely, as a province, we are prepared. In fact, this is an occasion we’ve eagerly anticipated for quite some time. As Easter approaches, we prepare the industry because these individuals will be the ones welcoming our visitors.

Just yesterday, the MEC for the Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism [Tshitereke Matibe] inaugurated a new lodge at Nylsvlei Nature Reserve, which is recognized as one of the international Ramsar sites. That’s part of our accommodation provision.

Furthermore, we have engaged with all tourist attractions, tour operators, and guides. These are the individuals who enable us to proudly announce that Easter has arrived, so we must ensure we can handle it as a province. We are ready, Jeremy.

JEREMY MAGGS: However, logistics will always pose challenges. I’m considering aspects like roads, hospitals, and overall safety systems. 1.5 million people over four days is quite a considerable number. Do you have clear strategies to address traffic congestion and emergency response, especially in pilgrimage areas?

MOSES NGOBENI: Certainly. Concerning the pilgrimage, the Department of Transport and Community Safety is well-prepared. They have stationed traffic officials at key junctions along the N1 and other roads from Vhembe and Mopani Districts, all converging into Polokwane, to ensure smooth traffic flow and reduce congestion.

Of course, we also anticipate many people returning from Gauteng. As a province, we host a significant number of our residents returning from Gauteng.

Additionally, for travelers heading to their destinations, we are conveniently located near Gauteng. That’s why many people seeking a weekend getaway choose Limpopo due to its accessibility. For instance, the Waterberg area is less than an hour away from Pretoria, offering visitors plenty of choices.

JEREMY MAGGS: That sounds good, but how do you ensure that local enterprises, smaller businesses, and broader communities gain advantages—not just from a major event, but economically and sustainably from the influx you’ve mentioned?

MOSES NGOBENI: We have prioritized what we refer to as our events strategy within the MICE [meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions] framework. We are engaging all vendors, particularly those relying on general trading and selling fruits. During this season, visitors must leave with citrus fruits that are abundantly available in Limpopo—no need to purchase them at the Joburg market.

We encourage these vendors to seize the opportunity during peak seasons like Easter and major events, such as the pilgrimage this weekend. These entrepreneurs are prepared.

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Moreover, in communities surrounding the two ZCC [Zion Christian Church] churches, we have engaged with locals to offer their homes for camping, complete with basic facilities and ablution services. This will allow them to earn income while providing a safer option for visitors compared to roadside parking.

JEREMY MAGGS: I’m curious about the idea of transforming pilgrims into leisure tourists. Is this a plausible strategy, or simply a marketing ploy from your agency?

MOSES NGOBENI: [Chuckle] Jeremy, it’s certainly not a marketing gimmick; it is quite feasible. We have developed effective strategies. If you visit our website, you’ll find that as part of this Easter campaign, we’ve curated affordable products and suggestions for areas to explore.

We’ve also compiled a list of events taking place across the province, enabling those traveling to or from the pilgrimage to easily access these attractions.

We are collaborating with a team at Kranskop, who are distributing pamphlets outlining the activities we’ve organized. This way, if visitors wish to explore before or after the pilgrimage, they have those options available.

Additionally, we are increasing awareness about attractions just behind the ZCC within the escarpment. For instance, the ‘foefie’ slides near Magoebaskloof are hardly 30 km away from the two main churches. These are some of the initiatives we are undertaking, Jeremy, to convert pilgrims into tourists too.

JEREMY MAGGS: What are the expected financial benefits for the province over the next four days?

MOSES NGOBENI: We will assess that as well. After each significant event, we conduct a detailed analysis. Last year, although we were in a recovery phase, both churches were operational and attracted considerable numbers. During that weekend alone, we generated over R50 million in trade, and we expect even greater figures this time around.

JEREMY MAGGS: Moses Ngobeni, thank you very much, and best of luck. He’s the CEO of the Limpopo Tourism Agency.

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