By Lwazi Raul-Shongwe
The Mpumalanga–Limpopo Domestic Tourism Activation took center stage at the scenic Nandoni Dam, outside Thohoyandou, leading up to the Phalaphala Royal Heritage Family Day, on Saturday 26 September 2026, shifting from the golden hills of Mapungubwe to the blue waters of Vhembe.
It was Day Two of the exciting Activation. The water was calm, the boats were ready, and the story of Limpopo continued to unfold.
The Activation is a collaborative effort by MTPA (Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency), LTA (Limpopo Tourism Agency), alongside media houses from Mpumalanga. This spectacle forms part of ongoing efforts to promote inter-provincial tourism and showcase hidden gems within the vast Limpopo province.
It is more than a media tour. It is a promise made in May 2024 when the two provinces signed a Memorandum of Understanding to market themselves as One Destination, Two Provinces – where the sun rises in Mpumalanga and sets in Limpopo.
LTA Chief Marketing Officer, Modjadji Makoela, said the activation is part of Tourism Month, and the MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) signed with the MTPA.
“We understand how important it is to maintain this relationship to ensure that when visitors come to Limpopo, they also visit Mpumalanga. This collaboration also plays a critical role in opening more job opportunities for both provinces and the country at large,” said Makoela.
For Mpumalanga, which shares 30% of the Kruger National Park while Limpopo holds 70%, learning about Limpopo’s water jewel is also learning how to grow its own tourism economy.
MTPA Product Marketing Manager, Londiwe Dos Santos, said Mpumalanga is reaping great benefits from the joint venture with Limpopo, and it provides the platform to promote the attractions from both provinces, also contributing to the creation of jobs through programmes that are put in place for Tourism Month.
“More job opportunities have been created since we collaborated with Limpopo, and this Tourism Month we have programmes in place to ensure that Mpumalanga is well marketed and that visitors enjoy their experience in the province. As a province we also invite other provinces to collaborate and sell our provinces.
Mpumalanga has a lot of hidden gems and a number of inner experiences that people will enjoy. Places like your panorama roads, your Kruger national park, Makhonjwas heritage side, one who love adventure this is the best,” said Dos Santos.
Dos Santos has called tour operators within the Two provinces in building up a good working relationship in bringing more tourists in both provinces and making sure that the provinces are well known of its good hidden gems. ” What we have discovered as both provinces, Mpumalanga and Limpopo is that we have a number of hidden gems which people are not aware of, if as both provinces on working together can sell this gems, we can have a number of tourists floating in our provinces for the good treats,” she said. just that
Nandoni Dam, with its boat cruises, lakeside lodges and local communities who now guide and host visitors, is exactly what the theme of domestic tourism activation is about; turning hidden gems into jobs.
As the Domestic Tourism Activation continues to showcase Limpopo’s key tourism offerings, from Mapungubwe to Nandoni, it is a clear sign that the collaboration is working, and the summer holiday season is coming with two provinces ready as one.
