MEC congratulates Oupa Pilane on his appointment as the first Mpumalanga representative on the SA Tourism board
In a statement, the MEC for finance, economic development and tourism, Nompumelelo Hlophe, said she believes that Pilane is the appropriate person for this and she wished him well in his new role.
The MEC for finance, economic development and tourism, Nompumelelo Hlophe, has welcomed the appointment of Oupa Pilane, a new board member of South African Tourism (SAT), announced by cabinet on Thursday February 29.
Congratulations to our Special Attaché, @oupapilane on your appointment to the SA Tourism Board. We wish you all the best during your tenure and are confident that the future of our tourism industry is in the safest and most dynamic hands! pic.twitter.com/SLU7eRcvrY
— KrugerLowveld (@KrugerLowveld) February 29, 2024
“Pilane is the first person to represent Mpumalanga on the SAT board since the dawn of democracy almost 30 years ago.”
“As a province we are delighted and honoured that we will, for the first time, have a person who will represent our interests, pertaining to tourism on a national level. We believe Pilane, who is a strong player in the tourism industry in our province, will become our tourism ambassador on a national level. He will push hard for the funding of tourism projects and initiatives by South African Tourism in our province. We congratulate him on his appointment, and wish him well with the job ahead. His illustrious history in the tourism industry speaks volumes, hence we believe he is the appropriate person for the job. He will be our link with the tourism industry on a national level and hope his appointment to the SAT board will benefit our province immensely,” said Hlophe.
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“With experience spanning over 18 years in the tourism industry, Pilane is a self-made entrepreneur, tourism development consultant, local government specialist, business coach, and a preacher. He started his career as a spokesperson of the first premier of Mpumalanga, Dr Mathews Phosa,” she explained.
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“Pilane is the co-founder of the Graskop Gorge Lift, a world-class attraction which drew 130 000 visitors in its first year of operation. The lift has a custom-designed passenger-viewing elevator that drops you from from the grassy cliff top plateau down to the cool mountain forest below.”
He is currently the national deputy chairperson of the Southern African Tourism Services Association and former chairperson of the Kruger Lowveld Chamber of Business and Tourism, among others.
