Tourism enhanced through mass ride and “gees vang”
"As part of development, we will also be featuring some up and coming local artists during the Friday event,"
MBOMBELA – Another of firsts in this province is the forthcoming mass ride of more than 2 000 bikers from across the country, who will converge here next weekend, to do nothing else but enhance local tourism as they raise funds for 27 charities.
That’s the brainchild of a joint venture between Metro FM, Ziyaphenduka Promotions and Big Five Harley-Davidson, who, apart from bringing forth the bikers and their families, but will also attract thousands more people dyring the weekend of November 22-24 during a jam-packed programme that will leave a lasting impression of erveryone who will be a part of the proceddings, commencing next Thursday when Metro FM will broadcast live from the Big Five Harley-Davidson Dealership a the Riverside, followed next Friday with the welcome pre-party event at the same venue featuring Metro FM’s deejays and Ligwalagwala FM’s deejays who will puit their strengths against each other on the evening, which has also been dubbed: “Gees Vang” because of the anticipated and planned homeliness spirit that will prevail during the weekend’s events.
According Ziyaphenduka Promotions’CEO, Mr Bruce Kgapane, “As part of development, we will also be featuring some up and coming local artists during the Friday event, because we alsowant to afford them the opportunity of performing for tourists. The cherry on top will be the mass ride on Saturday morning that will take us through the Panorama route, whereby, we will have a coffee stop at the Three Rondavels.
“As our route will cover approximately 200 kilometres, we’ve been inundated by requests by several bikers to also include a township pass-through during the mass ride, hence we will, on our return, pass through Kabokweni and Kanyamazane which will definetly inspire both young and old folk in the townships to witness such a massive ride in their locality,” he said.
The main thrust of the event, according to Kgapane, is promoting tourism in the province, at the same time, raising funds for 27 charities of our choice in and around the province, “because this event is about giving back to society from the bottom of all the bikers’ hearts who will be convering here,” further explained Kgapane.
Each biker will fork out R300 for registration, a portiioon of which will be donated to charity, including the entrance fees for the three-day event. In return, the bikers will receive a pin, badge and free access to the Gees Vang and Afterparty event on Saturday at the Mbombela stadium.
“No sooner shall the bikers have returned from the mass ride at 14.00, they will head straight for the Mbombela stadium where a super line-up of deejays will be at hand to entertain the large audience that we expect to attend.It is during that event that DJ Sbu will be broadcasting live from the venue from 15.00.
“Even during that event, we will also feature up and coming local artists on stage before the big guns hi the stage. Besides dancing, we will also accomodate art and craft stalls for the local community to sell their wares to the tourists at the event. as can be deduced, this will be a fun-filled and jam-packed event to have taken place here in a very long time,” Kgapane.
Kgapane further informed this newspaper that the weekend will wrapped up with a spectacular dubbed, “Sunday Love Movement” at the Botanical Gardens where two Metro FM shows featuring deejays Eddie Zondi and Paul Mtirara will be live from the venue broadcasting to Metro Fm listeners across the country.
“We’ve put together an affordable package that will fit into anyone’s budget. Pre-party trickets coasts R100 and R500for VIPs; Afterparty costs R150 and R600 for VIPs and Sunday’s event is R150 across the board. As this will be the first of its kind, it sure will leave a lasting legacy in the monds of the people, hence it shall be an annual event that will develop simultaneously with tourism o local shores,” he ended.
