The Temba Local Tourism Association (TLTA), in association with Cliff Café, commemorated Freedom Day by hosting the “Tourism Freedom Event” at Cliff Café in Temba (Hammanskraal).
Held on 27 April 2026, the Temba LTA welcomed the community of Hammanskraal and local tourists from the surrounding area to experience the rich culture and vibrant offerings of Temba’s local businesses at this special Tourism Freedom Event.
The event brought together local businesses, community leaders, key stakeholders, and various partners. Its aim was to promote economic growth within the community through tourism, giving small businesses a platform to showcase their products and services to visitors from neighbouring towns, while community members enjoyed the vibrant energy and atmosphere the event offered.
“The people of Temba are showing us love, but here is also the thing: we are seeing domestic travel here, people coming from Jozi. Remember, Temba straddles four provinces: Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Gauteng, and North West. We are quite happy with the support from the community and the people who came,” noted event coordinator Mr Tswai Abduljami.
The event featured a live violin recital by the Temba Music Project (TMP), while attendees enjoyed a wonderful showcase of handcrafted work from local exhibitors. Dinokeng Game Reserve, located in Hamanskraal, also hosted an exhibition for the community and local tourists. The communications manager of Dinokeng Game Reserve, Mr John Mabutja, stated: “I am here at Cliff Café to do an exhibition, to give people more information about the Dinokeng Game Reserve as a whole, and also to raise awareness about our animals.”
The Freedom Day celebration aimed not only to honour the country’s freedom but also to promote the freedom of marketing and trade to boost the local economy.
The event further highlighted the important role that local businesses and tourism play in strengthening the town’s and the nation’s economic conditions. Beyond relying solely on international tourists, the country can greatly benefit from the domestic tourism market.
“Remember, we were hit by Covid at some point. From a business and target-market perspective, the lodge owners in Dinokeng were mainly focusing on international tourists. It was only when Covid hit that they realised they had been neglecting the domestic tourist market,” Mr Abduljami added.
With partners such as Perfume Co Africa, Dinokeng Game Reserve, FNB, Standard Bank, the Government Communication and Information System, and a number of stakeholders and small entities, including TMP and various stallholders, the #FreeMarket campaign proved to be a success. It effectively showcased the vital role small businesses play in attracting tourists, whether international, national, or local. It was a well-coordinated free market event featuring impressive work from local businesses, podcasts, and live performances by TMP.
