Tourism can be a double-edged sword. It can bring tremendous benefit in different ways to communities – or it can lead to destruction of the very asset it was built around, to the detriment of communities. Drakensberg Adventures since its inception has always worked hard to try and ensure that the tours we set up are beneficial to communities.

We have gone about this firstly by educating people about tourism to enable them to see tourists as people rather than a source of funds! In setting up our various tours, we have been careful to ensure that the product is in harmony with the community and that as many people as possible see benefits from our tours. We also try to not set unrealistic expectations, so that the tours can be sustainable and the communities will feel that tourism is delivering benefits to them. These benefits are in terms of payments for services rendered and recognition of the importance of cultural practices.

Our tours visiting the Sani Top area bring benefit to three segments of the local community. We visit a lady in Skiring village, and set aside funds per visitor as payment for her time, space and for tasting the local brew and the delicious pot bread she bakes. We also pay per group to visit the shearing shed and set aside funds per group for the shepherds in the area. At a meeting with the shepherds, it was agreed that these funds would be used to purchase blankets for them, and in 2009, 2010 and 2011 we distributed three batches of 30 blankets each! None of these are “hand-outs”, rather they are payments for services rendered!

Our tours visiting No. 10 Riverside also make a substantial contribution to the local economy. Beside Ntate Thabiso and his family (the main service providers and hence the major beneficiaries), over 60 other people in the local community see some benefit from tours to the area. Two dance/culture groups have been set up in neighbouring villages and they are paid for their demonstrations. The traditional healer is visited and paid for her time as are evening entertainment groups. All of these people not only benefit from the extra income flowing into their lives and their community, but there is also a tremendous enthusiasm about presenting their culture to a wider audience. Basotho people in the eastern highlands are proud of their culture and the visit of tourists reinforces such pride! Horses for riding at No 10 are provided by local villagers on a rotation basis and so a large number of families benefit from this.

Our pony trekking tours have led not only to support for a local Basotho entrepreneur, the horse guide Ntate Jacob, but also to the development of new businesses in remote villages where families provide accommodation and meals to pony trekking tourists.

All our longer tours also try and support as much as possible Basotho national parks as well as community tourism initiatives in various parts of the country.

By going on one of our tours, you are not only getting a unique and unforgettable experience, you are also helping bring positive benefits (both financial and morale boosting) to local communities through tourism! In the 4 years to the end of 2010, over R600 000 have flowed directly into the eastern highlands of Lesotho through our tours!