Well done, team Graaff-Reinet

GRAAFF-REINET NEWS - This past Sunday evening, Graaff-Reinet was officially announced as the Eastern Cape finalist for the Kwêla kykNET Dorp van die Jaar competition.

A video insert filmed before the onset of the Stoep Tasting Festival was aired, giving a taste of what the town has to offer.

In keeping with the spirit of Stoep Tasting, it showed that the novel efforts of locals to bring tourism to the town are paying off.

Interested parties gathered on Monday at the local tourism office to discuss strategies for the next round of voting that will take place once the finalists for all nine districts have been announced.

Tourism manager Kim von Behr Imrie, the municipality and members of the community attended the meeting. The intention is to build the enthusiasm needed to ensure as many votes as possible for Graaff-Reinet.

Von Behr Imrie said that they will be contacting businesses to vote and tag each other once they have voted.

"It is basically the same as what we did with the first rounds of votes, since it worked then. We will be going to schools as well to get them to partake in the votes since they will be closing for the school holidays."

Von Behr Imrie said that she will also speak to the police training college to get them to vote as well.

"The municipality also attended the meeting and offered to help with cleaning up the town and getting residents to vote. The biggest part of this campaign is promoting the beauty our town has to offer. Graaff-Reinet has sentimental value for so many people and our town has so much to offer."

Kim von Behr Imrie, tourism manager (left) with kykNET presenter Vanes du Toit.

To date the finalists for five of the nine districts have been revealed – Eastern Cape (Graaff-Reinet), Western Cape (Montagu), Northern Cape (Calvinia), Free State (Kroonstad) and Gauteng/North West (Cullinan). The remaining four finalists will be revealed every Sunday going forward at 18:00 on kykNET Channel 144.

Graaff-Reinet certainly has a strong claim to the prestigious Kwêla Dorp van die Jaar title. It is one of South Africa's most momentous cultural and heritage towns, home to more national monuments than any other town in the country. Another contributing factor is the unrivalled beauty of the area.

The town is surrounded by the Camdeboo National Park which includes the Valley of Desolation, one of South Africa's great natural wonders. The neighbouring village of Nieu Bethesda is a mere 45-minute drive away with its impressive Compassberg peak being the highest in South Africa outside the Stormberg-Drakensberg mountain range.

Graaff-Reinet also has a substantial following largely due to a nostalgic connection with the town through a very strong old school network.

The combined efforts of tourism, business leaders, the community and the municipality resulted in a beautified town ready to host the world!

"It is a wonderful achievement and a demonstration of what can happen when the community and municipality work together," says a jubilant Von Behr Imrie.

"Graaff-Reinet is looking forward to a rejuvenation in tourism and winning Dorp van die Jaar will certainly help in this regard! Every vote will count to help Graaff-Reinet win."

Voting will open again only from 18:00 on 17 July until midday on 22 July. Voting takes place by SMS at R1,50 per SMS. A maximum of 30 votes per cellphone number is allowed. Graaff-Reinet supporters are requested to please SMS "Graaff-Reinet" to 33157.

The winning town will receive R1m worth of marketing from kykNET, and a 45-second video produced by Homebrew Films which will also be aired on kykNET. In addition, the annual KIA Makietie (festival) will be hosted in the winning town and Kwêla will cover the festival which will be broadcast on the show.

Tim Murray, owner of Roodebloem farm and producer of Agave spirits, being interviewed.