NAME: Metcash Incentive
TYPE: Incentive
BY: Directions CIM, with groundwork by Dragonfly Africa
DESTINATION: South Africa
PAX: 110
BUDGET: TOP SECRET

WHAT YOU DID: There were 110 Metcash Corporate Brands participants for the trip which included site visits in Johannesburg of the company’s op erations and subsidiaries. Cape Town, Botswana and Livingstone were also incorporated in the programme. The trip was unique in that not only was it 10 nights in South Africa, but it also took them to four unique locations. Metcash were able to experience everythin g, from the hustle and bustle of Johannesburg to the serene and cosmopolitan atmosphere of Cape Town as well as the rich African culture and wildlife of Botswana, and finally one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the mighty Victoria Falls on the Zambezi River in Zambia.

While the group learned more about Metcash operations in South Africa, they had a fabulous African adventure at the same time. The group was welcomed to Johannesburg at a spectacular hillside venue above the Johannesburg Zoo, the magnificent Westcliff Hot el, where they enjoyed an Egoli, “City of Gold Theme Evening”. Models displayed gold jewellery and paraded the platforms to the haunting sounds of the African duo, Thandi and Abel. Pre-dinner drinks were enjoyed on the terrace, overlooking the magnificent jacaranda trees and one of Africa’s big five, the African elephant, parading around the generous enclosure of the Johannesburg Zoo.

The group then spent three days in Cape Town with the Diamond Group accommodated at the magnificent five-star Table Bay, one of the leading hotels of the world. The Emerald Group stayed at the four-star Commodore Hotel, also situated at the vibrant Victoria & Alfred Waterfront.

The next leg of the journey involved an air charter into Kasane Airport in Northern Botswana. For an aerodrome that seldom sees anything bigger than a six seater, this was quite an occasion for the native inhabitants of Botswana. The group was split between Cresta Mowana and Chobe Marina Lodges, both situated alongside the Chobe River. Both groups joined for dinner at the Kgotla Cultural Village and literally sidestepped cattle, traditional village traders and vendors, before entering the village where a Marimba band and traditional African banquet awaited them. One of the highlights of the trip was an extremely adventurous survivor team-building programme, based on The Amazing Race.

CHALLENGES: Operating two programmes at exactly the same time. Metcash were rewarding two different tiers of clients, an Emerald Group and a Diamond Group, and after they attended many of the functions jointly, they were at all occasions accommodated in different hotels an d effectively had to be treated as two separate groups.