Expedition Africa 2017 for Cape St Francis
The Cape St Francis Resort once again hit the headlines as a top lifestyle destination with the announcement of its selection as the preferred host for the hotly contested Expedition Africa, one of nine international extreme adventure races that make up the Adventure Racing World Series for 2017. Touted as Africa’s most challenging adventure race, the event is expected to include over 50 international and local teams who will pit their survival skills against demanding terrain and an unforgiving environment, racing day and night towards the finish line.
Adventure sports enthusiasts, organisers, media and supporters from around the globe will all converge on Cape St Francis in May next year as the high profile event kicks off with an opening ceremony, followed by a press conference and media briefing. All the athletes, organisers and their teams will be accommodated at the Cape St Francis Resort where the race will begin and end, before rounding everything up with a gala dinner and prize giving.
The event will be highly advantageous for the entire Kouga area as the focus of the international sporting community turns to the region, increasing tourism prospects and awareness of the Eastern Cape.
“We worked hard on our bid and are really very honoured and excited to be hosting this first-class event that will expose not only the Resort but also Cape St Francis and its surrounding areas to fantastic tourism potential and publicity,” says Anita of the Cape St Resort.
Competition co-ordinators, Stephen and Heidi Muller of Kinetic Events Africa, say that all teams will be equipped with a live tracking device allowing spectators to follow the race over streaming media and other social platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. Live tracking, videos, routes and news can be followed on the Expedition Africa webpage while each team is encouraged to garner their own supporter following through Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and other social media pages. “ We must take ownership of this event and make the most of this opportunity,” says Esti Stewart, Marketing Director of the KLTO. The race will be organised with the full support of the Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency (ECPTA), the Kouga Municipality and Sarah Baartman District Municipality
Data from this year’s competition shows that in excess of two million Facebook users followed the race while the Live Event Page shot to well in excess of 300 000 views in a week, representing extensive local and international exposure.
A further benefit is the social upliftment project that is included in the event. Expedition Africa always keeps the local residents in mind and a community project forms part of the pre-race festivities, aimed at improving the socio-economic conditions of the chosen organisation.
The fast-paced race pushes contestants to their limits as mixed teams of four are challenged mentally and physically to find various checkpoints and transitions by using only a compass and map. The tournament is non-stop, continuing through day and night, and includes a multitude of disciplines such as mountain biking, trekking, kayaking, rope work and orienteering, with contestants expected to have the ability to operate in harsh, remote environments and in all weather conditions.
“Although the event route is a tightly guarded secret that will only be revealed at the opening ceremony on the day before the race, we do know that it will include the greater St Francis and Baviaans areas and cover approximately 500 kilometres,” says Anita.
The teams are supported logistically by the organisers who transport their equipment from one transition point to the next.
Africa Expedition is one of nine international adventure racing events that will be hosted during 2017 with the winning team receiving free and automatic entry into the Adventure Racing World Championships in the United States of America next year.
Source: Cape St Francis Resort
A big thank you to the Kouga Municipality’s Tourism Department as well as the Kouga Local Tourism Organisation who supported the bid from day 1. A great example of successful private-public partnership.
Well done St. Francis and Cape St. Francis Resort! ‘We’ were very lucky to have Expedition Africa in the greater Knysna area this year, and it has been overwhelming to see who not only the international extreme sports people and their supporters embraced the race but also what great spin off the event generated for our area. At the time, but also after that, with operators seeing opportunities which they never knew existed before!
Once again, well done and have loads of fun!
Regards from Knysna :)
Well done to the team of St.Francis property owners. keep it up, Jef Forrer and his team
From Elias Letswele