Limpopo Championship presented by Limpopo Tourism Agency has taken a major leap in its second year becoming the first tournament in South Africa co-sanctioned by European Challenge Tour.
Within its short existence, the tournament has become a fully-fledged international golf tournament with prize money increase from R 1 500 000 to R 3 500 000 and now hosted at two golf courses, Koro Creek Bushveld Golf Estate and Euphoria Lifestyle Golf Estate. The much anticipated 2nd annual Limpopo Championship is taking place from 30 January to 02 February 2020.
“We are delighted to be able to place the Limpopo Championship on an international stage in only the second edition of this premier tournament. Our partnerships with associations such as the LTA on the Sunshine Tour are based on offering exactly this kind of value and using golf as the vehicle to showcase to the world the amazing tourism treasures that exist within South Africa,” said Thomas Abt, the Deputy Commissioner of the Sunshine Tour.
Limpopo Tourism Agency in partnership with Sunshine Tour, is proud of the fact that this tournament is the only one in the country that black owned businesses play a leading role in organising, hosting and staging of the tournament. Limpopo Championship launched in 2019 as a full lifestyle golf spectacle to showcase Limpopo’s tourist attraction to local and international market offering great entertainment and hospitality.
Success of the tournament makes a significant contribution to community development, which is much welcome by Provincial government to improving lives of its citizens. This major golf tournament creates much needed jobs, donates funds to education trust, promotes youth golf development and procures products and services from local business. Last year 189 jobs, 30 children, and see an increase in local economic investment via tournament business procurement and boost hospitality sector.
“The tournament compliments our brand offering and promotion of diverse tourism experiences. This we do not do alone as we collaborate with the private sector in order to drive for sector transformation. The Waterberg region where this tournament takes place has a myriad of tourist destinations like the Nylsvley Nature Reserve, which is a RAMSAR Site with over 400 bird species, the Waterberg Biosphere, Makapans Valley World Heritage Site, Waterberg Meander, Marakele National Park and many private game reserves, to name but a few,” said the CEO of the LTA, Ms. Nomasonto Ndlovu.
Limpopo MEC for Economic Development, Environment and Tourism (LEDET) Thabo Mokone at the media launch of the event said he hopes the tournament will help boost the host region’s tourism economy.
“While here, we hope golfers will also spend and leave some Euros behind and that will contribute positively to tourism and our economy of the province. We will need to take advantage of this tournament to sell our province in a variety of ways including cultural attire, traditional cuisines to create lasting memories to the golfers and those they came with. I hope LTA will arrange that as our people should benefit from this initiative,” he said.
Limpopo Championship will kick start a series of three-week co-sanctioned European Challenge Tour events followed by Cape Town Open then Didata Pro-Am. 204 top professional golfers, of which 104 players represent 35 international countries, will descend in Limpopo to compete for the 2020 title. The Limpopo Tourism Agency (LTA) is excited with a new partnership with European Challenge Tour that has elevated the Limpopo Championship to international status.
This four-day golf extravaganza is a unique proposition in South Africa’s golfing calendar, offering live entertainment, leisure activities, local attractions and Limpopo’s hospitality experience appealing to golf fans, families and corporate bodies.
