The Johannesburg Tourism Company has launched a set of awards aimed at seeking out the best that the city has to offer visitors and locals alike.

Cutting the cake: JTC's CEO Lindiwe Mahlangu and the general manager of SABC3 Mathe Mosito launch Joburg's Best Awards

THE city's finest will be recognised through the freshly minted Joburg's Best Awards, which will be handed out in December.

In the running are those who go the extra mile in hosting local and international tourists. The initiative to honour individuals and companies was launched at the JSE in Sandton on Thursday, 17 July, by the chief executive of the Johannesburg Tourism Company (JTC), Lindiwe Mahlangu.

"We are extremely excited about these awards as they celebrate and acknowledge the contributions made by members of our business community," she said. "The role that they play in the development and positioning of our city as a premier destination must be acknowledged. We want every person who walks or travels the streets of Johannesburg to be informed of the best our city has to offer."

Joburg's Best comprises 11 awards to be presented in nine categories, ranging from restaurants and accommodation to museums and shopping centres. The initiative is a joint effort between JTC, television channel SABC3 and lifestyle programme Top Billing.

A highlight of Joburg's Best was an award recognising an outstanding individual who best embodied the spirit of Joburg, said Hapiloe Sello, the JTC's general manager for marketing and communications.

"This award will appropriately be named the Spirit of Joburg Award and will be presented by the mayor. We have gone to great lengths to professionally brand the programme, and the total public relations initiative is configured around a new emblem of distinction for the nominees to use as an integral part of their own marketing activities."

Categories
The 11 awards will be presented in nine categories:

• Restaurants: to recognise eateries that by the nature of their product and service are world class and enhance the Joburg experience for visitors and locals, and are aligned to the positioning of the city as a tourist destination. This award has two sections: Loxion cuisine (authentic township cuisine); and Fine dining.
• Accommodation: in recognition of accommodation establishments that by the nature of their product and service are world class and enhance the Joburg tourism experience. This award has two sections: Hotels; and Guesthouses or bed and breakfasts.
• Best tourist experience: to recognise attractions and/or districts or precincts that are considered hallmark destinations in their own right and deliver memorable and unique experiences for visitors to Joburg.
• Museums: in recognition of museums that foster a greater understanding of the history, heritage and/or culture of Joburg and South Africa.
• Art galleries: in recognition of galleries that enhance the Joburg experience for locals and visitors by showcasing and promoting the works of artists who are based in Johannesburg.
• Shopping experience: in recognition of world-class shopping malls or districts that offer an enjoyable shopping experience for locals and visitors in terms of aesthetics, diversity of offering and ambience.
• Theatrical production: in recognition of live theatre productions that have been performed on a Joburg stages in the year of judging that had a substantial economic effect, attracted significant visitors and generated significant international and local media interest.
• Architecture: in recognition of Joburg's commercial, institutional, corporate and residential buildings and/or districts or precincts in terms of their contribution to the architectural aesthetics of the city and the enhancement of its world-class status.
• Spirit of Joburg Award: conferred by the executive mayor, the award is for an outstanding individual who best embodies the spirit of Johannesburg. The criteria to be used in judging the award include excellence in chosen profession and significant ongoing contribution and commitment to the community. The nominees will be selected by the public and judged by a panel of community leaders.

Johannesburg Tourism Company CEO Lindiwe Mahlangu and Hayden Fortmann, Top Billing magazine marketing manager

Judges of the awards would all be recognised professionals within their respective fields, Sello said.

"The credibility and prestige of these awards are key for the JTC. The various nominees in each category will be judged by two professionals at the pinnacle of the respective industry."

Mahlangu, in her capacity as head of the JTC; SABC3's general manager, Mathe Mosito; and Hayden Fortmann, the marketing manager of Top Billing magazine, would round out the judges' panel.

Winners in each category would "reap the marketing opportunities and benefits" through the JTC's website, at trade shoes and in advertising and public relations activities, Sello explained.

Joburg magazine
The tourism company also used the event to launch its new glossy lifestyle magazine, So Joburg. It features the best of Joburg in people, fashion, property, restaurants, events, hotels and business.

Mahlangu said the magazine captured the energy and the soul of Jozi so effectively that its readers, whether in Hong Kong, Mumbai or Vienna, would be transformed through a mind's journey to the effervescent, vibrant, throbbing streets of Johannesburg.

"The role of So Joburg is to encourage residents and visitors alike to ‘do the town,'" she said.

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