Overview
- The Mthontsi Lodge and Conference Centre was officially opened on Thursday as a R31 million tourism project funded by the Department of Tourism through the Expanded Public Works Programme and implemented with DBSA support.
- The facility includes 13 chalets, backpackers’ accommodation, a restaurant and conference spaces with reported capacity for up to 52 guests and additional backpacker beds.
- Provincial officials welcomed a handover to the Mthontsi Waselukhuko Primary Co‑operative but said full community ownership depends on completion of a formal land-transfer process.
- The project created 28 construction jobs and now provides ongoing staff positions, though staffing figures differ with the province reporting 13 permanent roles and media reporting five permanent and 10 temporary workers.
- Officials say the lodge will market the area’s liberation-route heritage to attract visitors, expand local enterprise and create opportunities for youth and women, with the land-transfer and long-term management capacity the key factors to watch next.