Bataung Moeketsi
IN celebration of its 20th anniversary, Afriski Mountain Resort this week launched a completely rebranded look on its premises and its online presence in time for the beginning of the summer season.
The resort has also updated its main entrance signs.
Johannesburg-based advertising agency, Thought Capital, is behind the development of the new brand, creative and strategy.
Thought Capital’s creative director Vasthi Strydom said the new look was heavily inspired by Basotho culture.
“The Basotho blankets (seanamarena) helped inspire a wide colour palette for the new brand whereas the mountains were captured through line work and photography,” Ms Strydom said.
“Their attitude was captured in the brand’s bold confidence.”
Afriski this week said they began working with Thought Capital last October and had hoped to launch it at the beginning of the winter season this year. However, the Covid-19 pandemic stalled these preparations and they decided to move the launch to the beginning of the summer season.
The resort said the summer launch will also re-emphasise the fact that Afriski is an all year-round destination.
Since being established in 2000, Afriski initially focused on developing a snow destination in Southern Africa.
“Bringing us to 2020, Afriski now boasts multiple slopes, world class snow making equipment and facilities, a wide range of summer activities and a destination that welcomes over 15 000 people annually,” a statement the resort said.
Afriski is a tourist destination located in the Drakensberg-Maluti Mountains of the Butha-Buthe district.
Afriski director, Peter Peyper, said the re-branding exercise not only ties in with 20 years in business but “aims to shed light on the evolving world-wide trend of expanding the mountain experience way beyond just snow”.
The resort has a full range of activities which include mountain biking, trail running, hiking, fly fishing, enduro biking and high-altitude training.
One of the newest activities offered at the resort, the Zipsail, has grown in popularity. According to Afriski, Prime Minister Moeketsi Majoro visited the resort last weekend and experienced its activities.
On offer were a 600-metre zip line with an abseil of 70 metres from a suspension station located on a cable in the air, above the resort.
In March 2019, Afriski’s shareholding was consolidated under Jala Investment Holdings, a Lesotho public company which is intended to encourage investment from Basotho residents.
This, according to the resort, underlines the vision of its new brand.
“It (consolidation) also offers a platform for diversification and investment into other fields such as renewable energy, land sale and property development, as well as uplifting the youth through education as witnessed by the Eagle Hub learning facility,” Peyper said.
