2016

2016

Diplomatic Bazaar is a Success!

Dear Friends,

Thank you for supporting the Diplomatic Bazaar once again.  We had lots of fun selling SA specialties like biltong, wines, rooibos tea and crafts! Thank you also to our partners: Anne and Bill Godley of Prime Wine, the GB Store in Cascais, Sogenave for providing the Ceres juices, and Joaquim and Rosário Alfaiate with their lovely verdite statuettes and necklaces.  We hope to see you all again in 2017.  It was all for a great cause - this year's proceeds will go to institutions that support the extremely poor.  Thanks again!

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Embassy participates in Art&Tur International Tourism Film Festival

It was once again a pleasure for the Embassy to participate in the 9th edition of the Art&Tur International Tourism Film Festival which took place in Vila Nova de Gaia from 19 to 22 October 2016.  This year, Prof. Tanja Sakota of Wits University travelled from South Africa to be one of the keynote speakers at the event.  

The Embassy also had the opportunity to present South Africa as a tourism destination and to exhibit its 20 Years of Freedom exhibition at the Corpus Christi Convent, where part of the Festival took place.

Congratulations once again to the Art&Tur team for the excellent organisation of the international event.  We're sure the 10th edition will be equally or even more successful.

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MANDELA DAY celebrated at the Ajuda de Berço children's home

Embassy Event

This year, the Mission celebrated Nelson Mandela Day with a visit and donation to the Ajuda de Berço children’s home.  It was a lovely day and we ended on a high note with the planting of a strelitzia in the institution’s garden in remembrance of Nelson Mandela.  We wish to thank Mariana Norton dos Reis for welcoming us into the institution and congratulate Ajuda de Berço for its dedication to the 40 children for whom they currently provide a home.  You are doing a fantastic job!

Thank you also to former Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Dr. Luís Brites Pereira, for taking the time to celebrate with us.

Anyone interested in helping the institution can do so by helping them to stock up on the items they are running low on, by making a monetary contribution or through volunteer work.  For more information, please check www.ajudadeberco.pt, under Como Ajudar (How to Help).

 

  

Embassy visits Higher School of Tourism and Hospitality in Seia

At the invitation of the Director of the Guarda Polytechnical Institute’s Higher School of Tourism and Hospitality, Dr. Adriano Costa, the Mission took part in the School’s Open Day held on 20 May 2016 and had the opportunity to speak to prospective students about South Africa's rich history, culture and tourism attractions. 

The Mission wants to thank the School for a well-organized event and the lovely lunch prepared by the students in the School’s mock restaurant.  We hope to come back one day to the lovely town of Seia to offer students the opportunity to prepare and sample some of South Africa’s culinary delights.

Below is Counsellor Hanna de Beer and Maria da Luz Marques of the Mission accompanied by the President of the Guarda Polytechnical Insitute, Dr. Constantino Rei, and the Director of the Higher School of Tourism and Hospitality, Dr. Adriano Costa.  The students also demonstrated how they are being well-trained for a future career in the hospitality business by showcasing some of the specialties they have learned to prepare.  Well done!

                           

 

Nelson Mandela book presented in Parliament

The book by Maria Inês Almeida "A Admirável Aventura de Mandela Contada aos Mais Jovens​", published by Editorial Planeta and illustrated by Sandra Lavandeira, was presented in Parliament on 11 May 2016 by MP Paulo Neves, former MP​ José Ribeiro e Castro, the Commissioner for the National Reading Plan, Fernando Pinto do Amaral, and the Embassy’s Counsellor, Hanna de Beer.  The school theater group, "Os 10 Motivos", presented a short theatre piece based on the life of Nelson Mandela.  The ceremony was presided over by Deputy Speaker of Parliament, José de Matos Correia.

Congratulations to Maria Inês Almeida for her inspiring work and for helping to inspire others through the life of Nelson Mandela!

 

The South African Embassy was back on the Tourism Road Show "Os Especialistas"

 

The Tourism Road Show group Os Especialistas (The Specialists) was back on the road in April 2016 (5-15). Celebrating its 11th anniversary, The Specialists travelled to 10 cities in Portugal to meet with local travel agents in organized workshops at selected venues:  Algarve, Évora, Setúbal, Lisbon, Leiria, Coimbra, Castelo Branco, Viseu, Guimarães and Porto

 

The Tourism Section of the Embassy uses the opportunity to promote South Africa as a holiday destination of choice to the Portuguese travel agents. Besides the interaction at the 3 hour workshops, travel agents also had the chance to win prizes offered by the 13 tourism players. In this regard, the SA Embassy in Lisbon offered  a total of 12 prizes ( one per city and two in the big cities-Porto and Lisbon): bottles of Amarula, SA wines and South Africa arts & crafts (beaded pens and key rings).

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