A FLAG the size of 66 football fields will soon be the talk of Graaff-Reinet, and a world first, come 2016 – and will even be visible from space.
Dubbed The Giant Flag Project, the grand undertaking will cost about R170-million and will see more than 10% of the town’s population employed for two years.
Launching the project at the Valley of Desolation on Thursday evening, Guy Lieberman, whose brainchild it is, said the project had massive potential to shift economic realities for the Camdeboo Municipality.
The project has partnered with the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) and national Department of Tourism – among others.
The 66-hectare flag will be made up of 2.5 million coloured desert plants and a four megawatt solar panel field. The red, blue, green and yellow parts of the flag will be made up of plants while the black part will be the solar panel field. The white part will be a road.
The entire picture will be visible from space.
The project is the first initiative of the newly formed tourism troika between Proudly South African, the International Marketing Council and South African Tourism.
On Thursday evening guests assembled on a deck at the Valley of Desolation to visualise where the flag will be situated.
Deputy tourism minister Tokozile Xasa said: “There are myriad challenges facing the tourism and hospitality industry worldwide … In South Africa the challenges are different, rooted in historical inequality.
“The Giant Flag has broken the mould to significantly change the game.”
The project incorporates issues around the environment, as well as social and economic activity which would have a ripple effect on the Karoo municipality which includes Aberdeen and Nieu-Bethesda.
Samantha Jankovich, project trustee and local coordinator said: “We are looking to build something that people from the area can be proud of.”
Construction of the flag will begin next year and completion is expected in 2016.
Members of the public are encouraged to adopt a plant, a solar panel or a piece of road. Visit www.giantflag.co.za for more details.
Flag project a giant boost
Dubbed The Giant Flag Project, the grand undertaking will cost about R170-million and will see more than 10% of the town’s population employed for two years.
Launching the project at the Valley of Desolation on Thursday evening, Guy Lieberman, whose brainchild it is, said the project had massive potential to shift economic realities for the Camdeboo Municipality.
The project has partnered with the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) and national Department of Tourism – among others.
The 66-hectare flag will be made up of 2.5 million coloured desert plants and a four megawatt solar panel field. The red, blue, green and yellow parts of the flag will be made up of plants while the black part will be the solar panel field. The white part will be a road.
The entire picture will be visible from space.
The project is the first initiative of the newly formed tourism troika between Proudly South African, the International Marketing Council and South African Tourism.
On Thursday evening guests assembled on a deck at the Valley of Desolation to visualise where the flag will be situated.
Deputy tourism minister Tokozile Xasa said: “There are myriad challenges facing the tourism and hospitality industry worldwide … In South Africa the challenges are different, rooted in historical inequality.
“The Giant Flag has broken the mould to significantly change the game.”
The project incorporates issues around the environment, as well as social and economic activity which would have a ripple effect on the Karoo municipality which includes Aberdeen and Nieu-Bethesda.
Samantha Jankovich, project trustee and local coordinator said: “We are looking to build something that people from the area can be proud of.”
Construction of the flag will begin next year and completion is expected in 2016.
Members of the public are encouraged to adopt a plant, a solar panel or a piece of road. Visit www.giantflag.co.za for more details.
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