After going almost 12 months without taking my annual 20-day leave, I was beginning to feel the need to take a break and rejuvenate in order to get back to optimum performance for my listeners on Drive Time on Joy. 

Then in September, South African Tourism presented me the perfect opportunity to take a break -- although disguised as work.

I didn't grasp the pleasure package attached to what the South African Tourism guys were discussing with me, since the first part of our conversation focused on an on air competition that would see one of my listeners join me on an all-expenses paid trip to South Africa to explore Johannesburg, attend the Joy of Jazz Festival and the African Movie Academy Awards.

The on air campaign was hugely successful with record-breaking entries by listeners.

Then the arduous task of selecting the winner followed. I didn’t bother myself much with that because my producers were up to the task.

Eventually a winner emerged: Belinda Efua Dentaa. She received her visa, packed her luggage and in about 6 hours time she was disembarking a South African Airways plane at OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg. She would later tell me she had a comfortable flight, I believe her because I felt the same way too after my journey.

I’m not a big fan of staying in the metal bird for long hours but SAA's inflight entertainment is top-notch.

“Are you here as a guest of South African Tourism?" inquired the immigration officer as he glanced through my passport.. I replied in the affirmative and smacked him with my 32-teeth yet-to-be-brushed smile. Then he said calmly, “you will have a very good time, trust me”. That was when it hit me, Lexis, you are here for pleasure, brace yourself for a jolly good time.

In fact, the promise of 'a good time' was exactly what our host Mohammed Tanko Kwajaffa intimated when he met us at the arrival hall with a team from Nigeria that had landed earlier.  They decided to wait for their Ghanaian counterparts which included the winner of the competition on Joy FM, Belinda Dentaa, Samantha Wuta of Global Media Alliance, Francis Doku of Graphic Showbiz, Ebenezer Anangfio of Ghanagist.com, Actress Juliet Ibrahim and her Aide Michelle Ghandour.

Immediately, the tag West Africa meets South Africa was imprinted in our hearts and as one team we were ready to imbibe as much of the goodness of South Africa as we could.

We wasted no time to get to know each other --  we started a knowing-me-knowing you session on the bus from the airport to the magnificent Maslow Hotel, set on the 146 Rivonia Rd, in Johannesburg’s prestigious suburb of Sandton.

A beautiful 4-star modern edifice with clean well set rooms and an ambiance that makes exiting your room a chore. After getting breakfast from the restaurant, I settled in my room and my first point of call was the gym. That was when I knew I was home. It did me some good and put me in good shape for the activities ahead.

Soon lunch time. The Maslow restaurant has a menu for every guest. The Lacuna Bistro and Bar is one of the best restaurants in Sandton I heard. its speciality - locally sourced bistro-style cuisine. For me the restaurant offers more than just breakfast, lunch and dinner. Our team enjoyed an inspired à la carte menu.

Satisfied and with big grins on our faces we headed out for the Nelson Mandela Square and Sandton City Mall which boasts of over 88 exclusive stores and some of the finest restaurants South Africa has to offer.

A place where the likes of Jenni Button and Louis Vuitton, Carrol Boyes and Apple showcase their very best ranges, a place where you can sip on the world’s finest coffee or enjoy a French croissant or a slice of local milk tart. The team spent a considerable amount of time cavorting around the towering sculpture of Nelson Mandela and taking turns in taking pictures.

The long walk through the Sandton mall was worth it. I was able to find the golf shoes and gloves I had been looking for. Bliss. I accompanied my counterparts in their quest for nothings but eventually our shopping bags looked as if we had planned to go shop enough to stock another mall when we return.

Day two’s itenary was a thrill to even look at. First was a visit to Bill Harrop’s Hot Air Balloon Safari. After an hour drive, we met Bill, who piloted us hit up into the troposphere. The thought of going that high up in a woven basket and some gas cylinders producing heat wasn’t amusing but the view from the top is amazing.

For over an hour, we hovered in the beautiful skyline overlooking Magaliesburg. The staff were wonderful on our return and treated us to some amazing breakfast.

I’m extremely fascinated by nature and wildlife, so the trip to the elephant sanctuary and the lion park was one to savour. We showed up in Gauteng to meet the parade of elephants and to learn how they can be friendly most times. I had the opportunity to feed the oldest Elephant in South Africa. The 46-year-old male Amarula is the oldest at the sanctuary in Hartebeespoort.

He spent most of his life in different zoos in South Africa and had very little direct contact with people before arriving at the sanctuary.

The lion park was a bigger thrill. Driving through the pride of lions wasn’t for the faint hearted, neither was the drive around the coalition of cheetahs, but it was the closest I had come close to any of these jungle kings. We had the opportunity to walk with about a year old lions, with strict supervision from their handlers. Our group was split in two: those who had the courage to do it and those who would rather stay enclosed in the truck and watch the others do it. I’m sure you can guess which group I was in. I chose to stay in the truck and waited for the courageous ones to return...lol.

The evening held more promise of something less heart wrenching, the Joy of Jazz festival. And boy did it not live up to it. The rockers of jazz had descended on the Sandton Convention Center to serenade patrons with eclectic music.

We dressed up for the experienced rockers --  the likes of Dwight Trible, Marcus Miller and The Yellow Jackets. They had me grinning from ear to ear all through. The guitars, the saxophones, the drums and the rich velvet voice of Paebo Bryson was enough to crown a well organized 3-day festival that brought only joy to my heart.

Day 3 was a rollercoaster of inspiration. It was a day planned for I had been looking forward to: a tour of Nelson Mandela’s home. We drove through the busy city of Johannesburg and watched the seeming similarity the plush neighbourhoods share with Cantonments and East Legon in Accra and likewise the busy business district resembling the clone of Makola and Oxford Street Osu.

It didn’t take long before the we approached the humongous edifice that hosted the opening ceremony of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, the FNB Stadium, also known as Soccer City and The Calabash, in Nasrec, bordering the Soweto area of Johannesburg.

The team listened attentively to the significance and history of the stadium as the tour guide kept rattling it like a poem. The look on people’s faces could spell awe but less importantly the avidity to go take pictures with the stadium in the background.

A few kilometers from the stadium is arguably the most historic town in South Africa, Soweto. Ask me ‘So where to?’ and I’d say ‘So where to’. Yeah, that is not a typo. Soweto came from that phrase, stemming from the apartheid struggle where the blacks were axed out of the city, they asked each, ‘So where to?’ and the answer was South West Township which also stands for Soweto.

Soweto is place of contrasts and a melting pot of South African cultures. Shanties juxtapose luxury mansions; filthy streets offset fields of green; and a history of destitution but yet filled with so much to savour. We drove by the famous Orlando Towers and made our way to the Vilakazi Street.

Vilakazi Street in South Africa is probably one of the most famous streets in the world for more than one reason. It is the street that has housed two Nobel prize winners Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu and former President Nelson Mandela. 8115 Vilakazi Street was a house that the ex president lived in with his first wife Evelyn, who apparently left the marriage due to irreconcilable conflict between politics and religion.

Mandela continued to live in that house and went on to marry Winnie Mandela in 1958 and had two daughters.  One thing is for sure once you enter the house you can feel the presence of such rich history. It is hard to believe that such a great person both physically and mentally lived in such a small house. The house, which was once riddled with bullets and set ablaze in flames, still had the soot and bullet marks etched in its entrance.

There is a lot of activity on the Vilakazi Street, with the market stalls selling African carvings, beads and attire, local music blurring in the background and the iconic Sakhumzi restaurant which served me my favourite meal during my stay. Rice, pumpkin and some nameless soup that could make an angel miss the heaven bus.

Luckily I didn’t miss my flight to Port Elizabeth the next day. The city was hosting the African Movie Academy Awards (AMAAs) for the first time and our team had the pleasure of being hosted at the beguiling and ravishing Boardwalk Hotel.

This is one of the choicest locations for a good holiday; take it from me. Beautifully set along the Indian Ocean, about a love-stroll from the beach with a well-crafted architecture. Well-knitted and littered with smiles from enchanting staff who were ready to make our stay pleasant.

The AMAAs took place in the evening. It was graced by many of the continent’s biggest movie stars and celebrities including Lydia Forson, Segun Arinze, OC Ukeje, Kanayo O Kanayo and Me (why not) lol. Unfortunately, Ghana didn’t win an award but the deserving one surely had a ball that night.

The next day was another thriller. As part of the tourism experience South African Tourism arranged for us to go on a boat ride to witness displays of the whales and dolphins at sea.

I couldn’t help but admire the scenery especially. Whilst we were making our way to sea (so to speak) we were met with the icy cold and windy air, but I was eager to see what the sea animals had in store for us.

When we arrived the Captain of the boat told us the boat ride would be for an hour and a half but for it probably felt like an eternity for some of the people in our group. The roar of the waves brought on cheers and laughter for some whilst others it brought on tears, this boat experience wasn’t for the faint hearted. The echoes on the high seas were laced with laughter and wailing from people with seasickness. I, on the other hand, was distracted by the beautiful skyline, it was to die for.

We had to go quite deep before we could see the whales doing their formation – diving in and out of the sea from the left and the right, you never quite knew when they would make an appearance, it was so striking to look at and something that I could not describe fully, it is something that one would have to ‘see for themselves’ as the saying goes.

The Indian Ocean for me now is filled with so many precious memories. Port Elizabeth gives a treat on the Indian Ocean, the view of Africa from there is amazing. This land is truly blessed.

Then came my favourite part of the entire trip; a road trip to the Amakhala Game Reserve. The scenic mountains and miles of Greenland were a sight to behold. Well-layered and breathing nature’s cleanest breath! It was even better at the game reserve. It left me with only one thought; there is pleasure in the pathless woods, in the Greenland, with the giraffes, the zebras, the catwalk of the cheetah and the music in the roar of the lions.

The adrenalin of driving inches away from lions and cheetahs wasn’t as grating as the battle with the cold icy winds of the wonderland. Luckily our tour guides provided us with blankets and maybe I was able to enjoy it even more thanks to my caring Nigerian team member, Simbo who added a bit of her blanket to mine to keep the Ghanaian ‘brother’ warmer. (clears throat, sips water, smiles mischievously and continues typing). It was a thrilling experience.

The next few hours after that will be filled with all sorts of emotions, most of which was of sadness. I had had the most amazing 5 days of my life and it was just about coming to an end. I had met a team of brilliant, fun loving Ghanaians and Nigerians who were willing to spread the gospel of South Africa.

I had come into contact with a South Africa I never fathomed. The good part though was the fact that it was only the beginning of my love affair with South Africa, since it has climbed onto number one of my favourite destinations list.

The world needs to experience all that South Africa is. South Africa’s scenic wonders are legendary. Whether you opt for Afro-chic or authentic Africa, you’ll find it easy to get around, find a comfortable place to stay, have a great meal, connect, experience the ultimate combo of nature, wildlife, culture, adventure, heritage and vibe. Most importantly, it is affordable. Luxury sometimes comes cheap.

So till I tell you about my next South African vacation, Usale kakuhle!

I’m off to play golf.