South African Tourism leveraged Ghana’s Independence celebrations to deepen high-level tourism and business engagement by hosting invited guests at the annual Accra Polo Independence Cup match on 7 March.

The fixture held at the Accra Polo Club, featured a competitive encounter between the home side and the visiting Nairobi Polo Club, drawing a select audience of diplomats, corporate leaders, creatives and lifestyle influencers.

Leading the South African delegation was the Acting High Commissioner of South Africa to Ghana, Mpshiri Setlhare, whose presence underscored the diplomatic and economic significance of tourism-led engagement between the two countries.

She was joined by Thekiso Rakolojane, West Africa Regional Manager of South African Tourism, and Jeanette Moloto, Director of Global Sales for South and Sub-Saharan Africa at Marriott International.

The guest list reflected South African Tourism’s deliberate strategy of engaging Ghana’s high-net-worth individuals and decision-makers who influence corporate travel, business events and investment flows.

Also in attendance were senior Ghanaian stakeholders, including Kofi Okyere Darko, Director at the Diaspora Affairs Office of the Office of the President of Ghana, and Rexford Owusu Marfo, popularly known as Rex Omar, Presidential Advisor at the Black Star Experience Secretariat.

For South African Tourism, the polo match provided an ideal setting to engage informally yet meaningfully with corporate and cultural leaders, reinforcing South Africa’s positioning as a destination where business, leisure and lifestyle intersect.

Rakolojane noted that polo continues to offer a strong platform for engaging premium audiences, particularly those involved in corporate travel, incentives and business exchanges.

South African Tourism has partnered with the Accra Polo Club for several years, leveraging its network to build long-term relationships with Ghana’s business elite while showcasing South Africa in a lifestyle-driven context.

A major highlight of the afternoon was a raffle draw that brought the destination experience to life. Ghanaian entrepreneur Harold Awuah-Darko, founder of Polistas Hospitality, presented the headline prize – a fully sponsored South African getaway.

The winner, Asante from Happy Home, received an all-expenses-paid trip for himself and his partner, including four nights in Plettenberg Bay, widely regarded as the gateway to the Garden Route, followed by two nights in Johannesburg.

The prize package was jointly sponsored by South African Tourism and Polistas Hospitality, highlighting the growing collaboration between destination marketing organisations and experiential lifestyle brands.

The initiative reinforced South Africa’s appeal not only as a leisure destination, but also as a premium hub for business travel, incentives and curated experiences.

As the Independence Cup celebrations concluded, South African Tourism’s engagement at the polo grounds served as a reminder that beyond traditional trade platforms, shared experiences in sport and lifestyle remain powerful drivers of connection, trust and long-term partnership between African markets.