Destination of choice
A focus on quality and first-class facilities has paid dividends for one gaming oasis in the Kalahari Desert, as Alan Swaby learns.
When the South African black majority government invited applications for new gaming permits, they no doubt saw them as a lucrative tax stream. Nevertheless, there was no undue haste to throw out licences left, right and centre; instead, it was a serious, involved and time consuming process.
ÔÇ£We began to prepare our bid in 1996,ÔÇØ says Lara Almond, finance manager for the Desert Palace Hotel & Casino Resort in Upington, Northern Cape, ÔÇ£but it wasnÔÇÖt until August 1999 that the application was finally approved.ÔÇØ
A vast amount of paperwork was involved in proving to the gaming authorities that the project as proposed would be viable and sustainable. All aspects of the bid were taken into account, from traffic impact and assessment studies to architecture, spend and skills development.
Upington is about as far off the beaten track as itÔÇÖs possible to get. Four hundred kilometres from Kimberly and even further from Cape Town, itÔÇÖs in the middle of the Kalahari Desert at the crossroads between Johannesburg in the north and Namibia in the west.
While the casino doesnÔÇÖt get floods of visitors, it does get a steady flow of them. Apart from the 43,775 residents of voting age, there are many other reasons for visiting Upington. Essentially, the area is one of agriculture and accounts for the second largest source of sultana grapes in the country, destined both for the table and cooperatively produced wine going under the name of Oranje.
During the spring months of July to September there is also a thriving botanical tourism trade, when visitors come to look at the world famous flower display that nature puts on in Namaqualand. In May, tourism turns to hunting and the local antelope population tries to keep its head down while hunters attempt to bag a buck or two.
But perhaps the most unexpected source of visitors is to UpingtonÔÇÖs vehicle-testing roads. Widely accepted to be one of the hottest locations in South Africa, European car manufacturers like to fly in their new designs and test their endurance away from too many prying eyes. At the end of a day driving around in 40┬░C-plus temperatures, a cold beer or glass of wine would tempt even the most dedicated automotive engineer.
The licence application process allows casinos to open their doors in temporary premises while the structure proper, on which the application was made, is being built. ÔÇ£Having got our licence in August,ÔÇØ says Almond, ÔÇ£we started business in the following June with two temporary sitesÔÇöone hosting the gaming tables such as roulette, poker and blackjack plus some slot machines, while the other premises concentrated solely on slots.ÔÇØ
It took another five years before the Andalucian hacienda-style building as we see it today was complete. Having originally opened with 25 bedrooms and one conference centre, a further 40 bedrooms and second conference centre were added during a second phase of development; in addition, a third conference centre is now in operation. The conference centres, which can accommodate between 60 and 300 guests, are fitted out with state-of-the-art equipment and cater for everything from local weddings to government seminars. The gaming is now also all on one floor and is being revitalised with the latest designs in slot machines, with 10 machines having recently been replaced. The casino rewards loyalty, with Club Cards granting points to patrons which can then be used for promotional items.
Desert Palace also benefits from being situated next to Upington Golf Course, which is conveniently located seven kilometres from UpingtonÔÇÖs central business district. The resort works hand in hand with the golf club and as part of its bid granted it a sum of money to upgrade the course.
There is an active black economic empowerment programme (BEE) in place at Desert Palace, which calls for annual assessments of the development among staff. The resort has been graded as a Level 2 by BEE Rating Solutions, which means that it is 98.7 per cent compliant.
The provincial nature of the area means that employees tend to be loyal and generally view their jobs as a longer-term commitment. But lack of competition from other casinos and a captured market donÔÇÖt mean that complacency can creep in. One of the key responsibilities of managers is to keep standards consistently high; even without the lure of the gaming hall, the restaurant, hotel and conference facilities are run with the aim of making them among the best in the region.┬á
This has been especially important during the world recession, which has limited the amount of tourism and made the contribution of repeat local business all the more important. But this shouldnÔÇÖt prove too difficultÔÇöDesert Palace recently welcomed as guests the South African Rugby Football Union during their week-long training camp in Upington, confirming its position as a quality destination of choice.
