The Otter Trail in Tsitsikamma National Park is famous for its beauty — and for the heavy bags hikers must carry. Now, a local man from Nompumelelo Village has found a way to make it easier.
Burton Mlandu, 46, started a company called Burton Otter Slackpacking and Transfers. His team carries bags for hikers along the five-day, 42-kilometer trail, which runs from Storms River Rest Camp to Nature’s Valley.
“I used to work for SANParks, but I’m more of an outdoor person,” Mlandu said. “I started from nothing. Today I have six permanent workers and two vehicles. My workers can now provide for their families.”
Hikers on the Otter Trail must normally carry all their food, clothes, and gear while staying in huts along the way. Mlandu saw the need for help when he worked in the park and visitors often asked if such a service existed.
“What we do is make life easier for hikers,” he explained. “Even people with back problems or health issues can still enjoy the trail because we carry their backpacks, at a cost. This also creates jobs for our community and helps fight poverty.”
Mlandu thanked SANParks for allowing locals to start such businesses. He said the relationship between the park and the community has improved.
“Before, there was tension,” he said. “Now I can call SANParks if I see poachers, and they listen. That is a big change.”
His company also runs shuttles, fetching hikers from airports and towns, and driving them back after they finish the trail.
The business has changed his own life too. “Last month, I bought my second house,” Mlandu said proudly. “If it wasn’t for this opportunity, I would not have managed that. Now I can even help neighbours with small things, like giving money for bread.”
He also has a message for unemployed youth: “We must stop waiting for government or family to give us something. We must look around us and use what we have. Opportunities are there, but you must keep pushing forward.”
Mlandu believes his company is proof that local people can benefit from tourism in national parks. “SANParks is about the people, and our people are SANParks,” he said.
