About the Joburg Team

I have lived in South Africa all my life; most of this time in Johannesburg. I know this City of Gold intimately and I have a strong affection for it, especially since Nelson Mandela worked his magic to transform our society. I also have a  proud historical connection to Joburg. Few people know that my Great Grandfather, James Smith, donated money for the building of the Church and the School in Sophiatown before the township was bulldozed down, and the people forcibly removed to other areas. The School was also flattened, but fortunately, the Church remained, and it now hosts a thriving church-going comunity again. However, thats another story .......!

I have always had a fascination for the outdoors and wildlife, and so I studied biology at Universities in South Africa (viva Pietermaritzburg!) and in Denmark. Somehow, I finally emerged from Wits University in Joburg with a PhD certificate for my wall and a stupid red gown for return to the rental shop. I then set out to seek gainful employment. However, this was not possible and so I had to sell my soul to industry, and I ended up sweating blood and tears for multinational companies attempting to control insects on crops and malaria mosquitoes in Africa. After many years with these companies, I declared myself a malaria expert, and shortly after this the most "we care for our staff" company of them all, unilaterally declared that my services to them had expired (surprise, surprise!!).

And so I left corporate life to find something else more satisfying to do.

Then, one fateful day, whilst reading a newspaper (I have to admit), I came across Neil and James, and their My Destination.com. I immediately  realized that the opportunity presented by a Johannesburg website would more than cater for my requirements. I have consequently, for the past three years, been enthusiastically combining my experience with mosquitoes, knowledge about bad management, and research techniques (learnt from my PhD), into My Destination Johannesburg. This is now my future path, and I know that this is what I should have been doing years ago. However, seeing that My Destination is only a few years old, it probably all worked out best in the end that I waited a bit (30 years).  "A great team behind a superb product", is what I say.

My Destination Johannesburg is part of the My Destination network. A global network of sites created in 2006 by two young entrepreneurs, James Street & Neil Waller. My Destination is focused on providing websites that offer unrivalled levels of local information, actually written by locals, such as Peter Thompson and his Team in Joburg. Each site, like our Joburg one, is run by a team on the ground who have their fingers on the pulse and are providing real time information.

The websites combine accurate information on the local area and businesses, with the added usability of an online accommodation price comparison engine, offering travellers a one-stop shop where they can research and book their holiday on a single website. The websites are fresh and simple in design, with a firm focus on quality of content. Reviews are always written first-hand and every effort is taken to obtain the best images and information available in order to present a true representation of the services on offer.

User-generated content and feedback is also built into our website, building upon content quantity and accuracy; major features of the service we provide. Registered member features such as an interactive trip planner and regular newsletters all help cement the brand relationship with each visitor.

By the way, My Destination continues to go from strength to strength, and is always looking for new and exciting destinations to add to the network. So if you would like to join our team and be part of our growing network then send an email directly to Peter to find out more about available franchises. In the Southern African Region, the following destinations are still available, Mozambique, Swaziland, Malawi, Zambia, and Free State / Karroo.