Phalaphala FM, the only SABC radio station which has been organising annual overseas tours for more than 20 years now, was at it again when it took 125 people, including four Phalaphala FM personnel, to Turkey from 3 to 12 October.

Having visited most African, European and Asian destinations since 1991, the tour to Turkey did not seem a too-attractive choice, considering the turmoil in neighboring Syria. The station manager, Mr Freddy Sadiki, said that people were not really convinced that Turkey had anything big to offer, considering the fact that the station had already organized tours to countries such as Thailand, Greece, France, United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Spain, India, Brazil and China, to mention but a few.

A short stop in Dubai did not really enthuse the group to look forward to the destination as people did not have time to see the beauty and wonders thereof before connecting to a four-hour flight to Istanbul. People were oblivious to the fact that Turkey is a country rich in history, especially religious history. What is interesting is that while the group was impressed by the manner in which historical sites were preserved, they kept on lamenting the fact that South Africans had not shown much interest in preserving their own history, and specifically the recent discovery of homo Naledi!

Visits to ancient mosques that are between 150 and 1500 years old bore testimony to the zeal with which Turkish people strive to preserve their culture and history. The visit to Troy, a city which existed more than 4 000 years ago and which is also known as the centre of ancient civilization, was quite an eye opener. Many people believed that it was a city mentioned only in tales and that it never existed. Phalaphala FM listeners were able to visit this ancient city, located in Hisarlik near Canakkale Province.
Although the preservation of ancient structures stands out in Turkey, the people of the country also find a way of turning these ancient wonders into economic activities. Tourists pay to gain access to most historical sites, and while inside, you also pay to take a picture inside. In most instances, resident photographers are the only ones taking pictures, which will cost one 10 liras per photo, the equivalent of R50. It is not surprising that one hardly comes across unemployed people in Turkey, save for the unfortunate Syrian refugees whose numbers are swelling on a daily basis, with an earlier estimated number of 2 million.

As almost the entire group was Christian, people could not hide their excitement upon their visit to the shrine of the Virgin Mary, where it is believed she lived in her last years. Again, pictures inside the house were not allowed, but people were allowed to light candles, make a wish and write down messages, which were pasted on a huge wall filled with messages from tourists who had visited the shrine over the years. The wishes range from world peace to personal wealth!
One could not but marvel at the thrill written on the faces of our people when they descended on the antique city of Ephesus, the most complete city ever uncovered and one of the most important ancient sites in Turkey. This is where the Christian community received letters from the Apostle Paul, which today constitute the book of Ephesians in the New Testament. Visiting this city was reminiscent of experiencing the actual teachings of Paul himself and the whole experience confirmed that Turkey was indeed a wise choice.

The Basilica of St. John, where it is believed that the evangelist spent his last years, was more than the cherry on top!
Over and above the awesomeness of moving from the European to the Asian side of Turkey in one day, our people were able to network amongst themselves as most of them are entrepreneurs.

 There is no doubt that key learnings from this wonderful country will contribute to the advancement of the entrepreneurial outlook of our people and this will flow into advancing innovation among our people. Most people had undertaken individual or group tours before; however, they were in unison in confirming that the experience they got from Phalaphala FM was better than ever.

Overall, Phalaphala FM managed to give the listeners an experience of the personal feel of the brand, engaged with the listeners on a personal basis, creating emotional bonds and building long-term relationships. The question commonly asked as we returned home was, “where are we going next year?”