BBC Lifestyle's Hidden Gems South Africa launches luxury hospitality competition with firs

BBC Lifestyle’s inaugural Hidden Gems South Africa competition has crowned the Stargazing Cube at Misty Mountain Reserve as its first-ever winner, delivering measurable commercial exposure to the luxury boutique accommodation sector while establishing a new content format for the broadcaster’s South African audience.

The competition’s structure was built around sustained consumer engagement. Running across a full series on BBC Lifestyle, it enlisted six travel influencers as “Gemfluencers” to identify and showcase undiscovered destinations. Each influencer visited two properties and brought a companion, with viewers voting weekly to select their preferred locations. The final episode revealed the top five winners, with the Stargazing Cube taking the top position and its featured influencer, Tebogo Pin-Pin, claiming a R25,000 voucher from title sponsor LekkeSlaap.

The winning property sits in Tsitsikamma along the Garden Route, occupying a clear luxury positioning within South Africa’s boutique hospitality market. Its centrepiece is a modern transparent cube with a king-sized bed that extends onto a private deck, designed specifically for stargazing. Owner Greg Potter operates the venue alongside his wife Tracey and a management team serving the local community.

LekkeSlaap’s sponsorship extended well beyond the headline prize. The company distributed R10,000 vouchers weekly to viewers who voted for their favourite properties and offered a separate R25,000 public prize. That multi-tiered incentive structure kept consumer engagement active throughout the series run, placing the sponsor brand across multiple audience touchpoints rather than concentrating it in a single broadcast moment.

By contrast, the runner-up properties illustrate the geographic and experiential range the competition surfaced for the accommodation sector. Dwarsberg Trout Hideaway, presented by hiking and travel content creator Linda Munnik, occupies a mountain and vineyard setting offering river swimming, hiking, mountain biking and trout fishing. Kruger Shalati, featured by travel and lifestyle creator Senzelwe Mthembu, operates as a luxury accommodation within restored train carriages positioned on the Selati Bridge overlooking Kruger National Park. Mont Esprit, a Franschhoek eco-pod retreat showcased by filmmaker and photographer Melissa Blanche, sits within ten minutes of the wine region’s commercial centre. Kagga Kamma Eco Lodge and Spa, also presented by Blanche, operates in the Cederberg region with cave-style suites marketed around stargazing experiences.

The production arrangement positions BBC Lifestyle as a content distributor with a stated ongoing commitment to locally produced South African storytelling. PD Productions developed the series for the broadcaster. Toyota served as an associated sponsor alongside LekkeSlaap’s primary sponsorship role.

Pin-Pin’s commentary framed the victory as recognition for authentic travel storytelling rather than solely a financial reward. Potter’s statement highlighted the operational and community dimensions of the Tsitsikamma property, positioning the award as validation for sustained investment in the location.

The series remains accessible through DStv Stream until September 8, extending the promotional window for the winning property and the broader accommodation sector featured across the competition. Whether that extended distribution converts casual viewers into bookings will be the real measure of the platform’s commercial value to operators.