WHERE IT ALL BEGAN – A BRIEF HISTORY OF WALTHERS…
Throughout our almost 40 years as a family-owned and managed company, our business has built an enviable reputation based on trust and delivering exceptional service to our clients.
The history of Walthers goes all the way back to 1981, when Klaus Walther left Global Tours South Africa after 25 years as MD, to set up his own specialist Incentive House. Initially with just one employee, Walthers grew steadily in size and reputation, and soon Cy Walther joined Klaus to head up the Operations department. By the late 1980’s, the winds of change were sweeping South Africa and as interest in our destination grew, Heidi joined the company to build an Inbound division. This foresight paid off as within a year Nelson Mandela was released from prison and an Inbound Tourism boom commenced. Despite consistent growth, Klaus and the family continued to be personally involved with every aspect of each programme, from development to final completion.
Klaus and Cy retired in 2000, and son-in-law Daryl Keywood joined the company, and he and Heidi have been at the helm ever since, successfully steering Walthers to become a multi-award winning, internationally renowned business.
The Walthers ethos has not changed since those early days, with every aspect of the operation imbued with pride, passion and personal attention to detail. Walthers has always been a family, and every employee an essential part of the Walthers team.
People are the cornerstone of the business, and Walthers is fortunate to have a committed, enthusiastic and loyal team, many of whom have been with the company for more than 10 years. The same is true of our client partners who have been bringing us repeat business, some for more than 20 years.
The Walthers of today covers not only Southern Africa, but most countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Ever growing, learning and developing our skills and ensuring that our clients receive the same high level of service wherever they travel with us.
Walthers is actively involved in a number of community projects, with most of our efforts going into the 15-year ongoing support of a primary school in Hazyview near Kruger. Walthers also closely supports Khensani’s Collection, an after-school education and training programme for maths and science scholars, in Diepsloot Township close to Johannesburg, funding two students through their school and tertiary education.
“After 30 years with Walthers, one of the many joys of my role is that I can honestly say that I learn something new, every single day” says Heidi.
According to Daryl Keywood: “As an individual I feed off the enthusiasm of others. I’ve witnessed literally thousands of our guests experiencing what for many is a once-in-a-lifetime visit to Southern Africa. The positive feedback from guests and the international recognition and awards we’ve received, must mean that we are doing things right.”
