STORMSRIVER – Stormsriver Adventures received two awards at the 2025 Tsitsikamma Tourism Awards: Adventure Tourism Experience of the Year and the Lifetime Achievement in Tourism Award, which was presented to CEO Ashley Wentworth.
The company, established in 1998, operates the Tsitsikamma Canopy Tour, Africa’s first canopy tour of its kind.
Their offerings include a treetop zipline experience through indigenous yellowwood forests, the Woodcutters Journey forest tour, and guided hiking experiences in the area.
Managing Director Anneline Wyatt accepted both awards and acknowledged the company’s staff training programmes, Fair Trade principles, and community development initiatives. She noted that 48% of the company is staff-owned.
Ashley Wentworth founded Stormsriver Adventures in 1998 and serves as a founding member of Canopy Tour South Africa, the organisation that establishes operational, safety, and environmental standards for zipline operations in South Africa.
He also owns Forest Nest Cottage, a local accommodation facility, and contributed to the formation of the Tsitsikamma Tourism Association.
The company achieved Fair Trade Tourism certification and has maintained this status for over two decades.
Wentworth emphasised the company’s focus on staff development and community involvement.
Other recipients at the awards ceremony included Ignite Your Adventures (Emerging Tourism Business), Untouched Adventures (Community Impact Award), Vijver Jonck (Youth in Tourism) and Misty Mountain Reserve (Resilience in Tourism).
Stormsriver Adventures has operated in the Tsitsikamma region for 25 years, offering adventure tourism experiences whilst implementing environmental conservation and community development programmes.
