Free State Uncovered: Advancing Heritage Tourism and Experiential Learning
Free State Uncovered is a dynamic community engagement platform hosted at the War Museum in Bloemfontein. It showcases the region’s rich tourism, cultural, and heritage assets while providing authentic, practical learning opportunities for university students.
While the Free State possesses profound cultural and heritage value, many local SMMEs and community products lack sufficient market visibility. This initiative bridges that gap by creating a single, accessible convergence point for education, industry, heritage, and the public, transforming theoretical classroom knowledge into real-world event execution and regional economic participation.
Strategic Alignment & Innovation Model
Socio-Economic Development & Stewardship
Fostering inclusive economic participation for local SMMEs while promoting responsible destination development, heritage conservation, and public education.
UoT Mandate
Fulfilling the University of Technology mandate through Work-Integrated Learning (WIL), transforming students from passive spectators into active co-creators of real-world event management and destination promotion.
The Free State Uncovered Framework
Living Learning Laboratory
Students lead authentic planning, logistics, marketing, and on-site operations, building professional confidence, problem-solving capabilities, and direct industry readiness.
Multi-Stakeholder Convergence
Uniting government entities, media outlets, heritage institutions, schools, and local enterprises into a single, cohesive, and highly visible operational model.
Environmental & Heritage Stewardship
Leveraging a protected heritage site to link tourism with conservation, showcasing living cultural identity and promoting sustainable, responsible destination development.
Measurable Impact & Institutional Value
This initiative moves community engagement beyond traditional outreach, creating tangible participation, visibility, and economic opportunity. Supported by formal MOUs, media agreements, and rigorous operational governance, the project delivers measurable value across four key dimensions.
~2,000
Public Visitors
(Community inclusion and school engagement)
140+
Exhibitors
(Local SMMEs, tourism products, and services)
6+
Strategic Partners
(Media, heritage, government, and cultural)
Measurable Outcomes
- Socio-Economic Impact: Provided direct market access, networking, and visibility for local SMMEs, stimulating visitor spending and regional economic participation.
- Curriculum Integration: Functioned as a living learning laboratory, directly enhancing graduate employability, practical skills, and Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) readiness.
- Institutional Reputation: Elevated CUT’s visibility and collaborative footprint through formalised partnerships, live media broadcasts, and high-impact public engagement.
Project Leadership
Mrs B de Klerk (HOD)
Mrs M Olifant (Departmental Administration)
Dr LG Mokoena (Senior Lecturer)
Dr E Proos (Senior Lecturer)
Dr B Mkhize-Simelane (Senior Lecturer)
Dr E Jonker (Lecturer)
Dr D Venter (Senior Lecturer)
Key Strategic Partners
The War Museum, National Heritage Council, OFM, Bloemfontein Courant, Afrikaans 100, and regional SMME networks.
Partner With Us
Following a successful proof of concept, Free State Uncovered is designed to evolve beyond a single event into a long-term, scalable platform for regional tourism development. Our roadmap includes formalising improvements in 2026 and establishing an annual or bi-annual flagship tourism expo.
We invite industry leaders, heritage organisations, media partners, and government entities to collaborate with us in scaling this model across Free State regions, ensuring sustained economic opportunity and experiential learning for future cohorts.
Explore Partnership Opportunities
