Five young disadvantaged women from the /Ai-/Ais Richtersveld Transfrontier Park (ARTP) recently graduated from the SA College for Tourism (SACT) in Graaff-Reinet, South Africa, with certificates in hospitality.
The women were part of a class of graduates from the Southern African region.
The five women were selected as part of a development programme in southern Namibia and northern South Africa, based on the mandate that Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR) received from the two Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA) partner countries to develop tourism in the region. The programme aims to empower marginalised women with the necessary skill sets to operate within the hospitality industry.
Since tourism contributes significantly to the GDP of Namibia and South Africa, the work that SACT instils goes hand in hand with the philosophy that Dr Anton Rupert believed in when he founded the Peace Parks Foundation together with Nelson Mandela and Prince Bernhard of The Netherlands.
Rupert believed in conserving crucial landscapes that surpass international boundaries, and training people to manage these areas, from a conservation and tourism perspective to stimulating economic growth through ecotourism within these areas.
NWR Managing Director, Zelna Hengari, said: "We embraced this mandate and, as a result, have overseen the development of tourism products such as the Desert Knights Mountain Bike Tour Challenge and the Desert Kayak Trails, which are all within the ARTP.
"We aim to employ [the graduates] to provide a platform where they can showcase their newly acquired skills… I am pleased that two of the graduates were privileged to receive internships for further training at the five-star Drostdy Hotel in Graaff Reinet."
During the ceremony, past SACT graduates, Tshepiso Thelingoane and Innocent Ngwenya, presented the keynote address, telling how the training at SACT had had an impact on their career development. Award certificates were presented by Princess Irene of The Netherlands.
SACT has also established a Tracker Academy to provide an opportunity for young men to train in the art of tracking. At the ceremony, 24 young men graduated as trackers, and will be placed for internships in the tourism industry.
