The Tourism Ministry has launched its fourth Tourism Business Incubator, to improve the viability and sustainability of SMMEs in the Northern Cape.
Deputy Minister of Tourism, Elizabeth Thabethe, announced the initiative on Thursday March 22, commenting that “the Northern Cape province has a thriving tourism economy, and it is to this end that we have elected to launch our fourth Tourism Business Incubator in this province to ensure that the benefits of tourism are enjoyed by all”.
The Incubator will provide business support interventions to 50 tourism businesses selected from the Northern Cape, to receive one-on-one needs analysis, mentorship, coaching and capacity training to ensure their success in the sector.
The Incubators are a part of the Tourism Enterprise Development Programme implemented by the department to ensure sustainable development of tourism enterprises in a way that facilitates inclusive participation. “Tourism is a people-based social activity that is dependent on the unique and innovative tourism offerings and experiences that are driven mostly by SMMEs,” says Thabethe. It has partnered with the Department of Small Business Development, the National Empowerment Fund and the Industrial Development Corporation, as well as a number of private entities, to ensure that the selected SMMEs are linked to institutions that will catapult them to success.
Thabhete urges the Northern Cape SMMEs to participate actively in the Business Incubator and the Development Programme. “Let’s work together to grow tourism and make South Africa a destination of choice.”
