Tourism creates opportunities of employment in the smallest and most remote communities. The Eastern Cape is one of the privileged provinces which has been awarded such an opportunity.
Tourism creates opportunities of employment in the smallest and most remote communities. The Eastern Cape is one of the privileged provinces which has been awarded such an opportunity.
This task of alerting people to the possibilities is led by a non-government organisation called Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa (FTTSA) which is working towards a fairer, participatory and sustainable industry in South Africa.
One of its specific objectives is to contribute towards the Black Economic Empowerment programme and also to assist community-based and other emerging tourism enterprises to access niche markets.
Projects in the Eastern Cape include the Mehloding Community Tourism Trust in the northern Alfred Nzo District Municipality; Pondoland Community Trust and Tshezi Trust in OR Tambo District Municipality; the Kwam Emakana township homestays in Cacadu District Municipality, and the Nqileni Community Trust in Mbashe Local Municipality.
The Mehloding trust is one of the successful projects led by the NGO. The community owns the Mehloding adventure hiking trail and some home-stays for tourists. This was an underprivileged community due to the lack of employment opportunities but FTTSA has sprinkled some nourishing water on the economic and social condition of the community.
Thozamile Xaki, a community tour guide, said: “We learn more about the environment and we gain entrepreneurship skills. This gives us as the community the urge to plough and preserve clean water for our tourists and it encourages us to start our own businesses.”
The projects have created job opportunities to impart skills to those who lack them and also recognition for Mehloding but above all the activities draw tourists to Mehloding.
The beautiful nature-preserving community has caught the attention of many tourists throughout the many years of its existence.
Nomthandazo Mnyameni, another community tour guide, said she has witnessed change in her community in terms of recognition and their knowledge on how to approach other NGOs when they need any kind of assistance.Even though this project is alive and advantageous, it does not really cover all the community’s needs in terms of giving all of them suitable jobs, nor has it employed all the jobless.
Jabu Manyathi is not employed in this project. She said the project had given jobs to some and imparted skills for those in need. One still has to stand up and do something for oneself in order to survive. Jabu said she was not satisfied with the communication channels between the organisation and the community members that are not employed on the project.
