Tourism related SMMEs given a boost

Cape Town Tourism, the City’s Destination Marketing Agency, has established an annual fund aimed at boosting tourism-related businesses in the city. Read more below:

Alderman James Vos, Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Opportunities and Asset Management, accompanied by the CEO of Cape Town Tourism, Enver Duminy, conducted site visits to the three winning businesses.

The core objective of the annual prize, officially named the Cape Town Tourism Board Development Fund (BDF), is to support small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) in the tourism sector.

The Cape Town Tourism Board established the fund to support SMMEs that are carefully chosen through an internal selection process. Each business receives a financial allocation in support of their growth plans, as well as non-financial support from Cape Town Tourism’s members, partners and leadership.

The qualifying businesses were required to submit a proposal with supporting documentation. The proposals needed to include a business profile and highlight how the funding would be spent to grow their existing enterprises. All proposals were considered by an evaluating committee.

‘We are committed to supporting ‘tourism-preneurs’ as the tourism industry sustains thousands of jobs in this city. Through our strategic businesses partners we are able to grow and develop new products within the industry thereby ensuring that my directorate remains the growth directorate in the City.

‘The tourism industry is an important catalyst for commercial activity in the City, it creates demand and growth for many more industries,’ said Alderman Vos.

The programme winners included African Authentic Experience, a tour operator enterprise. Owner Theo Makapela indicated that he would utilise the funds for marketing purposes and to empower the current members and founders of the business through education.

The second winner was Tees and Gees – an enterprise that specialises in the manufacturing, printing and retailing of T-shirts. Owner Mpho Maphai said he would use the T-shirts to promote Africa in a favourable light, especially in areas within Cape Town.

‘I am grateful to Cape Town Tourism and the City of Cape Town for this financial injection, it has helped me tremendously especially with the distribution of my products,’ said Maphai.

The third winner was Seven Colours Eatery, a catering company specialising in African inspired cuisine. Owner Nolukhanyo Dube-Cele said that she would invest the funds in marketing and buying more equipment.

‘Benefits of this programme include customised interventions designed around the individual business needs. The programme supports the sustainability of small, black-owned tourism businesses and creates a marketing and media platform which improves their profile. There will be quarterly monitoring of the impact of the interventions,’ added Duminy.

The current programme runs from 1 November 2019 – 31 October 2020.