WOMEN IN TOURISM PROGRAMME LAUNCHED IN THE JOE GQABI DISTRICT

On the 12th of June 2019 women from the Joe Gqabi District attended the launch of Women in Tourism Programme at Limakatso centre in Aliwal North. This is the first Women in Tourism branch to be launched in the Joe Gqabi District.
The Women inTourism (WIT) is a non-governmental organization which commenced in 2013 as a platform to drive initiatives that support the development and empowerment of women in the tourism sector.
This platform recognized the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs who are often found at the bottom end of the tourism economic value chain, and identified interventions that will assist in realizing the WIT agenda. Its main focus areas include training on personal development, supporting women to develop a competitive advantage in their businesses and provision of capacity building initiatives.
Premised on the principles of Respect; Recognition; Representation and Reward, the Women in Tourism Programme integrates women from diverse backgrounds to converge on a set of common goals and interests that will ensure their success in the sector.
The portfolio councillor for Local Economic Development in the Joe Gqabi District Municipality, Cllr Hlatuka in her welcoming remarks applauded the Women in Tourism programme which elevates the status of women in tourism by providing training, empowerment and networking opportunities that facilitate their competitiveness as entrepreneurs, professionals and leaders.
The Business Development and Funding Opportunities workshop following the launch included presentations by the Eastern Cape Development Corporation, Industrial Development Corporation and the Tourism Grading Council of SA and provided the opportunity to network and share information.
The Eastern Cape Parks Tourism Agency (ECPTA) at the launchdeclared to identify two programmes (smme’s) in the region which will assist women through capacity building, market exposure and contribution.

Small Enterprises Development Agency (SEDA) in their remarks on Business development and funding opportunities encouraged women-owned companies who have been trading for more than two years to approach their offices for assistance with developing marketing material and business plans.

Joe Gaqbi District Municipality Chief Operations Officer, Ms NandipaMshumiencouraged the entrepreneurs to make use of the many opportunities available to them and expressed her gratitude towards all sector departments , Non-Governmental Organisations and other stakeholders for their involvement in developing and empowering women in the Joe Gqabi District Municipality.

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Contributed by Joe Gqabi District Municipal communications unit
25 June 2019