Page 50 - TKZN Annual Report 2023/2024

Furthermore, businesses who participated in the tourism trade shows also had an opportunity to be part of the speed networking and marketing sessions, providing access to potential business linkages and partnerships. Those who were part of the Airbnb marketplace did not only get training but were also assisted with the development of copy writing and professional images of their offerings, in order to appeal to potential customers using Airbnb.
Stakeholder Engagement Workshops
The tourism practitioners from municipalities and tourism enterprises, particularly small tourism businesses, are not appraised on what TKZN can offer to support their initiatives. The District Workshops were identified as the most effective method of reaching out to those stakeholders that need TKZN support and knowledge on opportunities available in the sector.
The workshops were attended by TKZN, EDTEA and SEDA KZN. The presentations from TKZN included tourism awareness and safety, tourism development opportunities, marketing support and collaboration opportunities. In addition, Seda was focused on non-financial support for SMMEs and EDTEA registration.
The workshops were targeting CTOs, SMMEs, district and local municipality tourism officials; and were held in King Cetshwayo on 15 August 2023, uMzinyathi on 16 August 2023, uThukela on 07 September, and Harry Gwala on 27 September 2023. The four workshops were attended by 67 SMMEs including accommodation establishments, tour operators, tourist guides and tourist attractions.
Business Needs Analysis
For TKZN to adequately respond to the needs of small and emerging tourism enterprises, the entity conducted a business needs analysis focusing on 101 enterprises within the Enterprise Development Programme.
The research will assist TKZN to better respond with new and empirically formulated interventions, thus creating a more efficient enterprise development support programme for the 2024/25 financial year.
Homestays Programme
TKZN and the Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, working in close partnership with Airbnb, launched the Airbnb Africa Academy during the period under review. The intention of the academy was to drive inclusive tourism in rural and township areas.
Two Super Hosts were assigned to assist with mentorship. More than 30 participants successfully completed the courses which included hosting, management, marketing and soft skills such as customer care and quality assurance. Sixteen beneficiaries successfully met the requirements of Airbnb and were onboarded on the Airbnb market access platform, and some have already received bookings and positive reviews from the platform.
Tourism Cluster Development
TKZN and EDTEA in partnership with Rendzo Network and the SA-EU Dialogue Facility produced research to establish tourism clusters in KwaZulu-Natal, with the first identified cluster being the uThukela-Drakensberg Tourism Cluster. A steering committee was appointed, and the Cluster has been registered with Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC).
Following international best practice, the cluster approach in KZN will bring together businesses in the horizontal and vertical tourism value chains to drive destination competitiveness and growth.
The strategy and the implementation plans were shared with cluster members, CTOs, and the committee, and was finalised and approved by the uThukela-Drakensberg Tourism Cluster Committee in February 2024. In the next financial year, phase 2 of the Cluster Strategy implementation plan will be undertaken.
Youth in Tourism Entrepreneurship Seminar
During Youth Month in June 2023, TKZN hosted a Youth in Tourism Entrepreneurship Seminar in the Harry Gwala District to assist with transformation in the tourism industry and reduce youth unemployment. The seminar was attended by 25 youth-owned enterprises and was led by TKZN, Ithala, Small Enterprises Finance Agency (Sefa), Small Enterprise Development Agency (Seda) and Dinu Afrika, who presented opportunities for youth entrepreneurs. Ten businesses presented their business models and five were selected for both financial and non-financial support. The support included website development, signage, branded business marketing collateral and digital marketing training.
48 TOURISM KWAZULU-NATAL ANNUAL REPORT 2023/2024