Johannesburg, Tourism in Gauteng contributes just under 5% of the province’s GDP and account for over 300 000 of the sector jobs. Like many other key economic sector, the past two years has been characterized by massive job losses, low revenues, and loss of skilled workforce due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
To speedily turn this situation around, the Gauteng Tourism Authority (GTA) is forging ahead with the implementation of the Tourism Recovery Plan in support of the Growing Gauteng Together Vision 2030. Today, Monday 5th September 2022 at the Soweto Country Club, the GTA working together with its visitor economy recovery partners, the Gauteng Enterprise Propeller (GEP) South African Caddies Association & Academy, South African Tourists Guide Association and Nedbank together with TT Mbha Caddies Golf Day will launch a first of its kind training programme for golf caddies as part of the sector reskilling and restoration of service excellence post the pandemic.
“The #TTMbhaCaddyGolfDay was established in 2021 to create a platform for caddy golfers to be recognized as a critical part of the sport as well as upskill them to become entrepreneurs through financial education and tour guide training. We are excited that what we birth with the GTA last year in now being realized. This will be beneficial to the caddies in their personal development and growth, explained TT Mbha, the founder of the Soweto Caddies Golf Day.
As the GTA, we have identified caddies as an important extension for the marketing of destination Gauteng as they spend a lot of time with golfers whom in their nature are travelers and go-getters. The Soweto Country Club, (the only golf course located in a township in South Africa) and its associate partners in the Pimville/Kliptown hub was identified as the first cohort of caddies to be enrolled in this ground-breaking pilot training programme of providing them with basic tourism promotion and guiding skills.
We are very much grateful that our partnership with the Soweto Country Club and the TT Mbah Golf Caddies Day has enabled us to birth this developmental and entrepreneurial project which is very much synonymous with the spirit and tenacity of destination Gauteng. With this project we are expanding the skills set of our caddies and empowering them to be future tourist’s guides, operators of destination marketing and sports marketing companies and most importantly allowing them to horn their people’s relations and money saving skills, explained GTA CEO Sthembiso Dlamini.
Caddies play an important role in guiding golfers in the golfing space covering both amateurs and professionals. They are a source of guidance, information and decision making and as the GTA we are looking at enhancing that knowledge with basic Gauteng tourism promotion information and later formalizing it into a tourist’s guiding module and capacity. This we believe will enhance the destination’s visitor experience while providing additional livelihoods and benefits for locals.
The day-long training programme for selected 50 caddies (from Soweto Country Club) who majority are young people and based in the township is being facilitated by leading entrepreneurial minds across the tourism, business development, golfing and guides sectors and it is expected to be rolled out in other regions of the province as the country celebrates tourism and heritage month respectively.
Members of the media are hereby invited to cover this ground-breaking programme. For interviews, commentary, and more information contact Nonhlanhla Mbethe, Nonhlanhla@gauteng.net 0824351649. The programme will start at 09h00 at Soweto Golf Club.
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Enquiries: Barba Gaoganediwe, Spokesperson Gauteng Tourism
0834467844
barba@gauteng.net
@Barba_G74 on twitter
124 Main Street, Marshalltown, Johannesburg
www.gauteng.net
