If you love meeting and working with new people, this is the sector for you. This is one of those sectors where you will be paid to do something that sometimes feels more like a hobby than a job. Imagine driving people around a game park, or taking people around town and telling them about the importance of various locations. These are jobs many people would dream of having. It is no wonder then that South Africa has such a vibrant tourism industry.
Careers in this sector include tourist guiding, resort management, travel consulting, travel agency management and many more. You can also create your own job. Entrepreneurs can thrive in this industry, and indeed many have found a niche in tourism, from offering bicycle tours around Soweto, to allowing tourists to get a bird’s eye-view of South Africa with hot-water balloon rides and cableway experiences.
Tourism and travel is also a key industry in South Africa and the government is actively trying to promote it because of its job creation potential.
Big-ticket events such as the Fifa World Cup in 2010 certainly boosted the industry, and with the Commonwealth Games coming to South Africa in 2022, we can expect this industry to continue booming.
So, are you interested in pursuing a career in this industry? CATHSSETA can help you. We provide funding for bursaries, learnerships, internships and work integrated learning programmes. We also offer career advice.
If you are an employer in the industry, you can contact us on how you can access funding from CATHSSETA for your skills development interventions.
For more information about this sector or for career advice, please contact your nearest regional office.