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Rudi Wagenaar, a South African entrepreneur, grew up with very little exposure to luxury travel. His parents were both school teachers, and the only taste of luxury in his household was his father smoking his pipe while driving through the Kruger National Park! Rudi has since managed to build a successful career in the luxury hospitality industry.

Rudi believes that integrity and delivering on promises is the key to success in the hospitality industry, and to this end, he has developed On-Demand Hospitality Solutions – a company that provides tailored marketing plans to clients without the need for a full-time person dedicated to their brand. He strongly believes in collaboration and the power of positive thinking as essential tools for success.

The pandemic has been a difficult time for many in the hospitality industry, with many businesses having to close their doors and employees struggling to find work. Rudi has been committed to ensuring the wellbeing of the people in the industry. He has encouraged businesses to focus on the positives and celebrate the small wins, as well as collaborating with fellow entrepreneurs to get through the pandemic.

Technology has been essential to help with productivity, and Rudi also strongly urges people to support local businesses. He uses a local business to run his CRM system, as well as creating a video endorsement platform to help people get recognition from others.

Rudi is passionate about the Handshake platform and he also strongly believes in the importance of skills recognition in the South African hospitality industry. He has done a lot of work to ensure that people have the opportunity to get back on the horse. Check out Handshake here.

Rudi believes that a successful day is one where he can make a difference and leave an impact and his dedication to the industry over the past few years has been invaluable. We can only hope that the industry will continue to grow and be successful under the guidance of entrepreneurs such as Rudi Wagenaar

Jacqui Reynolds and Graeme Watson are both experienced in the tourism industry, and their conversation on the podcast recently touched on many of the key challenges and opportunities within the sector.

Jacqui Reynolds is the managing partner of On Show Solutions and the creator of the Africa Showcase roadshow. Having worked in the industry for over 20 years, Jacqui knows first-hand the power of face-to-face interactions and the importance of tailoring offerings to different markets. As such, she has developed a strategy for selecting the right people in each market to connect them with preferred suppliers.

When discussing the challenges of the last few years, Jacqui highlighted the need to rebuild her business and look after her team. She recognised the importance of modern tools to increase productivity, as well as the emergence of travel for a purpose. She also discussed the upcoming launch of Africa Showcase in Latin America and the need to target different age groups when it comes to tourism.

The conversation between Jacqui and Graeme was both insightful and engaging, offering a unique glimpse into the challenges and opportunities of the tourism industry.

Mandisa Magwaxaza is a guest on Kusa Cast podcast, where she is discussing the tourism industry and its recovery from the COVID pandemic. Mandisa grew up in a farming community in the Eastern Cape, and her first experience in the tourism industry was working at the Pumba Private Game Reserve. She then moved to Cape Town to pursue a career in tourism, starting at the Cape Grace Hotel. After working at Booking.com, Mandisa moved to Franschhoek and was then hired by Classic Portfolio, where she learned a lot.

These experiences ultimately led her to her current position as the founder of Molo Mhambi Relations, which focuses on helping businesses tell their stories, grow more relevant, and stay true to their African roots. This includes providing guidance on how to create experiences that are both culturally sensitive and conscious of biases. Mandisa believes that businesses should have values that are aspired to by everyone in the business, and that African travel should be accessible to Africans.

Mandisa is also a presenter on Algoa FM in South Africa on Saturdays from 10:00 p.m. to 02:00 a.m., and is leveraging indigenous knowledge to create experiences that can be revenue streams for the community, owned by the community. She is offering a free 30-minute consult to those in need of business advice.

For Mandisa, it all comes back to her roots. She is working to increase representation of travel on radio in South Africa and return to her community of Seven Fountains to ensure that tourism benefits the community. While technology and digitization can foster human connection and reach more people, it is tenacity that will help entrepreneurs make the most of their opportunities.

As Mandisa said in her podcast interview, “We underestimate what we do for a living and that’s why it keeps drawing us back because of the power and the joy that we feel and create.” For more information on Mandisa and her work, you can contact her on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook.

The pandemic has been a difficult time for business owners across the world and survival has meant having to make drastic changes in the way businesses operate. Kevin Watson, the Chief Operating Officer of the First Equity Group and a director of SATIB, the tourism insurance brokers, believes that one of the key factors to business continuity during this time is looking after staff.

As he explains, this doesn’t have to be purely monetary, but looking after employees and engaging with them in meaningful ways is essential for any business. Kevin also believes that investing in the right tools such as Asana and Power BI can help businesses become more efficient and productive, creating a better working environment for all.

Kevin also has advice for entrepreneurs looking to get their businesses off the ground. He believes that having a unique offering is essential, as is having the right support network in place to help navigate the business world. He also stresses the importance of getting your thinking work done before 09:00 in the morning so that you can make the most of the day.

Finally, Kevin is keen to promote SATIB, the tourism insurance brokers, as a viable option for businesses looking to protect themselves. For those interested, they can visit the website at www.satib.co.za to find out more.

It is clear that the pandemic has been a difficult time for business owners, but with the right support and tools, it is possible to thrive and come out on top.

It was an interesting conversation between Craig Drysdale, Director of Sales and Marketing at ITT Inspirations Travel and Tours, and Graeme Watson on the podcast last week. ITT specialises in inbound tourism to Southern Africa and works with tour operators from around the world, as well as outbound destinations such as Morocco, Egypt, Turkey, Israel, Scandinavia, and cruises.

Craig has been in the tourism industry for nearly 30 years and the COVID-19 pandemic has been the biggest challenge Craig and the entire industry have faced. Despite the struggles, the industry has shown great camaraderie and support during this difficult time, with competitors helping each other out. Craig believes the spirit of family has been present in this sector since its inception, and it has only been reinforced by the pandemic. He says that “tourism has always been a very family orientated industry” and that “some great friendships have formed and great support going forward”.

Craig shared his daily schedule, saying he gets up between 05:00 and 07:00 to tackle emails. He also advised on the importance of work-life balance. ITT recently relaunched and rebranded their logo and website. Working from home and the office is also becoming more popular with Craig saying that “productivity and happiness increase by 30-40%”. This concept of “less is more” has been embraced by the industry, with businesses taking up less office space and reducing paper usage.

Domestic tourism was a saviour during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Craig believes that the industry should also focus on selling Southern Africa to South Africans. He has also been involved in the National Department of Tourism’s tour operator incubation program, which has helped 44 SMEs survive the pandemic.

Ultimately, Craig believes that the time for talking is over and that action needs to be taken in order to hit the 2030 tourist numbers. He says “if we’re going to do it, we must do it now and do it fast”. With the help of the industry’s great camaraderie, this goal is within reach.

House of Safari DMC, a tourism business based in Botswana, is taking the lead in promoting local suppliers who are making a difference in their community. Olorato Ndlovu, the managing director of House of Safari DMC, was recently interviewed on Kusa Cast, an influential podcast in the tourism industry. During the interview, Olorato discussed House of Safari DMC’s mandate to support suppliers who are actively giving back to the community. 

Olorato also highlighted the importance of conservation and anti-poaching efforts in Botswana, and discussed her recent fam (familiarization trip) for agents from the US, UK, Italy, and Romania. She also discussed the importance of patience and mentorship, especially for young people entering the tourism industry. 

For those looking to gain insight from Olorato’s experience, she recommends that they stay disciplined, consistent, and on top of trends. She also offered her support for foreign agents and tour operators who would like to have someone on the ground in Botswana to help them with bookings. She noted that this kind of support would not only help her business grow, but also allow her to direct funds towards other initiatives that can help the community. 

For more information on House of Safari DMC and what they can do for you, Olorato can be contacted at www.houseofsafaribw.com and info@houseofsafaribw.com.

The African tourism industry has seen an avalanche of innovation in recent years, as more and more countries are beginning to appreciate the value of tourism and its contribution to their economies. One leader in this effort is Kwayke Donkor, CEO of Africa Tourism Partners, who seeks to further increase the involvement of local leaders, businesses, and youth in the industry.

Kwayke has spearheaded the Africa Tourism Leadership Forum, an annual platform where both private and public sector leaders come together to debate issues, share insights, create awareness, and advocate for the industry. The Forum has been held in Ghana, Botswana, and Rwanda, with the goal of improving the industry’s competitiveness, advocating for the removal of barriers, and promoting intra-Africa travel. It has also featured panelists from America, universities, and has focused on educating Africans on hospitality management.

In Rwanda, Kwayke has worked on the African Tourism Innovation Hub, an initiative to boost youth involvement and foster skill development across the industry. He has also championed “Botswana First,” a concept to use Botswana as a case study to guide other countries in implementing initiatives.

Domestic and regional tourism are of paramount importance for the industry, and reconfiguring products and pricing strategies to meet the needs of local tourists is necessary. South Africa, for example, sees 70% of its arrivals come from the diaspora, yet not much is done to invest in the country.

Kwayke has some advice for aspiring entrepreneurs in the tourism industry: “My humble advice is always good to have a mentor. Don’t try and swim on your own because you’ll be eaten by sharks.” Furthermore, it is important to be passionate and to start small, engaging with people on social media in order to build a successful tourism business.

It is clear that Kwayke and Africa Tourism Partners are invested in making sure the African tourism industry is on the right path to success. With the right support and investment, the industry can be an even bigger contributor to the African continent.

In a recent podcast conversation with Graeme Watson, Monika Iuel, Chief Marketing Officer of Wesgro discussed her career in the tourism industry and the challenges that the industry has faced in the wake of the pandemic.

Monika has been in the tourism industry since the mid-1990s and has experienced the highs and lows of the industry first-hand. She believes that one of the most influential events for the destination was the FIFA World Cup in 2010, which helped to spread awareness about the destination, debunking safety and security myths and showcasing the destination to households around the world.

However, Monika believes that the industry has not done enough to raise the game of smaller experienced operators and SMEs, who offer the kind of authentic, immersive experiences that consumers are now looking for. Productivity tools such as the “off button” and digital detoxes are becoming increasingly popular travel trends, and the industry needs to find ways to give these small operators and guest houses access to the market.

The pandemic has also highlighted the importance of the industry to the economy, and Monika experienced a sense of Afro-pessimism from the first world, which seemed to consider tourism as a “nonessential” industry. Monika believes that the industry has faced a greater reputation management challenge than expected, and travel bans have had no impact on the pandemic.

With new generations of travellers thinking and consuming the world differently, the industry must work to include smaller operators and SMEs in order to meet consumer demands. Wesgro is working to create lasting memories for families, and has brought four new destinations onto the international airlift network. Monika’s biggest advice to anyone wanting to get into the industry is to travel and experience what the reality of their source market is.

Anyone interested in learning more, they can visit www.wesgro.co.za and get in touch with Monika directly via her email – monika@wesgro.co.za. Additionally, they can subscribe, leave a review, and check out the Patreon page for the Kusa Cast podcast.

Monika and Graeme Watson are hoping to chat again in a year or so, and will keep us updated on the progress of the tourism industry.