Lotteries Board gives SA College for Tourism R8.46 million

On the day when 87 young women - The Class of 2009 - graduate from the college with a Certificate in Small Accommodation Establishment Operations, the futures of around 120 more women are now assured - and South Africa's hospitality industry stands to benefit from well-trained, eager professionals, just as the country and region prepares to capitalise on the World Cup and subsequent 2010 tourism boom.

A chance to change their futures

“This very generous grant from the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (NLDTF) is important to the tourism industry of South Africa. It will ensure that students from South Africa will have all their course fees and accommodation paid for over the next three years. The young women who attend the college often come from arduous backgrounds. The grant from the NLDTF will give them an opportunity to start a career in the hospitality industry and possibly to run their own business. It gives them a chance to change their own futures as well as the lives of their families and communities,” said Andre Kilian, executive director of the SA College for Tourism.

Supporting skills development

Sershan Naidoo, divisional manager: beneficiary and player relations and media liaison at the National Lotteries Board, was extremely positive about the level of support the NLDTF will be giving the college and the reasons for that support. “The NLDTF supports skills development, training and certainly recognises the vital importance of the environment and tourism sector's contribution to the future of South Africa. The National Lotteries Board is especially pleased that the funding will take the college into 2010, a year that marks the 10th anniversary of the college and a year that will bring a welcome boost to South Africa's tourism industry as we host the 2010 FIFA World Cup”.