GTC partners with TEP

L to R: Dr Salifou Siddo, Chief Executive at the TEP and Gary Mockler, Group CEO at GTC

The partnership will see GTC providing commercial guidance and holistic financial services solutions to the TEP's wide range of small to medium-sized tourism businesses. Similarly, bolstered recognition and endorsement of the TEP by an established financial business such as GTC will deliver long-term returns for the company's key strategic partners and its entrepreneur companies.

"We're delighted to strengthen our business offering through this partnership with GTC," says Dr Salifou Siddo, chief executive of the Tourism Enterprise Partnership. He was addressing key executives at the formal partnership signing ceremony which was held in Illovo, Johannesburg.

Access to information, skills, markets and finance

"One of our key drivers in the development of entrepreneurs is to provide our small business enterprises with access to information, skills, markets and finance. No doubt, fostering a formalised partnership with GTC will ensure that these businesses are provided with excellent financial advisory services and offerings to help them to grow," Dr Siddo continues.

The TEP was established 15 years ago to effectively utilise funding from corporate South Africa and Government in order to facilitate growth and sustainability of small tourism businesses. Each year, the TEP invests millions in the expansion of these businesses in SA by supporting these companies with various products and services that provide hands-on support and guidance to bolster operational efficiency, improve product quality and extend market reach. The TEP has grown over the years to become one of the longest standing and most successful public-private partnerships in South Africa.

Says Gary Mockler, GTC's Group CEO, also at the signing ceremony: "This partnership is important for our business and forges a strong tie for us within the public-private sector, forming an integral component of our growth strategy. We look forward to working with the TEP to provide financial advisory services to its clients."

Within its offerings, GTC provides employee benefit consulting and administration; private client wealth management; healthcare consulting; short-term risk solutions; unit trust management; asset management and fiduciary services. The diversified financial services business provides services to more than 2500 private clients; and some 85 000 retirement fund members, managed through a range of 300 corporate retirement funds.

"Building public-private partnerships that truly work to grow entrepreneurs and their enterprises is a vital step in the development of the South African economy, as well as the tourism industry as a whole. This partnership with GTC will see the successful injection of important financial services into the businesses we support, to the mutual benefit of all parties," Dr Siddo concludes.