EDP to further National Development Plan for participation in tourism

Deputy Minister of Tourism Tokozile Xasa

You said in your speech that “There are few women in management and executive positions of tourism sector businesses.” How large is this discrepancy and how does the EDP aim to change that?

Tokozile Xasa: In 2011, the National Department of Tourism (NDT) conducted a study to assess the state of transformation in the tourism sector in line with the Tourism B-BBEE Sector Code. The study found that there was a low percentage of women at the board and executive management positions of large enterprises. The low percentage of women at board and executive management positions was attributed to unavailability of women managers with the required profile. Furthermore, there was no existing database of women managers with the required qualification and experience in the tourism sector.

In 2011, only 12% of large enterprises in the tourism sector had achieved the 50% target for black directorship, whilst only 4% had achieved the 25% target for black female directorship. It was also found that these enterprises need support to recruit or groom suitable black directors and black female directors to join their boards and executive management positions.

To address the aforementioned challenges, the Tourism B-BBEE Charter Council recommended that the NDT should partner with a business school with a view on customising an executive development programme for women managers in the tourism sector. The content of the programme would cover the accommodation, hospitality and travel and related services subsectors of the tourism sector.

Tell us more about the Executive Development Programme.

Xasa: The Executive Development Programme is envisaged to be an open programme offered by NDT in partnership with UNISA SBL. The programme is accredited by South African Qualification Authority at NQF level 8. In order to make the programme more tourism sector specific, additional sector specific modules were added. The modules cover content on the three tourism sub-sectors, namely: Accommodation, Hospitality and related services and Travel and related services.

The programme delivery method will include, but not limited to, lectures, case studies, group work discussions, interactive methods and any other emerging training methods. The programme will run for a maximum period of 18 months, part-time. The language medium for the EDP is English.

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What kind of skills will women participating in the EDP get exposed to?

Xasa: • Sound executive managerial knowledge in areas of leadership, finance, marketing, human resources, change management, programme/project management, strategy, global business;

• Develop candidates to be innovative thinkers and to remain relevant and competitive as leaders today;

• Over and above the lectures and all other interactive methods, seasoned managers, academics and entrepreneurs in the tourism sector would be invited as guest speakers to share their experience with the candidates, hence offering candidates a good opportunity for networking;

• Candidates will be empowered with skills and know-how for promotion into management and executive positions in the tourism sector;

• Candidates will acquire the necessary business management skills and confidence to start and grow their own tourism businesses;

Why is it important to address this issue now and in Tourism specifically?

Xasa: In 2012, the South African government launched the National Development Plan which offers a long-term perspective to eliminate poverty, reduce gross inequality and transform the economic landscape of South Africa in 2030. The NDP further identifies tourism as one of the catalyst sectors in reaching that goal. Subsequent to the NDP launch, it became pivotal for the tourism sector to equip women in the three tourism sub-sectors (accommodation, hospitality and travel related services) with skills in order to eliminate gender inequality in the management structures of tourism enterprises.