Impressive results shown by TEP

The report comes at a time of remarkable tourism growth to South Africa. As announced by President Jacob Zuma in April 2013: The country is seeing double-digit growth with 10.2% more tourists in 2012 - that's 9.2 million international tourists visiting South African shores compared to the 8.3 million tourists who travelled to our country in 2011. This is more than double the growth rate of 4%, as estimated by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation.

Minister of Tourism Marthinus van Schalkwyk believes that now is the time to capitalise on this growth and ensure it continues into the future: "In order to achieve growth and sustainability for micro, small and medium tourism businesses, we look to TEP as one of our key implementing partners and custodian of enterprise development to this vital part of the tourism industry."

Assistance to more than 3600 businesses

In this financial year, TEP provided assistance to more than 3600 businesses, 1421 of those rural-based. These assistances, ranging from skills development and funding to market access, allowed small tourism businesses registered with TEP to sustain and create an additional 4901 jobs and increase their revenue by R775 million.

In addition, TEP trained 3261 enterprises, mentored 104 tourism businesses, opened new domestic and international markets through 2416 market access opportunities and provided 673 funding assistances.

Such impressive results from TEP are attributed to strong partnerships, both within the tourism industry and with companies that see the importance of tourism for the growth of the South African economy as a whole.

TEP's chief executive, Dr Salifou Siddo, said: "It is only when TEP can demonstrate relevance and impact that it can achieve sustainability. Guided by these three strategic themes, TEP set out to execute a new business plan for the financial year 2012/13, which included a robust communication strategy to ensure greater awareness about the company's new strategic direction."

TEP was successful in communicating and explaining the finer details of the sustainability strategy that makes provision for, among other things, the payment of administration fees by SMMEs. This commenced on 1 April, 2013, and TEP has announced that more than 470 small businesses have already showed commitment to their own growth and development through payment of the required fees. This, together with the information level clients, brings the total database to 3708 small tourism businesses.

Not only have the beneficiaries of TEP showed their support, its fundraising tool, the Enterprise Development Portfolio (EDP), saw a number of renewals on existing partnerships, as well as new funders coming on board. Against the backdrop of a difficult economic climate this improvement has provided proof of concept for EDP and allowed TEP to leverage 42% private sector funding against 58% public sector funding.

Investment from the National Department of Tourism (NDT, Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency (ECPTA), Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC), KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development & Tourism, Western Cape Department of Economic Development & Tourism, HRG Rennies Travel, Credit Suisse, Springbok Atlas Charter Division and Springbok Atlas Tours and Safaris, support TEP. This, together with important cost-sharing partnerships with organisations such as South African Tourism, the South African Embassy in Vienna and the Swiss Import Promotion Programme (SIPPO), results in a transformed and growing small tourism sector.

Review of operational and reporting processes

In addition, TEP conducted a full review of its operational and reporting processes to ensure refinements that could lead to greater efficiencies. As a result, TEP's head office and national footprint of service providers were restructured. This, together with extensive investment in the enhancement of its automated reporting system, has resulted in a much more focused approach, aligned to the increasing requirements placed on the company.

In line with the imperative to innovate in order to stay relevant, TEP will review and prioritise its skills development programme to include new modules such as Responsible Tourism and Social Media. Emphasis will be on youths, women, people with disabilities, as well as rural areas, ensuring that tourism becomes a truly open and accessible opportunity for all.

As an economic development agency, TEP is always aware that the litmus test for success is the impact of its interventions on SMMEs. Consequently TEP participated, for the second time, in the annual Growth Index carried out by the Small Business Project (SBP), an independent research firm.

Siddo said: "The results demonstrate that TEP is highly successful in removing or mitigating impediments to its clients' success, with TEP-supported businesses being more confident, more innovative, showing higher turnover, and growing employment faster than non- supported businesses."

New chairman

Board chairman Rick Menell will step down as chairman, but will remain a director on the board.

"We are delighted to welcome Brian Whittaker as the incoming chairman. Whittaker's contribution to TEP spans 13 years, having been involved in both the development and institutionalisation of TEP during his tenure as CEO of the Business Trust," said Siddo.

After more than a decade of sustainable partnerships and collaboration, it became the natural next step for TEP to develop a framework for sharing, disseminating and integrating information, people and processes across institutional and national boundaries.

The result is Wikitourism, a brand new source of free, up-to-date and reliable information on the tourism industry, such as its structures, role players, competitions, training and funding opportunities.

A "wiki" is a web application that allows you to add, modify, or delete content in a collaborative, easy to use, open environment. TEP chose to create a wiki to ensure that through collaboration the information is updated and that the site can grow in size and depth as required by the industry. Of importance is the ongoing role that TEP will play in content sourcing and management to ensure reliable information.

TEP's goal is for the wiki is to act as a knowledge management tool for the SA tourism industry, providing influences that lead to transformation through allowing equal access to any and all opportunities.

To join the Wikitourism community, go to www.wikitourism.co.za.