SMMEs take over the KZNTAFA stand at ATI 2025

Magical. Zulu Kingdom.

- MARYANNE ISAAC

KWAZULU-NATAL Tourism and Film Authority’s (KZNTAFA) Business Development Programme empowers small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) to shine on an international stage by providing them with a platform to showcase the province's rich tourism offerings at Africa's Travel Indaba (ATI), where thousands of tourism and travel industry delegates gather each year.

Each SMME will strive to catch the eye of international buyers and media from across Africa and the world, and will be able to access global markets they would not have considered prior to the travel indaba. Some of the SMME products and services that buyers can survey at ATI 2025 include Tanomuntu Tour & Travel, Excellent Shuttle & Taxi Services, Isiphosethu Travel Services, Burnham House B&B and Sinapis Travel.

Tourism SMMEs face several challenges, including market access, lack of resources, lack of ICT infrastructure, affordability and achieving compliance. It is vital that they are present at calendar events such as ATI in order to gain exposure and experience in the travel world. The ATI platform gives them the opportunity to meet both buyers and sellers under one roof.

Sibusiso Gumbi, KZNTAFA interim CEO, believes that SMMEs have been given a unique opportunity to showcase their tourism products to a wide and influential international audience who can give them good leads that can catapult their businesses to even greater heights.

“The Department of Tourism has more than 120 SMMEs in its Hidden Gem programme; and as KZN, we support an additional 15 SMMEs that are exhibiting at our stand.