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Thousands of young South Africans who studied tourism at school or are looking to enter the tourism sector have a wide range of career opportunities available to them, says the Southern Africa Tourism Services Association (Satsa).
Rob Hetem, who leads special projects at the association, says tourism is one of the country’s most diverse industries, with opportunities extending far beyond tour guiding and hospitality.
“The tourism value chain touches almost every part of our economy,” Hetem said, adding that aspiring tourism professionals can enter the industry through various pathways, including formal education, internships, learnerships, volunteering, job shadowing, entry-level employment or by starting their own tourism-related businesses.
“The most important first step is to identify an area of interest, whether it’s hospitality, guiding, travel, events, transport, conservation or marketing, and then gain practical exposure, build relationships and demonstrate reliability,” he said.
Hetem said pupils who studied tourism at school had several post-matric options. These included pursuing certificates, occupational qualifications, diplomas or degrees in tourism, hospitality, conservation, events or business through universities, TVET colleges and accredited training providers.
He added that tourism as a school subject provides a strong foundation for careers in destination marketing, aviation, travel operations, hospitality management, entrepreneurship and government tourism development.
The most important first step is to identify an area of interest, whether it’s hospitality, guiding, travel, events, transport, conservation or marketing, and then gain practical exposure, build relationships and demonstrate reliability,
— Rob Hetem
While formal qualifications are valuable, Hetem stressed they are not the only route into the industry.
“The tourism sector also needs people with skills in sales, finance, technology, food services, customer experience, communications, logistics and administration,” he said.
He said people without tourism qualifications can still build successful careers by taking operational roles, completing short courses, gaining workplace experience or pursuing entrepreneurship.
“Opportunities for advancement are always available for passionate, committed people who are prepared to learn about the industry, understand the customer and go above and beyond.”
According to Hetem, employers are increasingly looking for candidates who combine technical knowledge with soft skills.
These include strong customer service, communication, digital literacy, sales ability, problem-solving, cultural awareness and an understanding of responsible tourism.
“Qualifications are useful, but employability is strengthened considerably when candidates can demonstrate practical experience, professional conduct, initiative and the ability to create an excellent and commercially sustainable visitor experience,” he said.
He described tourism as “first and foremost a people business”.
Hetem encouraged aspiring tourism professionals to keep an eye out for internships, learnerships, bursaries and work-integrated learning opportunities offered by the department of tourism, Cathsseta, tourism authorities, educational institutions and private-sector employers.
He recommended that young people regularly monitor career portals, approach employers directly and build professional networks instead of waiting for advertised vacancies.
“Harambee’s Youth Employment Accelerator is a good place to start because it focuses on youth development and offers strong support to participants,” he said.
Sowetan
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