Celebrating local tourist guides on World Tourism Day

On September 27, 2023, Mireille Wenger, Western Cape Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities, with Head of Department, Velile Dube, honored 38 tourist guides trained in Langa in August 2023. They completed a recognized tourist guide culture site guide course. This 14-day training programme, sponsored by DEDAT in partnership with the City of Cape Town, achieved a 100% pass rate, enabling the guides to legally register with the Department.

Minister Wenger was thrilled with the outcome saying, “ We are delighted that all 38 candidates completed the training and submitted their portfolios of evidence.” These newly trained tourist guides come from various communities in the area, including Langa, Athlone, Mitchells Plain, Hanover Park, Mfuleni, Khayelitsha, Hout Bay, Nyanga, and even Robben Island. Some of them had experience guiding tourists before, but now they can do it legally.

Minister Wenger also highlighted that this event aligned with World Tourism Day and reflects the Western Cape Government’s commitment to invest in the growth of community-based tourism. She emphasized the importance of skills development in achieving this goal.

She also pointed out that Langa was a meaningful choice for this event because the community is celebrating its centenary this year. The new graduates are now equipped to proudly share the story of Langa and other cultural sites in the city with our visitors.