For nearly six months, Lizanne Gomes’ tourism business - Jeep Tours Cape Town - made no money.
To keep her fleet operating during the hard lockdown, Gomes obtained an essential services permit to do charity work, including delivering food.
“I’m very passionate about animal charities, so we’d collect pet food and deliver it to organisations. When people could barely go to the shops, the animals were suffering,” she said.
Since her wine and dune tours restarted, business has been sluggish. “We are in survival mode. Every booking gives us hope,” said Gomes.
“Our focus is to remain positive because we know that travellers won’t stop visiting Cape Town. We are a destination on everyone’s bucket list, we just need to be safe in our approach so our travellers feel confident when choosing to visit us.”
Gomes's three-year-old venture is one of two tourism businesses that have just received funding from the Cape Town Tourism Development Fund.
Jeep Tours and Nicolene Mhlanganyeli’s Ikunjani Travel and Tours, which specialises in authentic cultural adventures, have each received R50,000.
Cape Town Tourism directors established the fund in 2013 by waiving their remuneration and pooling it to support small and medium-sized businesses.
Board chair Brett Hendricks said providing support for local enterprises during this critical time was crucial.
“We all know that a few months ago, travel came to a complete standstill. Tourism businesses are now embarking on the slow journey to recovery, facing minimal visitor numbers and depleted cash reserves. Initiatives to support SMMEs now could be the difference between closure and survival,” he said.
“Our aim with this fund is to ensure the longevity and sustainability of these businesses. The tourism industry is a key contributor to the economy, creating jobs and providing opportunities and income for many other sectors.”
Mhlanganyeli, who started her business in 2017, said the R50,000 cash injection would help cover the basics and buy the necessary equipment for her business.
Moving forward, she plans to create more jobs and expand her company’s product offering by “promoting a culture of being a tourist in your own country and exploring communities through flexible payment options to make it possible”.
Mhlanganyeli added: “Being a small-business owner means being part of a solution and being an innovator that will inspire other young black women from previously disadvantaged backgrounds to dare to dream.
“It means being actively involved in creating jobs and assisting in developing the economy. It means being able to give the next person an opportunity to put bread on the table for their family to survive during these challenging times.”
Gomes said the board's support has been a fantastic morale boost. “It’s wonderful to know that my vision is shared by industry leaders. If they see value and potential, it makes you feel confident that you are growing a business that has a future,” she said.
Enver Duminy, CEO of Cape Town Tourism, said funding recipients were carefully chosen. “Benefits of this programme include customised business interventions designed around the specific needs of each business.
“The programme supports the sustainability of small to medium tourism businesses and creates a marketing and media platform which improves the profile of these businesses. We also support them by connecting them to our Cape Town Tourism members, partners and executive leadership.”
