SMME Support

Ugu South Coast Tourism (USCT) supports Small Medium Micro Enterprise (SMME) businesses, which are companies that record a turnover of below R5 million per annum, in various ways:

  • Skills development
  • Quality assurance, e.g. tourism grading
  • Accreditation of tourist guides
  • Facilitating mentorships, business linkages and programmes that allow access to markets
  • Creating exposure to marketing platforms

In providing such support, USCT encourages the integration of emerging entrepreneurs into the tourism sector and contributes to the diversification of the tourism product in the destination. At the same time, SMME support spreads the economic benefit and actively promotes transformation within the sector.

Tourist Guides

Ugu South Coast Tourism (USCT) as a state-owned Destination Management Organisation is responsible for the accreditation of tourist guides within the region. Training and assistance with certification is provided.

The KZN South Coast currently has 44 registered tourist guides, with various areas of specialisation, as listed. USCT has also provided training for tourist guides to specialise in its Great Drives Out (GDO) routes. USCT officially launched the Great Drives Out initiative in 2017 to identify and develop tourism products in the hinterland and to encourage guided tourist visitation to these routes.

Please consult the latest official USCT listing to find a tourist guide suitable to your needs.

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Youth Development

Addressing the need for the recognition of the value of tourism in our communities as well as the challenge of youth unemployment in South Africa and, specifically, the Ugu district, Ugu South Coast Tourism encourages active involvement of the youth and careers in the tourism sector through its various youth programmes.

Ugu South Coast Tourism:

  • Educates the youth about the benefits of tourism
  • Encourages a sense of pride about the KZN South Coast destination
  • Creates exposure into the operations of the tourism industry
  • Develops youth as ambassadors for the destination

Youth initiatives and projects include, but are not limited to, tourism awareness at schools, tourism student internships at USCT, support of training at local tourism training institutions, career expos, tourist guide training and support of stakeholders’ youth initiatives.