Media release by David Maynier

MEDIA RELEASE BY DAVID MAYNIER
WESTERN CAPE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES

Tourism Month: Western Cape tourist guide registration system goes online

We are excited to announce a new online system launched to make it easier for the 5 000 tourist guides in the Western Cape to register, renew and update their details.

Until now tourist guides have had to complete application forms in hard copy or via email, but now the new online registration system provides them with the opportunity to register or create a profile, search the knowledge base of resources, give feedback, ask a question and chat with an agent.

Access to the tourist guide registration system is through the Western Cape Government eService portal - https://bit.ly/2E1KYb4

With the re-opening of inter-provincial travel under Alert Level 2, our tourist guides play an important role in welcoming visitors to the Western Cape and ensuring they have a great experience and keep coming back.

Our new online registration, which is the first of its kind in South Africa, is just one of the many ways we have been working hard to support tourist guides during the Covid-19 pandemic in the Western Cape.

To ensure that our tourist guides were able to access the relief funding that national government made available to them, we collected and verified the details of an estimated 5 000 tourist guides which were then submitted to the Department of Tourism to receive financial support.

Our “One Day” tourism (https://bit.ly/32wnlkj) campaign which was developed by Wesgro and launched to inspire future travellers during the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions, also provided an opportunity for tourist guides to become virtual guides, using streaming services to conduct tours of our top experiences in the Western Cape. At the end of the virtual tour, viewers had the chance to show their appreciation to the tourist guides through Paypal or Snapscan.

From September, tourist guides can also schedule appointments to collect their tourist guide ID cards and badges from the Tourism Guide Registration Office at Waldorf Building, 80 St George’s Mall. While the Office remains partially closed due to the Covid-19 restrictions, almost 200 tourist guide ID cards and badges are ready for collection.

To collect, tourist guides must schedule an appointment with one of our staff members:
Vorena Rudolph - 021 483 3012
vorena.rudolph@westerncape.gov.za

Puleng Leoatle-Kwepile - 021 483 9130
puleng.leoatle-kwepile@westerncape.gov.za

Babalwa Matiti - 021 483 2960
babalwa.matiti@westerncape.gov.za

Link to read the statement online: https://bit.ly/3cbyzOF

Applications to the COVID-19 Business Chambers Support Programme is open!

Eligibility

Are you a Business Chamber and/or Association operating in the Western Cape? Have you continued to operate during lockdown and provided support to your members during COVID-19? Does your business chamber have member-businesses across sectors? Does your business chamber have a proven Western Cape membership base?

This programme will support qualifying chambers and associations to assist member businesses that operate in both formal and informal sectors, and or sustain their (organisational) operations during the COVID-19 period. You are a qualifying-organizations when you can demonstrate that your legal entity is registered, that you have audited annual financial statements, and you are in good standing with the South African Revenue Services.

Application process

If this is an opportunity your organization is keen to explore, please do apply through the online application form found at following link: https://forms.gle/aJR1xfLF9EGNDeYk7

Ensure that all required attachments needing to accompany the online application is sent to: DEDAT.businesschambers@westerncape.gov.za

Please note: Failure to complete the online application form and send the attachments will deem the application incomplete and the application will not be considered. This is a once-off grant and the Department reserves the right to determine the grant amount per successful proposal.

The Call for Proposals close at 10pm on 25 September 2020 and no applications forms submitted thereafter will be considered.

For more information contact:

Rafiqua Mosaval at: Rafiqua.Mosaval@westerncape.gov.za or at 065 943 6267

or Fiona Mabuya at: Fiona.Mabuya@westerncape.gov.za