Ladies of leisure

01 August 2012
Ladies of leisure
FOR many years women have contributed to the tourism industry, whether it is as a guest house owner, waitress or the deputy minister of tourism – this women’s month, we acknowledge the contribution they have made to the leisure and tourism industry of Nelson Mandela Bay.

“As a woman who is very passionate about the tourism industry, it brings me a lot of joy to see how many women have made a difference to our city a destination. The number of ladies who have contributed through small, medium and micro enterprises (SMME’S) or other contributions by stakeholders on a larger scale, is worth applauding,” said Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism (NMBT) chief executive Mandlakazi Skefile.

Nelson Mandela Bay is filled with entrepreneurial women who have made their way into the sector by realising a dream or ambition of their own and making it a reality.

For Barbara Mhlaba this happened when she recognised a need in her community for a place where people could come together and have a good time. So she opened Barbara’s Lounge, a jazz lounge for over 24-year-olds in Kwazakhele.
“I would never have imagined my lounge to become this popular. But it wasn’t easy in the beginning,” said Mhlaba.
Opening for the first time in 1990, it was a whole different ball game back then, “I was the first to have an approved license to sell liquor and it was not easy to obtain. For a woman to open her own lounge wasn’t very common, but I managed to do it somehow and I’ve never looked back.”

Mhlaba said the most important thing is to stay ahead of the game, marketing your business and keeping it interesting, “I closed to renovate the lounge a while back and I have a live jazz band come in once a week.”

Another shining example of a woman in tourism is Erika Rautenbach who has been the general manager (GM) of Garden Court Hotel in Nelson Mandela Bay.

In the hospitality industry for over 10 years, Rautenbach said she has always enjoyed what she does and working her way up was no easy feat, “When I had just started my career, you did not find women GM’s. There were only two of us ladies working at my first job and the men did not make it very easy on us, we had our fair share of initiation. As a woman, I think you have to work twice as hard, especially with a family at home and the ‘family’ at work.”

Working from Oudsthoorn to Franshoek, Rautenbach has stuck to Nelson Mandela Bay for the past 8 years, “When I describe the city, two things come to mind. It really is the friendly city and a great selling point is the affordability of our city as a tourism destination. Even though the grueling hours can get tough, the satisfaction of guests and appreciation is way worth it,” she added.

“Without fail, women make a significant addition to the industry as ambassadors of tourism and hospitality for our city. As the tourism body of Nelson Mandela Bay, we appreciate the role every woman plays in furthering the city and tourism while being good examples for the younger generations. Deputy minister of tourism, Thoko Xasa and Lynn Haller of the tour guide association are only two of the many ladies who come to mind when I think of leading examples of the fairer sex in tourism. Where once we could only mention a handful, there are now more than we can mention,” said NMBT marketing manager, Titus Chuene.