Book a Guesthouse was started by Tsogo Sun in 2005 in Soweto, developing, mentoring and coaching accommodation establishments that displayed the potential to become sustainable enterprises. The programme concentrates on the empowerment of black women, who represent 92% of the entrepreneurs, as well as the development of their businesses within the local tourism industry.
"This is the largest number of new entrepreneurs brought on board at one time since we launched eight years ago," says Candy Tothill, Tsogo Sun's group internal communications and special projects manager. "Having spent the last year consolidating our strategy, our focus this year is on expanding our numbers and geographic locations of entrepreneurs and establishments in the programme, while also upgrading our three-year curriculum to bring it into line with a business school-type approach."
The 29 new entrepreneurs were chosen following a rigorous selection process audited by the Micro Enterprise Development Organisation (MEDO) through a partnership agreement with Tsogo Sun Book a Guesthouse that includes monitoring, mentoring, and training the entrepreneurs as they progress through the programme. "We are delighted to have partnered with MEDO, who will add even more value to the programme's beneficiaries through the delivery of specialised business skills by their professional team," says Tothill.
At this stage, Book a Guesthouse has 33 entrepreneurs who have finished the previous three-year curriculum and who are officially alumni, 27 who are in the second and third years of the programme, and 29 new entrants who are starting the new curriculum. The growing base of alumni in Book a Guesthouse will see them taking on the role of mentors to entrepreneurs still making their way through the programme.
The revised curriculum for the newcomers to Book a Guesthouse started with a three-day induction course which took place from 10 to 12 October, to introduce the entrepreneurs to the parameters of the programme and to Tsogo Sun. It also provided the delegates with two days of foundation business skills training delivered in partnership with MEDO. The 2013 Guesthouse of the Year winner and several finalists were present for the course to share their experiences and encourage the new entrants in the programme.
After the induction course, the new entrepreneurs return to their guesthouses, where they will undertake the new curriculum and are monitored by a project manager to ensure that they are coping with applying their new learnings in their businesses.
Tothill says last week's induction and the launch of the new curriculum also marks the start of Tsogo Sun's entrepreneur mentorship programme, which will facilitate the identification of gaps in each entrepreneur's knowledge, which will then be matched to Tsogo Sun hoteliers with experience in the relevant aspects requiring further development for each individual.
This will allow Tsogo Sun's management team to mentor entrepreneurs in the areas where they need it most. "We are extremely proud of how the programme is proving to be an excellent way for the group to add value through skills enhancement within the broader hospitality industry, while also investing in the growth of the South African economy," concludes Tothill.
