Youth4Tourism officially launched at the Norval Foundation in Cape Town. This collaborative programme empowers youth and rejuvenates the tourism industry.
The official launch of Youth4Tourism was held at Cape Town's Norval Foundation on 24 October 2023. The Youth4Tourism (Y4T) initiative is a groundbreaking private sector collaboration between the Youth Employment Service (YES), founding partner Sanlam, and a growing array of corporate partners.
The launch was MCed by YES COO Leanne Emery-Hunter, and featured talks from YES Board Co-Chairman Colin Coleman, Sanlam CEO Paul Hanratty, YES CEO Ravi Naidoo and YES Board Member Nomvuyo Guma. The event also included youth-focused panel discussion moderated by Sibusiso Zulu, Programme Coordinator at the Youth Content Collective. The formal proceedings wrapped up with an exhibition of inspiring tourism content created by those trained in the Y4T programme.
Sanlam and YES lead this transformative initiative and are supported by a growing list of South Africa’s leading corporates, including Mercedes Benz SA, Hollard, Pizza Hut, Fairtree, Ford SA, Sun International, The Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA), and implementation partners like Conservation South Africa, RLABS, Youth Content Collective (YCC), and Africa Foundation.
The initiative unites corporate South Africa to nurture young talent in tourism roles from field guides to photographers, with the ultimate aim of revitalising the sector to boost economic growth. 650 youth are already placed around the country, which will inject over R50 million into the economy through salaries and gigs.
The Youth4Tourism initiative is calling on businesses from all sectors to join the movement to create diverse work opportunities for youth and redefine the landscape of our tourism industry.
For more information, visit youth4tourism.co.za.
