Guide to Cultural Heritage Tourism in South Africa

South Africa is a melting pot of culture and heritage. With its twelve official languages and cultures such as Zulu, Xhosa, Tswana, Afrikaans and Sotho, the country is the best place to get a taste of everything. Outside of the diverse culture, South Africa has a growing tourism sector, and its best asset is cultural heritage tourism.

Cultural heritage tourism is when people travel to experience authentic activities and stories of those people living centuries ago. These tourist travels include experiencing historically significant foods, clothing, and activities, as well as looking at historic artefacts.

The small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the South African tourism industry account for about 60% of employment. This highlights the importance of small businesses in not just the country, but especially the tourism sector.

The opportunities for small businesses are endless when it comes to the tourism industry. Last year, there were over 8 million tourists in South Africa. This shows that there is a demand for tourism services like tours, accommodation and cultural experiences.

In this guide, we explore cultural heritage tourism in South Africa and which opportunities are available for SMEs.

There is no denying that the tourism industry is a great contributor to the South African economy. From creating jobs to growing entrepreneurs and their small businesses. According to experts, travel and tourism contributes 8,6% to the South African economy. Additionally, it provides for 9,2% of the total employment within the country.

The impact of the tourism industry can also be outlined as separate arms within the sector. Looking at heritage sites, their contribution contributes to the eradication of poverty, creating employment and generating additional income. Also, heritage sites provide preservation for cultural artefacts and practices.

According to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, South Africa has twelve world heritage sites. Some of these include Robben Island, the Drakensberg, Vredefort impact structure, iSimangaliso Wetland Park and Swartkrans.

After the COVID-19 pandemic, the tourism industry was affected the most. Because people were confined to their houses under strict lockdown rules, no one could visit any other country. However, within the bad, there was a silver lining. This time allowed tourism businesses to revamp their strategies to introduce new experiences, integrate new technologies and offer better services.

Through proper economic development, the tourism sector can become an even bigger contributor to South Africa’s overall economy.

South Africa is a leader in sustainable tourism. Sustainable tourism is tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts. It addresses the needs of tourists, the industry, the environment and host communities.

The benefits of sustainable tourism are:

• It builds environmental and cultural awareness.
• It builds respect for the environment and cultures.
• Provides positive experiences for tourists and hosts.
• Provides financial benefits for the locals.
• Empowers local people and communities.

South Africa takes a sustainable approach to tourism because of the culture and heritage within the country. This approach prioritises low environmental impact and social responsibility.

Some examples of tourist attractions in South Africa that are sustainable include:

Kruger National Park – The game reserve balances biodiversity and environmental sustainability with its tourist activities.

Aquila Private Game Reserve – The Cape Town-based game reserve treats and releases wild animals back into the wild.

Knysna Township Tour – The tour provides employment to locals who guide tourists through the community. This provides employment in the form of construction jobs, lumber jobs and tourism jobs.

The District Six Museum – The museum offers former residents of the area a communal space to gather and share stories of District Six. Additionally, it has been nominated as a world heritage site to preserve its history.

Community Involvement in Sustainable Tourism

The community plays a crucial role in the sustainable development of tourism. Although the industry involves various groups such as the government, businesses, non-profit organisations and individuals, the community is an essential part of the industry and its processes.
Community involvement is crucial because sometimes tourism centres around the local way of living, the local environment, culture and traditions. The needs and wants of the community need to be considered more than those of the tourists.

If the community plays an active role in tourism, it leads to sustainable development within the community, economic growth for the country and the community and benefits the preservation of the local culture. Additionally, the overall experience for tourists is better.
Some of the other benefits of community involvement in sustainable tourism include:

• Allows the local community to adapt to new environmental, social and economic conditions.
• It helps prevent the negative consequences of fast, uncontrolled development.
• Community involvement also ensures there are no conflicts.
• Provides development and economic growth within rural areas.
• It also promotes leadership, support and involvement from local authorities.

In South Africa, heritage sites are protected by law under the National Heritage Resources Act. It is a criminal offence to destroy, damage, alter or disfigure any declared heritage object and site without permission issued by the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA).

Items in public museums are also under protection. It’s considered a crime to disperse any of these items without permission.

Additionally, any person who exports (or tries to export) any heritage item without permission is committing a crime.

Note: It is illegal to remove a heritage object from South Africa if it’s not done through a customs port of entry. Additionally, if you own a heritage item you are obliged to keep it in good condition and in a secure place. If you do not, you will be found guilty of a crime.

Some examples of heritage objects which are protected by SAHRA include:

• The Hill Organ located at the Methodist Church in Grahamstown.
• University of Fort Hare Collections found at the University of Fort Hare.
• Kruger Chairs at the Reformed Church found on Church Street in West Pretoria.
• Voortrekker Pulpit in the Voortrekker Church in Pietermaritzburg.
• Ten Harvard aircrafts at the Heidelberg Airfield in Gauteng.
• Items such as the gold rhino, bowl and sceptre associated with the Iron Age settlements on Mapungwabe Hill.
• Collection of Kirby musical instruments at the University of Cape Town.

Note: SAHRA also protects areas such as areas surrounded by heritage sites. This is done with consent of the owner of the land.

Although South Africa’s tourism sector continues to grow, there are a few barriers that need to be overcome. Some of the most prominent challenges are:

• Safety: High crime rates and safety risks can deter local and international tourists from visiting the heritage sites.
• Economic Instability: An ever-changing economic landscape affects the growth of the industry. Additionally, factors such as unemployment can affect consumer (tourist) spending.
• Skills Shortage: There is a shortage of skills in the tourism sector. This includes a lack of properly trained professionals in hospitality, tour guiding, and customer service.
• Infrastructure Deficiencies: Lack of proper infrastructure also affects the progress of the industry. There is a need for proper transportation networks, accommodation facilities, and more tourism attractions.
• Technology Integration: The uptake in technology integration is also a hinder in the sector. There is a need for more tech to innovate the way things are done in tourism.
• Competition: South Africa has tourist attractions which are similar to other countries. A lack of innovative marketing strategies and tourism experiences can deter tourists.
• Regulations and Visa requirements: Complex visa requirements and bureaucratic processes can make it hard for tourists to come to South Africa, hindering the tourism industry.

These challenges are not set in stone and can easily be overcome. Comprehensive economic development, technology and robust crime fighting initiatives can help overcome them. This will boost the industry and create employment opportunities for many communities.

Opportunities in Cultural and Heritage Tourism in South Africa

We cannot ignore that the tourism industry is one of the best performing in South Africa. It creates employment and social opportunities for many communities. Some of the opportunities within the industry are:

• Job Creation: Around every heritage site is a community. This community is part of the history of the heritage site and can be employed to provide tours and experiences for tourists.
• Business Opportunities: Due to South Africa’s long list of tourist attractions, there is always a need for new business. Businesses can be for accommodation, tour guides, and tour entertainment such as dancers, speakers and poets.
• Boost Local Economies: Providing opportunities for surrounding communities boost local economies. This plays a big part in boosting the overall economy of South Africa.

Technology has evolved to address some of the world’s most pressing issues. These include healthcare, manufacturing and banking. Another thing technology has done is introduce social media marketing for businesses.

Social media marketing is low-cost and easy to use for marketing any business. For tourism businesses, social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok are great because they prioritise visual content. Using these platforms for your tourism business can really help promote it and attract local and international customers.

Lastly, interventions from tech companies such as Google can have a great impact on tourism in South Africa. Google and the Department of Tourism penned a deal to help small businesses in South Africa. The aim of the partnership was to use Google’s tech support to promote prime tourist destinations in South Africa using virtual technology.

If you own a tourism business, you need to ensure that your content (pictures, videos, social media pages) are done properly. This ensures that international tourists can also be attracted to your business through virtual viewing, and that can lead to more in-person visits.

Additionally, using technology such as artificial intelligence to enhance your business can also lead to better searchability on Google. This will ensure that Google pushes your business as a top recommendation to visiting tourists.

Additional benefits to using digital platforms for promotion:

• It allows smaller businesses to access a broader market.
• Various ways to book tourist experiences and accommodation thanks to digital platforms (Bookings.com).

It’s one thing to speak about the benefits of starting a business in the tourism sector, however, funding for this niche business might be required. To help businesses, the Department of Tourism has developed the Tourism Equity Fund (TEF).

The TEF was established in collaboration with banking institutions and is implemented by the Small Enterprise Funding Agency (Sefa). The fund has R 1,2 billion available in funding for small businesses. The capital is provided through a combination of grant funding and debt financing. Grants are capped at R 20 million.

The fund provides support to business in tourism which are:

• Accommodation.
• Hospitality and related services.
• Travel and operator services.
• Any other tourism-related initiatives.

Application for the Tourism Equity Fund

To apply for the TEF, you need to meet the following criteria:

• Your business must be 100% South African-owned.
• Your business must have a minimum 30% black ownership.
• Your business must be registered with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC).
• You must comply with all laws and regulations.
• Comply with requirements from the lenders.
• You must operate within the specified categories of the tourism industry and align your business services/products with the TEF’s objectives and priorities.

To submit your application for the fund, visit the Sefa website.

Note: The application process for the TEF is a three-stage process. Also, the fund provides a minimum funding amount of R10 million.