KLERKSDORP — The City of Matlosana Local Municipality has successfully concluded a comprehensive, week-long Tourism Career Awareness Programme designed to expose local secondary school learners to vast academic, professional, and business opportunities within the thriving tourism and hospitality sector. Spearheaded by the Marketing and Tourism Section under the Local Economic Development (LED) Directorate, the initiative ran from Monday, 3 to Friday 7 August 2026. The targeted activations focused heavily on high schools that offer Tourism as an academic subject, serving as a catalyst for local skills development and economic growth.
Throughout the week, municipal officials engaged with enthusiastic learners across several public and private institutions. The designated school visits included Nkang Mahlale Secondary School, Vuyani Mawethu Secondary School, Matlosana Secondary School, Matlhaleng Secondary School, Glenly Private School and Educators Private School. The interactive sessions broke down the traditional boundaries of the sector, giving learners deep insight into a wide array of specialized career pathways.
The curriculum focused on Core Hospitality & Management: Tourism management, travel and tourism, events management, and hospitality operations, Specialist & Niche Sectors: Aviation, conservation, tour guiding, and culinary tourism and Economic Drivers: Tourism marketing and sustainable entrepreneurship. Beyond career pathways, the Marketing and Tourism team provided practical, critical guidance regarding higher learning. Learners received valuable criteria on enrolling at universities, TVET colleges, and specialized accredited training institutions that offer tourism-focused qualifications.
Municipal representatives strongly urged the learners to proactively research necessary entry requirements, essential competencies, and industry skills to position themselves competitively after completing matric. This career drive forms a core pillar of the City of Matlosana’s broader commitment to combating youth unemployment through proactive skills development. By fostering a passion for the industry at a grassroots level, the municipality continues to position tourism as a highly viable career choice capable of driving sustainable, long-term Local Economic Development.
“An important focus of the programme was tourism entrepreneurship and small business development. Learners were encouraged to view tourism not only as a pathway to employment, but also as an opportunity to become entrepreneurs, create employment opportunities and contribute towards the growth of the local economy.
“Tourism career information and promotional materials were shared with learners to assist them in making informed decisions about their future studies and career choices. Through initiatives such as the Tourism Career Awareness Programme, the City of Matlosana seeks to strengthen awareness of the tourism sector among young people and encourage greater participation in an industry that has the potential to contribute significantly towards economic development, job creation and the growth of local businesses.”
A key component of the campaign focused heavily on fostering tourism entrepreneurship and small-business development among the local youth. The municipality encouraged learners to view the hospitality and travel sector not merely as a pathway to future employment, but as an open arena where they can build their own companies, generate fresh jobs, and actively stimulate the regional economy.
To help the youth make well-informed decisions regarding their upcoming tertiary education and career selections, the municipality distributed specialized tourism career information booklets and promotional resources during the sessions. Local authorities strongly emphasize that introducing these career possibilities while children are still in the school system is vital to sparking early interest and passion.
By building a highly conscious and proactive youth demographic, the municipality intends to reinforce local participation in a sector that holds immense potential for job creation, sustainable business expansion, and overall economic transformation across the region.
