12/12/2023
For 3 months, our Manager Mambo Ntema was part of the Cohort 3 of the Tourism Business Coaching & Mentorship Programme that started in May 2023 with bi-weekly virtual sessions.
In his own words, reflecting on the TBCMP, Mambo Ntema writes:
"Facilitated by Tshepiso Mganga of City & Safari International - DMC the TBCMP exposed participants to a wire range of training modules covering topics and visual presentations with expert presenters, from Running a Tourism Start-Up, Financial Management, Tourism facility design (architectural conceptual framework), Destination Botswana, Legal framework for businesses and regulatory requirements for tourism enterprises, sustainable tourism, product knowledge/packaging and marketing, sales and advertising, enneagram, becoming a member of a Tourism association and benefits of being in a consortium, hospitality and tourism operations, tourism dynamics and global trends, travel and tourism operations, project management, business planning and financial requisites, among a great list of skills and practice.
The training programme kick started in May 2023 in Maun at Sedia Hotel and another physical meet in Gaborone at Cresta Lodge, with online classes in-between.
Coinciding with major events, participants were allowed to participate in various MICE tourism events and expositions. I for one even participated in the MICE Tourism Masterclass (virtually) which was in Johannesburg and also a top 5 finalist for Championing Sustainability award in the Africa Tourism Leadership Forum and Awards 2023, as offshoots of my exposure to TBCMP.
By November 2023, an educational tour of Chobe Game Lodge was a major highlight of the training, which illustrated a sustainable eco-tourism business model that is environmentally sustainable in practice. Participants geared for a learning adventure in the wilderness. Pick up from Kasane International Airport, from different parts of Botswana, on an open view safari vehicle with a Chobe Angel "Fifi" maneuvered the off road terrains of the Chobe National Park, and we saw kudu, Impala and lions relaxed under Mukononga trees, past that, welcomed by a great team at the lodge. Great vibes, great place, great people, great food!
- Morning GAME DRIVE in the Chobe National Park with a Chobe Angel "Noriah" and with her deep knowledge and understanding of the bush, guided participants through the thickets and plains of the jungle.
- Sunset BOAT CRUISE in the mighty Chobe River, with our tour guides from Chobe Angels of Chobe Game Lodge. And participatory in discussions on aquatic life and wilderness, Botswana and Namibia. Sunset silhouettes and interactive dialogue.
- EDUTOUR OF THE LODGE AND ITS ECO-TOURISM MODEL displayed an inspirational journey towards climate change and environmental sustainability through responsible and sustainable tourism operations. The lodge has committed it's practices to conservation through eco-tourism certification. Waste water is recycled, food is prepared according to guest preference and limited to avoid wasted food, little or no plastic use, moulding bricks with crushed glass bottles and cement, electric vehicles and boats, solar system back up, staff training and capacity building is out of this world.
- GRADUATION DAY saw us emerging with a pool of knowledge and understanding of the dynamics of the Tourism industry. The trainees included hospitality and tourism managers, financial institutions (CEDA), community trusts, travel agents. Awarded a Certificate of Completion by Chobe Game Lodge Deputy General Manager Mr Lesego Lesh Moiteela and our Facilitator Mrs Tshepiso Mganga.
In a nutshell, my TBCMP experience is one that is robust and energized to take my cultural tourism business model to a different level and elevations. The vastness of our culture and indigenous knowledge has been at the core of my social and cultural enterprise model and with the current tourism trends, sustainable tourism is a great adventure and through cultural Tourism, our rural and city communities can grow and sustain a tourism industry economy. Special thanks to Desert & Delta Safaris for sponsoring me to attend and graduate from TBCMP. I will encourage everyone who is interested or working in the hospitality and tourism industry to enroll in the Tourism Business Coaching and Mentorship Programme."