Traditional African Homestays South Africa (TAHS-SA) will launch on August 29 in Limpopo, as well as an NGO, ‘Tshikhala’, made up of key community members.
The new company was founded by Cameron Murray and Kylie Henn in conjunction with the Vhembe District Municipality and the Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism (LEDET). It will offer traditional homestays, where travellers can stay overnight in a Venda village and take part in day-to-day activities within the community, plus experience a different culture.
Over the past year Murray and Henn have been working together with the Makushu/Musholombi village in northern Limpopo to create the tourism product.
The local chiefs have allocated 25 homestay families to take part in the tourism initiative. Murray says they have been working hand in hand with the families to prepare them for potential visitors in the near future. He said, with the support of LEDET, they have managed to train 25 guides from the village to be interpreters, translators and tourist guides, who will also have the opportunity to achieve their National Qualification Framework Level Four qualifications.
The team have encouraged aspiring artists in the village to create a small ‘Makushu Art Route’ through the village for day visitors and overnight guests, where they can visit and take part in activities.
The TAHS-SA Rural Homestays initiative has the potential to nurture social cohesion between domestic and international tourists, says Murray. On a domestic level it opens up new opportunities and access to travel, so locals can explore their own country and interact with their fellow citizens.
On an international level, TAHS-SA is creating and providing a new product that is unique, real and authentic with a focus on community upliftment.
“By launching Rural Homestays in northern Limpopo, we will be creating a new tourism product that includes rural communities, creates jobs and opportunities, encourages skills development and gives travellers an opportunity to live a day in the life of a Venda,” says Murray.
TAHS-SA has invited a select number of tour operators to attend a workshop in the village over Heritage weekend, on September 24, in the hope of including them to make the project attractive and sustainable.
