Women are thriving in tourism and wielding influence from the boardroom to hiking trails, where they beat a pathway for others to follow. They occupy 70% of the tourism workforce in South Africa (according to the Department of Tourism) and their voices are being amplified in the sector now more than ever.
Today, CapeNature, through its groundbreaking podcast series Green Noise, honours women in tourism, by taking the conversation to places it has never been before. Like the spectacular Assegaaibosch Nature Reserve, near Stellenbosch, where we meet two special guests Julia Louw, Head of Leisure Tourism at Wesgro, and Itumeleng Pooe, Managing Director of Afri-Centric Luxury Travel get their feet water and wade into the conversation about the SHE-E-O’s of Tourism.
“This Women’s Month, we’re celebrating the extraordinary women who lead and shape South Africa’s tourism sector. With nearly 70% of the country’s tourism workforce, women’s contributions too often go unacknowledged, so I was inspired to dedicate an entire episode of CapeNature’s Green Noise podcast to them,” says CapeNature Marketing & Promotions Manager Loren Pavitt.
“‘The SHE‑E‑O’s of Tourism’ features two outstanding leaders and tourism partners sharing stories of innovation, resilience, and community impact amidst the breathtaking setting of CapeNature’s Assegaaibosch Nature Reserve near Stellenbosch,” Pavitt adds.
WATCH GREEN NOISE EPISODE HERE
With their feet immersed in the waters of the Assegaaibosch Nature Reserve, the host of Green Noise, Dan Corder, caught up with Louw and Pooe to highlight the heroic work they do behind the scenes to bring light to women advancing tourism.
At Wesgro, women’s empowerment comes naturally.
“We have a very strong CEO who is a female. Most of our C-suite are females, and within my team, the majority are females. It’s not something that we necessarily put out there, but it’s something we know will be done automatically,” says Louw.
Pooe has worked in the travel industry for 30 years and found a place where she felt seen and empowered. The beauty and the potential of South Africa inspired Pooe to reach for her own dreams and pursue a new adventure.
She wanted to tell the world about her country. “Getting into it as an entrepreneur was quite a natural flow, and I’m always excited about the opportunities that tourism brings,” she says. “Any destination can narrow the gap between the rich and poor, in urban and rural areas. I’ve always been drawn to this industry for so many reasons.”
But the journey for Pooe wasn’t without its challenges. “I didn’t realise that it was so cold on the other side,” she says. “You realise that there’s a lot of support or incentives, but they’re either sporadic or inconsistent. And half the time, you wonder, is it a tick box exercise or does it lack a sort of long-term vision?”
At the heart of tourism in the Western Cape is the locals’ innate ability to tell a story, to teach and learn about a destination through the power of storytelling. It’s this phenomenon that brought about “With Love from the Locals”, a recent Wesgro campaign that supports and engages in community-based tourism.
“With Love from Locals was born out of the insight that for people who come to a destination, there’s no better way to teach or learn about a destination than from listening to the people who actually live there,” Louw says. “Because we are ultimately the best storytellers of our destination.”
Women are the beating heart of tourism in the province, like Aunty Poppy, known for her legendary roosterkoek in Beaufort West, and Carmen Stevens, an award-winning winemaker who owns her own wine label in Stellenbosch, just a ShotLeft from Jonkershoek Nature Reserve.
“Just having somebody that wouldn’t necessarily be on your newsfeed or your Instagram reels is somebody like Aunty Poppy,” Louw explains. “The idea was to take these locals and suddenly put them onto people’s reels and their Instagram feeds, and then we go up the West Coast speaking the local language of the San people and the heritage and the culture.”
“At CapeNature, we believe that conversations like these are essential. They amplify authentic female voices, showcase the economic and cultural pillars women represent, and serve as motivation for the next generation of women conservationists, entrepreneurs, and storytellers,” says Pavitt. “By literally standing in the river with our guests, we framed tourism as a shared journey across boundaries and underscored the importance of giving women space to be seen, heard, and celebrated.”
Green Noise, a video podcast series is available to stream on:
For queries or interviews please contact Nidha Narrandes on 079 508 5101 or email nidha@reelstories.co.za.
