Luphisi youths are passionate about tourism

Four like-minded youths in this village joined hands to start a business in the tourism sector. They take visitors on trips to experience the beautiful scenic views of the province.

Bonginkosi Mbuyane, founder of Izizwe Rainbow Tours and S’munye Carwash, partnered with Wiseman Nkosi, Zanele Ntimane and Siphiwe Rantho, to make their dream come true. 

Read: Pilane calls for urgent intervention to salvage sinking tourism industry “About 11 youngsters have benefited from these projects, that keep them off the streets and do away with the dependency mindset. The car wash is used to train and instil a problem-solving mentality and capacitating the youth to have a positive attitude,” explained Mbuyane.

“Being a tour guide is a blessing to me, since I enjoy storytelling, entertaining and travelling. Being born and raised in the village, I was fortunate to acquire historic knowledge from the elders. We come across wild animals from time to time during our tours. To my fellow young brothers and sisters, let us build ourselves as inviting brands before facing the world. This comes when we love what we do without expecting much from it. Salary comes as a bonus,” he added.

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His passion for the tourism industry originates from when he was employed as a tracker at Bongani Mountain Lodge, a position he left in 2015. Mbuyane said their goal is to satisfy the needs of their customers. “Our ultimate goal is customer satisfaction, which requires patience and consistency. We ensure that we offer five-star service to customers, and build trust and confidence towards our services,” he said. They added that like many others, their business was hit hard by the devastating effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. “We were among the unfortunate small businesses that did not receive relief funding and the effects of the coronavirus might even cost us half of what we accomplished over the past five years. “Nevertheless, we are positive that we will bounce back with time.” The youngsters also strive to maintain a good relationship with the community. They sponsor the annual Luphisi Soccer and Netball Tournament. They have also hosted a number of successful events at the car wash, the latest being the recent awards celebrations ceremony for Ligwalagwala FM’s sports presenter, Bonoswagg.

He won the best sports presenter award at the Mpumalanga Sport Awards. “Bonoswagg did not win the award for himself, he did it for the community. We honoured him to show our appreciation for him representing our community so well. He is one of the few individuals we are proud of. Others include Bheki Mlombo of Mbombela Logo Designs and Richard Mabaso, who surmounted Mt Kilimanjaro,” concluded Mbuyane.