Charlotte Chiloane from Sharon Park, was chosen by the Gauteng Tourism Authority (GTA) to represent Gauteng at the Tourism Indaba, which was held at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, from May 2 to 4.
Chiloane started as a senior education specialist (tourism) at the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) District Five, Gauteng East.
“I used to attend conferences representing the GDE.
“In 2016, I was the only GDE representative at a women’s conference and I was made a speaker again in November 2018 at Velmore Hotel in Centurion,” says Chiloane.
Chiloane says she used to take stokvel ladies from different townships and teachers on tours. That was where she saw a business opportunity and an opportunity for women in the tourism industry.
Chiloane says: “GTA trained me as a tour guide, so I’m using the skills I got from them to train other tour guides.
“I have an honours degree in tourism from the University of the Witwatersrand and would like to encourage youngsters to take tourism as a subject in school as it can help them in creating their own businesses in the near future.”
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Chiloane says she is a tour guide and a tour operator and that she organises educational tours for schools and the locals.
“I once took tourism teachers from different schools to the Kruger National Park and the GDE staff to Soweto.
“Soweto is one of the places I usually do my tours, as most people have heard more about Soweto than any other place in Gauteng. However, I use my skills in all areas across the country,” says Chiloane.
Chiloane says tourism helps people to know more about the country they live in.
She says cruises are more popular these days among women and that she takes them on MSC cruises and local cruises in Hartbeespoort.
“I would like to thank the GTA for giving me this great opportunity and for supporting me through the three years I’ve been with them.
“The first Indaba I attended was in 2017,” says Chiloane.
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