Matsatsi Ramawela on her love for tourism

This affection is what one would expect from the chief executive of Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA), but Ramawela first pursued a degree in retail and later ventured into small business finance.

Eventually, her passion for travelling and tourism got the upper hand and led her to TBCSA – a membership-based organisation, which she refers to as a “chamber of tourism”. “It’s almost like a joke,” said Ramawela, who was born and bred in Limpopo.

“I started at the University of Cape Town – I lived in Cape Town – and what we used to do when we were supposed to be studying during weekends was go and look for something to drink. “It became part and parcel of appreciating the beauty of the city.” Ramawela said she was fascinated by the Winelands. “We would go to Paarl … we would decide we are painting the town red, we would go to Franschhoek … and then end up in Stellenbosch. That is how my love for travel came about.”

As she was going around Cape Town, she noticed that she and her friends were not the only people who checked out places in the Mother City. “I remember always seeing groups of people in buses and I would take a listen because I’m very observant. So, being me, I would approach some of the people there and ask them questions about the language they spoke and why they were there,” she said.

Mmatati Ramawela, CEO of the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) poses for a picture after an interview with The Citizen in Pretoria, 1 September 2015. Picture: Tracy Lee Stark

All these questions and chats gave Ramawela more reason to seek additional knowledge about visiting different places. After a number of conversations with tourists in Cape Town, she realised she had the bug and joined a tour operator company called Specialised Tours. “That is when I knew I had the love for tourism and it was real.”

After completing her university studies, in which she pursued a degree in retail, Ramawela landed a job with Woolworths as a trainee merchandiser. But during weekends, she continued with tour guide duties. “I got to know about everything in the history of the Western Cape,” she said. Ramawela does not talk at length about her other job interests but, after her merchandising job, she ventured into small business finance.

She moved to Gauteng in 1994, where she registered as a tourist guide. “It made me look at Gauteng in a different light, like the fact that Standard Bank headquarters in downtown is built on top of a mine shaft. I have learned a lot about Johannesburg as well. So yes, the bug had bitten me,” she said.

Ramawela’s chance to really venture into tourism came when she joined South African National Parks (SANparks) in 1996 as a senior manager in marketing. She was with SANparks for four-and-a-half years and then moved to KwaZulu-Natal.

Mmatati Ramawela, CEO of the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) poses for a picture after an interview with The Citizen in Pretoria, 1 September 2015. Picture: Tracy Lee Stark

“Since then, I have stay in tourism”. Her decision to stay in the industry came with challenges .“We are not, as South Africans, capturing the story of our country in its entirety to be able to tell it to the world,” she said. “I think it has a lot to do with exposure, as well. We don’t appreciate a lot of things that fascinate people when they come to South Africa. Our country is a very rich country in all aspects – its culture and diversity. We have got everything, but it takes the citizens to own it, believe in it and be proud of it.”

However, Ramawela said South Africans had the potential to help grow the industry and pointed to the way the 2010 Soccer World Cup had benefited the country. “We need more of those events. South Africans had a lot of small businesses and welcomed foreigners with a lot of activities that painted our country with a beautiful paint.”

Becoming one of the first female chief executives in the industry is one of the highlights of Ramawela’s career. As part of tourism month, TBCSA joined the department of tourism in commemoration events in Limpopo with the theme “A Million New Experiences are a Sho’t left Away”, presenting an opportunity to highlight the economic impact of each tourist who takes in those experiences.

“We need more people to start tourism businesses, there are lot of opportunities in the industry,” she added.

– batlilep@citizen.co.za