The purpose of the study was to address the question: Does Township Tourism contribute to the South African government's strategic goals for the tourism sector? A qualitative case study was done in the two Cape Town townships, Gugulethu and Langa to identify and interview a number of Township Tourism Entrepreneurs (TTEs). Selected works of C.M. Rogerson are used as a framework to compare these TTEs, to those studied in a number of other townships in South Africa. Rogerson described TTEs as having identified an economic opportunity and categorised them as Opportunistic Entrepreneurs, who share numerous qualities with white Lifestyle Entrepreneurs, such as being approximately 50 years old, predominantly females, who use their own funding to start accommodation businesses in picturesque rural towns, as a second career or income generator. The study has 5 TTEs in the sample, which is a convenient sample drawn from Cape Town Tourism ' s membership list of 14 members who are operating accommodation businesses in these areas. In-depth interviews were conducted with five TTEs, a senior staff member from the City of Cape Town Tourism Department, another from the Provincial Destination Marketing Organization and one tour operator. Informal discussions were held with staff at the Tourism visitors centres in Langa and Gugulethu and other tourism stakeholders prior to doing the interviews. The study also drew on multiple data sources, including policy documents. The study explored the TTEs' motivations for starting their accommodation businesses, and looked at how they conform to the entrepreneurial characteristics and categorisation given by Rogerson and the Global Entrepreneur Monitor Report, i.e. Survivalist/Opportunistic/Lifestyle Entrepreneurs. The study explores how this categorisation aligns TTEs with the vision and goals for the sector that policymakers and government have set, and whether this enables them to access the appropriate support. The findings suggest that TTEs should not all be assumed to have business growth as a primary goal, and that a number could be categorised as Lifestyle Entrepreneurs rather than Opportunistic Entrepreneurs, albeit in an urban township setting. This study also suggests that township Lifestyle Entrepreneurs have a key function in the tourism sector and consideration should be given to place them in a form of clustering with opportunistic high growth entrepreneurs. This would enhance this sector's contribution to the ambitious goals set for tourism as a transformation, job creation, and poverty alleviation tool.

This study aims at exploring the motivation that drives tourists to townships. The theories that were chosen as the theoretical base of this study were the push and pull theory, the Travel Career Ladder, authenticity and the tourist gaze. Three research questions were asked around the theory base and a survey was done of 100 tourists in selected locations within Soweto. Results obtained from the respondents allowed for statistical analysis. The results indicated that the township tourists were intrinsically motivated and were driven by affiliation needs. Furthermore, the tourists that initially visited Soweto were motivated by authenticity; however, as the amount of tourism in the area grew, the tourist gaze became the more dominant form of motivation. The implications of the study findings are discussed. Copyright / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

Prior to the 1994 democratic elections, urban tourism in South Africa was strictly confined to so-called ‘white’ areas. Black townships, prevented from constituting an integral part of ‘white’ cities, were developed as dormitory towns, far removed from central business districts and white urban areas. Today post-apartheid Soweto, a conurbation of two million inhabitants with a rich political history, has come to symbolise the political freedom of the new South Africa. Since South Africa’s first democratic elections in 1994 township tourism has been growing rapidly, with international tourists eager to see how the country has progressed. Motivated by an interest in the ethnic diversity and rich cultural heritage manifested in the daily lives and practices of township residents, tourists are visiting Soweto in increasing numbers. Because cultural tourists are motivated by local cultures in choosing to visit a particular attraction, they have been identified as both a blessing and blight, as communities living in townships are affected both positively and negatively by township tourism. The socio-cultural impacts of township tourism in South Africa, however, are not well documented. The purpose of the research undertaken was therefore to investigate the socio-cultural impacts of township tourism, as perceived by the host population, using Soweto as a case study. The purpose of this thesis is thus to present the findings of research conducted using a multiple-item Likert scale, in-depth interviews and participant observation as means for investigating host perceptions of socio-cultural impacts of township tourism in Soweto. This study reveals that respondents were divided in their perceptions of the impacts of tourism on the host community. Those who received economic or employment benefits from tourism generally viewed its socio-cultural impacts positively. Conversely, others who did not receive these benefits claimed that the inequitable distribution of benefits from tourism has led to community friction, growing antipathy towards tourists and commodification of traditional culture. Blame is laid partially at the door of government who, it is claimed, has neither afforded residents the opportunity for participation in decision-making relating to tourism planning and development in the township, nor offered the requisite funding or skills development support. A systematic analysis of tourism impacts can therefore help government planners, local decision-makers, tourism promoters and managers identify real concerns and issues in order for appropriate policies and action to be introduced. The challenge of managing sustainable township tourism in South Africa, using a community approach, is discussed. Results from the study have the potential to provide the foundation on which to formulate principles or guidelines and recommend approaches to be applied in the development and management of sustainable township tourism in South Africa, so as to create the basis necessary for good practice for any community cultural tourism project. Copyright / Thesis (PhD (Tourism Management))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Tourism Management / unrestricted

Since the end of the Apartheid international tourism in South Africa has increasingly gained importance for the national economy. The centre of this PKS issue’s attention is a particular form of tourism: Township tourism, i.e. guided tours to the residential areas of the black population. About 300,000 tourists per year visit the townships of Cape Town. The tours are also called Cultural, Social, or Reality Tours. The different aspects of township tourism in Cape Town were subject of a geographic field study, which was undertaken during a student research project of Potsdam University in 2007. The text at hand presents the empirical results of the field study, and demonstrates how townships are constructed as spaces of tourism. / Seit dem Ende der Apartheid gewinnt in Südafrika der internationale Tourismus eine immer größere ökonomische Bedeutung. In diesem PKS-Heft steht eine besondere Form des Tourismus im Mittelpunkt, der Township Tourismus. Dabei handelt es sich um geführte Touren in die Wohngebiete der schwarzen Bevölkerung. Etwa 300.000 Touristen besuchen in Kapstadt jährlich die Townships. Die Touren werden auch als Cultural, Social oder Reality Tours bezeichnet. Im Jahr 2007 untersuchten Potsdamer Geographen/innen im Rahmen eines Studienprojektes die unterschiedlichen Aspekte des Township Tourismus in Kapstadt. In der vorliegenden Arbeit werden die empirischen Ergebnisse dieses Forschungsaufenthaltes vorgestellt. Es wird gezeigt, wie Townships als touristische Räume konstruiert werden.

Despite there being general agreement that SMEs are valuable in the global and South African economy to aid in creating jobs and in growing the economy, few benefits accrue to these enterprises as they endure a number of challenges which make them unsustainable. This research aimed to investigate the sustainability of SMEs in Tshwane townships, with an aim to design a framework that could be used by other SMEs that intend to enter the tourism industry, to ensure that they are sustainable and can contribute towards the expansion of the South African economy. The primary data was collected through a questionnaire, which was used to obtain information on Tshwane township tourism SMEs, as a way of detecting whether they were sustainable or not. The results indicated that the Tshwane township tourism SMEs were very small enterprises created by owners who were passionate about the tourism product. These enterprises have not been able to grow and employ more people but have provided employment and survival income for the owner and, in some cases, two additional people. SMEs face various challenges relating to sustainability, one of the main challenges being financial stability. SMEs are therefore unable to play their intended role in the creation of employment as well as in contributing to the economy as a whole. In an attempt to assist the owners and/or managers of SMEs to fulfil their roles, an SME framework was developed in the course of the present research. This framework comprises a step-by-step guide that asks all the relevant questions aimed at getting to know the business and culminating in a range of recommendations that could assist in making these SMEs sustainable. / Entrepreneurship and Supply Chain, Transport, Tourism and Logistics Management / M. Com. (Tourism Management)