Joburg launches new tourism training programme to boost job creation

Source: Supplied

A total of 300 former participants of the Tourism Ambassador Programme have been recruited through the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) to take part. The training began on 1 September 2025 and will run until 28 February 2026.

The programme builds on the 2024/25 recruitment drive, which deployed 396 EPWP participants across key tourism hotspots. Ambassadors helped enhance the visitor experience by providing information, reporting incidents, and supporting destination management.

By the end of the previous financial year, 10 ambassadors had secured permanent employment, highlighting the programme’s impact on employability.

Skills and employment opportunities

The programme provides participants with on-the-job learning, mentorship, and practical experience, helping them secure employment with host employers or start their own tourism ventures.

Recruitment prioritised youth, women, and people with disabilities, with placements across tourism precincts, hospitality venues, cultural institutions, and community development units, located near participants’ residences to reduce travel costs.

Nandipha Zonela, chairperson of Johannesburg Tourism Company, described the programme as an investment in skills and the city’s tourism economy, noting its role in improving the visitor experience and supporting Joburg’s reputation as a world-class destination.

She said: "This initiative is more than just a training programme - it’s a gateway to opportunity. We’re investing in people, in skills and in the future of Johannesburg’s tourism economy. We’ve seen firsthand how these ambassadors uplift the visitor experience and contribute meaningfully to the city’s reputation as a world-class destination."

The programme operates under EPWP legislative frameworks, with clear guidelines around remuneration, duration, and participant responsibilities.