International arrivals to South Africa are running 12,4% ahead of last year, with the latest available figures putting the total for the year to date at more than 6,5 million. President Cyril Ramaphosa recently said that the challenge now is ensuring those benefits reach villages, townships, small towns and heritage sites rather than only established destinations.
Kgomotso Pooe has spent fourteen years building a business that does exactly that, and is now a finalist in the 38th annual Business Partners Limited Entrepreneur of the Year® awards.
He founded SoWeToo Tours in 2012 to show visitors Soweto on its own terms. The company has grown into one of South Africa’s established township tour operators, running guided tours, hop-on hop-off experiences, customised cultural and educational itineraries, and shuttle and executive transport. Its clients range from international travellers to schools, corporate groups, travel agents and government departments.
The business employs 14 people permanently and another 10 on a temporary basis. Almost two-thirds of its staff are under 35, and it draws its workforce and much of its supply chain from Soweto itself, routing tourist spending to local businesses along the way.
“The arrivals numbers are the easy part. Getting that money to land in Soweto rather than only in the places tourists already know about is the difficult part, and it takes an operator on the ground to do it,” says Gugu Mjadu of Business Partners Limited.
The finalists will now compete for top honours in their respective categories and for the overall title of South Africa’s 2026 Entrepreneur of the Year®. The Job Creator, Innovator and Impact Entrepreneur of the Year® titles may also be conferred at the judges’ discretion.
Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in October. They will share in award prizes designed to accelerate business growth, including funding, mentorship, technical assistance and business exposure opportunities.
For more information, go to https://www.eoy.co.za.
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