Local Tour Guide gaining recognition Nationally & Internationally

The Eastern Cape has long been the forgotten province and the poor relative in many aspects, but never more so than in the tourism Industry. Years of neglect and lack of a dedicated tourism department for many years, has resulted in our ‘mainly rural’ province, and especially East London, being ignored for the most part by not only government, but national and international visitors.

Luckily that is all changing and the big players, The Eastern Cape Parks & Tourism Board, Buffalo City Tourism, Buffalo City Development Agency, Border Kei Chamber of Business and local business, are all aligning their goals to help turn this trend around.

SISEKO YELANI – AWARD WINNING TOUR GUIDE

As a result, opportunities are opening up for professional, enterprising and hard working individuals who are carving a niche for themselves in the tourism industry. One such individual who is making a name for himself in the industry is Siseko Yelani, a young, qualified tour guide who started Uncuthu Tours in 2015, operating from his home town Mdantsane, East London.

Uncuthu is Siseko’s family clan name on his grandmothers side and in isiXhosa, also means ‘a delicacy’, which is how he has positioned his tours, with grace and finesse. But it almost did not happen for Siseko, and without some timely recognition and interventions, our city would not be benefiting from his professionalism and enthusiasm for our local tourism industry.

BEAUTIFUL HOGSBACK SCENERY – THE EDGE

He graduated from Walter Sisulu University in East London with a Tourism Management National Diploma in 2009 majoring in tour guiding, and did his practicals at The Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town. On completing his studies he started freelancing but was disillusioned by the lack of job opportunities in the local tourism industry.

Financial constraints forced him to leave the profession he was so passionate about in order to earn a steady income. In 2012 he got a municipal job in ‘finance’ which paid the bills, but did not touch his heart, which remained firmly planted in the tourism industry. Within 6 months he was drafting his resignation letter but remained for a further two years as he had a family (including 2 beautiful young daughters) to support.

CROSS CULTURAL EXPERIENCES
Traditional Medicine Shop / Cross Culture Interactions / Traditional Xhosa Grinding Stone

In 2015 he could stand it no longer and he resigned, much to the unhappiness of his mother and sister, who called a family meeting to try convince him that a salary was better than a fulfilling job. Lucky for the local tourism industry, he was not persuaded and he returned to freelance guiding and took up his studies to further his qualifications. To do this, Siseko had to bite the financial bullet, streamline his expenses and be more strategic in his operations.

During this critical time in his life, he caught the eye of local tour operator, Yvette Odendaal, who recognised in Siseko, the professionalism, drive and strong inter-personal skills needed in the tour guide industry. She introduced Siseko to Velile Ndlumblini, award winning tour guide and tour operator and owner of Imonti Tours.

While many in the industry would see them as competitors, the reality is that Velile has become Siseko’s mentor, sharing his experience, knowledge and ideas in a selfless manner to help the newer entrant, make his mark in the industry. The mutual respect has lead to them becoming partners, along with 7 other great local tourism entrepreneurs, in the recently launched East London Urban Cultural Experience.

STRUGGLE HISTORY
Cradock Four, Steve Biko, Mbashe River View Point, Donkin Reserve Mandela Statue, Sister Aiden Memorial

In 2016 Siseko graduated with a Degree in Tourism Management. His hard work and dedication was rewarded when he was recognised by ECPTA and BCM Tourism as a top tour guide in East London and was taken by them to both the Getaway Shows in Johannesburg and the Africa Travel Indaba’s in Durban in 2017 & 2018. Here Siseko got to meet and network with other tour guides around the country, some of whom, linked up their tours with Uncuthu Tours, expanding Siseko’s reach.

It was on one of these 5 day tours hosted by Siseko that one of the guests asked Siseko for his business card. When he got hers in return, he found that she worked for SA Tourism in the United Kingdom and was currently in the country shooting a tourism video on South Africa. She had loved her 5 day experience with him and told Siseko he was the tour guide she wanted when filming the Eastern Cape and Wild Coast. The video is due to come out in late January early February 2019.

In addition, Siseko has also won the Eastern Cape Tour Guide Award at the 2017 & 2018 Lilizela Awards and this year he made it through to the National Lilizela Awards in Johannesburg.

MVEZO, MQHEKEZWENI GREAT PLACE, QUNU
(Where Nelson Mandela was born…where he grew up… and where is is buried)

It is not all awards and accolades however. The rich cultural experiences that are on offer in our area can throw up their own challenges. Siseko tells a story of how he took a group of tourists to Mvezo, the birth place of Nelson Mandela. One of the places he likes to take visitors to is the stone rondavel where Nelson Mandela lived, and from which Nelson as a young boy, used to listen through the door to the elders talking about the crops, the colonials and other important village matters.

On a recent tour, the tribal chief who currently is in charge of the land and this heritage site, did not understand that the tourist visitors are not carrying bags of cash. For poor communities such as these, the need is so great that the locals sometimes chase away business, as in this case, when the chief wanted Siseko to give him an ox as payment. Siseko has raised this and other examples with ECPTA and the Heritage Council and they are working with the rural communities to come to a happy medium that is beneficial for everyone.

TRADITIONAL STICK FIGHTING

It is this kind of feedback and professionalism that is gaining Siseko the recognition he so rightly deserves. Tourism is his passion, but so too are his family. His partner Sisanda is kind hearted, calm and relaxed and maybe not quite as adventurous as he and his two young daughters, which makes for a nice balance. He is clearly passionate about his family and wants them to experience everything he does, after all, this is why he is doing this. As for his daughters, they are daddies girls, and clearly have him wrapped snuggly around their little fingers.

My daughters favourite place in the whole world… Pinecreek!

In just a few short years, Siseko Yelani has started his own tour guiding business based in Mdantsane; has been mentored by arguably the local best in the business; has showcased his tour guiding service at a national level at major tourism shows and Indaba’s and will be featured internationally in a tourism video showcasing the Eastern Cape. It is no wonder then that this young man was a finalist in the 2018 National Lilizela Awards, along with the best of breed in the South African tourism industry.

NATURE BASED TOURS