A new spa and wellness centre has opened at Addo Elephant National Park in the Eastern Cape. The government said it helped fund the business through the Department of Tourism and the NEF, a development funder.
The Epitome Spa & Wellness Centre was started by Lucia Ratshivhadelo. According to SAnews, the spa is fully owned and run by her as a young black woman.
The government said the project created 36 jobs in total. These were 20 short-term building jobs and 16 permanent jobs at the spa.
“Behind every tourism business are people whose lives can change through access to work,” Deputy Minister of Tourism Maggie Sotyu said, according to SAnews.
The money came from a joint plan between the NEF and the department’s Tourism Transformation Fund. The government said this allowed building work to finish before the summer season.
Sotyu said tourism growth must turn into chances for South Africans. According to the government, about 7.5 million international tourists visited the country between January and August this year.
“We want to see more South Africans owning businesses, developing their skills and benefiting from the opportunities within the tourism economy,” Sotyu said. She said the partnership with the NEF was about making sure transformation delivers real results.
NEF chief executive officer Mziwabantu Dayimani said funding can help skilled people move into owning businesses. He said a lack of money often stops people with the right knowledge from becoming owners.
“South Africa has talented and capable people with the knowledge to build successful businesses,” Dayimani said. “But having expertise and entrepreneurial ambition does not always translate into ownership, particularly when access to capital remains a barrier.”
He said Ratshivhadelo’s journey showed what can happen when that barrier is removed. “Development finance must achieve more than funding transactions,” Dayimani said.
Ratshivhadelo holds a B.Tech in Pharmaceutical Science. She said her interest went beyond beauty to the science behind treatments that work.
“Education and practical experience gave me the foundation to pursue my dream of establishing a business that combines professional wellness services with an exceptional guest experience,” she said.
She said it meant a lot to her that the spa had created jobs for other people. She added that she wants her staff to build their skills and grow in their careers.
“I also hope my journey encourages other young women to believe in their abilities and pursue their entrepreneurial ambitions,” Ratshivhadelo said.
Source: this article is based on reporting by SAnews.gov.za. Image: GCIS via SAnews.gov.za. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice News desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Kgomotso Maake covers news and politics for Tzaneen Voice. Kgomotso reports on government, Parliament, municipalities, courts, crime and service delivery across South Africa, with a close eye on how national decisions reach towns like Tzaneen and the wider Limpopo province. Stories are written in plain English and focus on the facts: who made the decision, what it means, and what happens next.