SCHOEMANSDAL, Mpumalanga | Tourism industry leader Oupa Pilane has called on young people in Mpumalanga to pursue careers and business opportunities across the tourism sector, saying they should play a central role in shaping the province’s future visitor economy.
Pilane, who serves as chairperson of the Southern Africa Tourism Services Association (SATSA), delivered the message on Tuesday, September 22, during the Tourism Careers Expo at Schoemansdal Community Hall in Mpumalanga.
The event brought together young people and tourism stakeholders to expose learners to career opportunities, practical skills, industry networks and potential pathways into employment and entrepreneurship.
Pilane is also co founder of Graskop Gorge, Bakgatla Municipal and Tourism Solutions and 34 on Saturn KLCBT.
Speaking to young learners at the expo, Pilane said tourism should be viewed as more than an industry centred on travel, describing it as an economy capable of creating a wide range of opportunities for young South Africans.
He encouraged learners to consider roles beyond conventional tourism employment, including entrepreneurship, innovation, destination marketing, tour operations, conservation, content creation and technology.
“My message to them was simple: tourism is more than travel it is an economy of opportunities,” Pilane said.
He said Mpumalanga possesses significant tourism assets, but argued that these resources need to generate tangible economic opportunities for communities living around major attractions.
“Our young people must see themselves not only as future employees in tourism, but as entrepreneurs, innovators, destination marketers, tour operators, conservationists, content creators, technology specialists and future owners of tourism businesses,” he said.
Pilane urged young people to ask questions, build professional networks, acquire relevant skills and use technology to develop opportunities rather than waiting for employment opportunities to come to them.
The careers expo was also positioned as an opportunity for learners to meet industry leaders, explore career pathways, engage with potential employers and gain practical knowledge about the tourism economy.
The programme formed part of wider discussions on the future development of tourism in Mpumalanga.
Pilane said he had held a productive engagement with the Office of the Premier, the MEC for Economic Development and Tourism, the Department of Economic Development and Tourism (DEDT) and the leadership of the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA).
The discussions focused on moving beyond tourism development towards broader destination development, bringing government and the private sector together to address issues affecting the province’s visitor economy.
Among the areas discussed were infrastructure, tourism investment, safety, access and mobility, destination marketing, public tourism assets and greater participation by small, medium and micro enterprises.
Pilane said the discussions also considered the wider visitor economy and ways of ensuring that tourism assets contribute more effectively to local economic development.
He said key proposals presented during the engagement had been positively received and accepted as a basis for moving the process forward.
“The real work now begins: turning our world-class tourism assets into a competitive, inclusive and well-managed destination economy,” Pilane said.
He said the development of Mpumalanga’s tourism sector should place young people at the centre of the process, given the potential for the industry to create employment, entrepreneurship and new business opportunities.
“Young people are not just visitors to our destinations they are the future of our tourism industry,” he said.
Pilane said the province’s tourism future would require young people to be equipped with skills, connected to industry networks and encouraged to use technology and innovation to participate in the sector.
“The future of Mpumalanga tourism must be built with young people at its centre,” he said.
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