Nicolette Booyens, managing director of Cause Development Agency; Jacques Stoltz, director: Tourism, Department of Economic Development and Tourism, Western Cape Government; Carina Gous, general manager of Kleine Zalze; and RJ Botha, Kleine Zalze cellarmaster.
In part sponsored by Stellenbosch winery Kleine Zalze, the DEDAT Stellenbosch Tourist Guide Training Project was initiated in January 2026 aiming to train and qualify 17 new culture and adventure tourist guides through a sector-led programme designed to prioritise real-world skills, employability and integration into the local tourism economy.
The project was initiated after local tourism body Visit Stellenbosch flagged a lack of competent, job-ready tourist guides as a growing constraint on the town’s expanding visitor experience sector.
According to Raino Bolz, experience director at Visit Stellenbosh, Stellenbosch’s tourism offering is growing, but professionally trained guides are essential if that growth is to be sustainable. “It became clear that the issue was not only a shortage of guides, but that many existing guides were not immediately employable, says Bolz.”
The need was raised at board level and led to Cause Development Agency, Visit Stellenbosch’s regenerative tourism service provider, being tasked with designing a solution that went beyond conventional guide training.
Nicolette Booyens, managing director of Cause Development Agency, said the resulting programme was custom-built to overcome common challenges in tourist guide training, including low completion rates and limited practical exposure.
“This is not about ticking boxes,” Booyens says. “The focus is on producing competent, confident guides who are work-ready on graduation.”
The programme incorporates Work Integrated Learning (WIL) placements with Visit Stellenbosch member organisations, comprehensive learner support, academic and wellness assistance, and daily stipends to remove financial barriers to participation.
The project is enabled and funded by the Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism (DEDAT) and co-funded by Kleine Zalze Wines, which made a donation towards the initiative at the end of 2024
Kleine Zalze Wines general manager Carina Gous says the project reflects a collaborative, impact-driven approach to skills development. “Together with the local wine industry, tourism is the lifeblood of Stellenbosch and there is a continued drive to ensure Stellenbosch provides the ultimate tourist experience,” she says.
“The DEDAT Stellenbosch Tourist Guide Training Project will ensure a new generation of skilled guides able to offer local and international visitors an immersive experience into Stellenbosch’s cultural and adventure offerings. As one of Stellenbosch’s oldest and most renowned wineries, as well as being a major destination for wine tourism, Kleine Zalze deems it a responsibility to support dynamic new initiatives bolstering Stellenbosch’s tourist offering and underscoring our status as one of the most desirable destinations in South Africa.”
The programme attracted significant interest, with 407 applications received during an open recruitment drive. After a two-stage, sector-led selection process, 17 learners were chosen: seven culture tourist guides and 10 adventure tourist guides.
Training began on 12 January and includes formal NQF Level 4 qualifications, first aid certification, practical training and up to 20 days of work placement, depending on specialisation. Graduation is scheduled for 27 February 2026.
Most learners are already linked to prospective employers, with remaining graduates expected to be absorbed into the Visit Stellenbosch experience sector on a freelance basis shortly after qualification.
Local partners involved in the project include Visit Stellenbosch, Cause Development Agency, educational partners Bergzicht Training and Development, Livingston Academy, SA Outdoor Academy. Work Integrated Learning partners include Adventure Shop, Cape Adventure Brands, Stellenbosch on Foot, Bites and Sites, Scoot Tours, Boschendal Wine Farm, Pniel Cultural and Adventure Hiking Tours, Casa Cerveza, Bonne Esperance Boutique Guest House and Winelands Guide.
According to Booyens, the initiative is a practical example of regenerative tourism, where skills development, economic inclusion and sector growth are directly aligned.
Naretha Ricome, vice-president of French wine company Advini which also owns Kleine Zalze along with the other Stellenbosch wineries L’Avenir, Ken Forrester Wines, Stellenbosch Vineyards and Le Bonheur, says initiatives such as the tourist guide training project underscore Stellenbosch’s leading role in wine tourism.
“Since the advent of the Stellenbosch Wine Routes in 1971, this region has shown itself to be a pioneer of wine tourism – not only in South Africa, but also from a global point of view,” says Ricome. “The breathtaking natural beauty, rich cultural heritage and excellent wines have been harnessed by the local tourism bodies into a world-class tourism offering. This new initiative to train and implement the services of specialist tourist guides not only expands the level of services available to tourists, but also accentuates the vital role wine tourism plays in socio economic development.”
Visit Stellenbosch CEO Annemie Liebenberg says: “We look forward to introducing a new generation of skilled tourism guides into the Stellenbosch region who are not only unleashing their own potential in terms of their professional growth, but who will also provide visitors to Stellenbosch with an immersive and engaging experience that is truly – as everything Stellenbosch offers – world-class.”