(Inspiring South African brands story series – Empower SA)
Johannesburg – the role of the informal sector in sustainable development has been a hot topic in relation to the not so perception that it’s unable to ensure long-term economic benefits. However, things are taking a turn for the better with the Delicious Festival Trader Academy having just launched its second intake of 50 students for the Culture, Arts, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport Sector Education and Training Authority (CATHSSETA) course.
Powered by FoodBev SETA in association with CATHSSETA, the new cohort will – over a period of six months – receive mentorship, learning opportunities and vital tools that will assist them in cultivating successful businesses.
Director of the programme, Jean Huddy, expressed her excitement about the new cohorts, stating, “After our initial induction class, I’m already so impressed by the level of commitment and enthusiasm. The students are embarking on this journey with us, and I look forward to supporting them throughout the programme.”
Launched in August 2023 as the CSI arm of the Delicious International Food and Music Festival, the DFTA is an accredited theory and practical training programme for informal SMMEs sourced from TISH (Townships, Informal Settlements and Hostels) within the hospitality, food, and beverage sectors.
This next six-month course, where students will acquire skills in business development, safety and licensing, and new business development, among other things, is a SETA-accredited skills programme.
During the event, the CEO of CATHSSETA Marks Thibela said he’s confident the programme will make a difference in building sustainable lvelihoods for the participants who will be assisted with the setup of their startups. Those who are already entrepreneurs, he added will be assisted through an incubation programme to grow their businesses and make them competitive”.
In August 2023, the first cohort of 50 SMME entrepreneurs enrolled in a FoodBev SETA Accredited Course, where the students also gained unique on-site work experience at the 2023 DStv Delicious International Food & Music Festival. The inaugural course was a resounding success, with students gaining invaluable insights and expertise into the food and hospitality industry. The students were able to take away key learnings such as compliance, branding, entrepreneurship and cost management – essential pillars for growing their businesses.
Rooted in a set of core values — namely, sustainability, continuous learning, innovation, and excellence — the initiative aims to offer immediate and long-term social and economic benefits to informal SMMEs across Gauteng who meet specified criteria. This includes but is not limited to, upskilling, market access promotion, networking, and partnerships.
The new cohort of students looks forward to taking over the torch from the previous cohort of entrepreneurs enrolled in a FoodBev SETA Accredited Course, where the students were given a broader view of the South African culinary scene with a unique on-site work experience at the 2023 DStv Delicious International Food & Music Festival.
The inaugural course was a resounding success, with students taking way key learnings such as compliance, branding, entrepreneurship and cost management – essential pillars for growing their businesses.
About Delicious Festival Trader Academy
The academy provides services designed to empower individuals and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMMEs) in the food, beverage, and hospitality industry. Among these is the 5-month training course covering food and beverage management, hospitality management , compliance and business skills.
In addition to training, they also facilitates networking events, and collaborations to help the students, majority of whom come from within the townships, informal settlements and hostels (TISH) sector of the Gauteng Province, connect with peers, mentors, potential partners, and industry professionals – with the annual Delicious Food and Music Festival among the first of contact for them.
Delicious Festival impact on Gauteng’s tourism
As one of South Africa’s and Gauteng’s leading lifestyle and entertainment properties bringing together music and food lovers from all walks of life under one roof to celebrate the dialectical relations between people, music, and food, the Delicious Festival has over the years grown to become not only Gauteng’s biggest tourism booster, but of South Africa at large.
Building upon a successful 2023 for events tourism in the Gauteng province, the festival is reading for another strong showing in September this year (2024) to re-ignite Gauteng’s tourism recovery post Covid-19. To paint a picture of the impact the festival has on Johannesburg’s GDP, in 2022 alone the then DStv Delicious International Food and Music Festival is reported to have generated about R340 million in revenue, 2000 jobs opportunities among others.
A part of the Gauteng Tourism Authority’s efforts to build a coherent link between the tourism, hospitality and events sector with the other high-growth sectors in the province, the festival contributed tens of millions revenue for over 100 SMMEs in 2023.
