Satsa appoints new Co-Chairs

  • September 9th, 2022

SATSA appointed a new co-chairperson and co-vice chairperson to help lead the organisation going forward. Stepping into the two roles are Oupa Pilane and Mandisa Magwaxaza, who join Tony Romer-Lee and Rob Hetem in their roles as current chair and vice chair respectively.

Both Oupa and Mandisa have made exceptional contributions to the work of SATSA over the past couple of years in a variety of areas such as lobbying on NPTR and safety issues, their work on the Access, Inclusivity and Diversity (AID) Committee and both in their respective roles as Mpumalanga and Eastern Cape Chapter Chairs

The appointments were announced at SATSA’s 53rd National Annual General Meeting held last week, which also confirmed the appointment of SATSA’s Chapter Committees and Board of Directors.

“Oupa and Mandisa have invested sweat equity and we are so pleased to see them in these new roles. Our board is slowly becoming the showcase for what we want to see in the industry and country; a platform that encourages different viewpoints from a diverse group of industry role-players to steer SATSA into the future,” says David Frost, SATSA CEO.

The SATSA Board and Chapter Committees represent businesses of all shapes and sizes, from small, medium, and large businesses to women, youth-owned and rural tourism products. They volunteer their time freely to give back to the industry at large.

SATSA’s current board comprises 61% small and medium tourism businesses, 53% female directors and 26% black directors. At a Management Committee level, the stats are reflected as 67% SME, 17% female and 33% black directors.

Many of the highlights from the past year were also shared during the AGM, including our in-person conferences, the establishment of the Board Marketing Committee, attendance at WTM Africa and Africa’s Travel Indaba, and various campaigns and ongoing projects.

These highlights include:

Membership

SATSA’s membership has grown by 152 since the Covid pandemic. Total membership stands at 1 296, comprising:

  • 777 Active Members
  • 230 Subsidiaries
  • 130 Divisions
  • 4 Strategic Partners
  • 155 Non-Active Members


Lobbying

SATSA is synonymous with lobbying and being the voice of inbound tourism and has been actively involved and often plays the leading role in the following areas:

  • UIF TERS
  • UK Red List
  • NPTR
  • VAT & Inbound Tourism
  • Safety & Security


Industry Support

SATSA has developed and launched several tools and campaigns, including:

  • #Jab4Tourism Vaccination Campaign
  • #LetsGo Campaign
  • #SouthAfricaisTravelReady
  • SA Guidelines for travel
  • SA COVID situation tool
  • Lifting Others Campaign
  • Adventure Tourism Standards (in development)
  • Ongoing assistance on the SATSA Captive Wildlife Guide


SATSA has also played a vital role in providing support, information provision and training in the past year. Highlights include:

  • Digify Social Media and Marketing Training (over 400 attendees)
  • Financial Intelligence Training
  • Adv Louis Nel Business Review
  • SATSA’s Job Corner
  • Various Surveys
  • Just under 600 newsflashes & newsletters since Sept 2021 to an audience of 22 000+
  • KZN Flood Assistance & Fundraising
  • SATSA Safety & Advice WhatsApp Group


Webinars hosted:

  • A-Z of Adventure Tourism
  • Finalisation of UIF TERS benefit
  • COVID-19 TERS (various webinars)
  • Vaccination Guide & Mythbusting (various)
  • Update on UK Red listing (various)
  • Unpacking POPI Act for Tourism Businesses

Market Access

  • 11 Physical Fams
  • 3 Virtual Fams
  • 7 Speed Marketing Sessions

To view a recording of the AGM, please click here.