09 - 11 MAY

2023

The Tourism Grading Council
of South Africa (TGCSA)
introduces the Basic Quality
Verification (BQV) programme

The Tourism Grading Council

Ensuring South Africa’s
exceptionalism

As the only globally credible quality assurance body for tourism products in South Africa, we recognise and celebrate excellence.

For over 20 years, we’ve recognised and celebrated exceptional tourism in our country. We ensure that our graded establishments receive countless invaluable benefits as we partner with them to equip them with everything they need for their stars to shine bright.

What is Basic Quality
Verification?

Our new Basic Quality Verification (BQV) programme launches its KwaZulu-Natal leg at Africa’s Travel Indaba in May 2023, after a successful pilot project in the Eastern Cape.

We know that small tourism establishments in towns and villages make up the foundation of our country’s tourism industry, providing travellers with authentically South African experiences of our culture and hospitality.

Get verified

We strive to give them access to training programmes, resources, and funding opportunities to help them reach their full potential.

Watch this video to learn more about this impact driven programme

BQV is all about providing
access and celebrating
exceptional hidden gems

  • Remote establishments can apply to be verified and enter into a two-year programme, where they get access to training, resources, and funding opportunities
  • Through this access, they are equipped with the expertise and information to eventually become a TGCSA-graded establishment

These are the benefits of
joining the BQV programme

Access to training
  • Verified establishments gain access to training programmes for both owners and employees, such as:
    • Welcome training
    • Business management training
    • Marketing management training
Access to resources
  • Verified establishments also get access to resources to help them become more marketable and attract the right customers, such as:
    • Speed marketing
    • Coaching and mentoring
Market access
  • The programme is also uniquely suited to unlisted, remote, and rural establishments in that it offers them the opportunity to partner with more formally recognised service brands
Funding opportunities
  • BQV has various partners that establishments can apply for funding opportunities that are there to take your establishment to the next level, which can give you the opportunity to get graded and realise the full benefit of being a TGCSA member
Youth employment
  • The BQV use the skills of unemployed tourism graduates as part of its efforts to promote inclusive economic growth in the tourism industry
  • Graduates are trained as evaluators and receive much-need entrepreneurial skills and technical specialisation required to be Accredited Assessors in the future
Would you like to partner with us
to help build South Africa’s tourism
industry?
Get in touch

Come and experience exceptional at
Africa’s Travel Indaba 9 – 11 May 2023

Visit the TGCSA stand (no. ICC102) and meet the people committed to ensuring exceptionalism
across all aspects of tourism in South Africa.

Meet the TGCSA team

Personally meet with one of our dedicated TGCSA team members.

Bronwen Auret

Chief Quality Assurance Officer
 

Book a time slot

Noxolo Daniel

National Quality Assurance and
Development Manager

Book a time slot


Join us for our events at Africa’s Travel Indaba 2023

Panel Discussion - Impacting tourism from the ground up

The small tourism establishments in villages, towns and small dorpies (VTSD's) that make up the foundation of our country’s tourism industry are ready to have their time in the sun. Let’s unpack how we can uncover these hidden gems and make sure they shine as brightly as they ought to.

Date: 10 May 2023
Time: 09:00 - 10:00
Place: We do Tourism stand (no. ICC102)

Panellists:

  • Soza Simango, Director: Enterprise Development, National Department of Tourism
  • Ayanda Zondi, Director: Tourism Transformation, KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development and Tourism
  • Samora Nqweniso, Manager: Transformation, Tourism KwaZulu-Natal
  • Amimi Mlaba, Chief Executive Officer, Isthumba Travels
  • Noxolo Daniel, National Quality Assurance and Development Manager, TGCSA
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Want to get involved in our programme?

We’re always looking to partner with people who share our values, businesses that want to help build a strong foundation for our industry and key players who see the immense value of these small yet mighty establishments.

Does that sound like you? Then let’s work together.

Get in touch

To take part in our BQV programme, please provide us with the following information