Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities, Mireille Wenger’s Tourism Month Tour kick started in George, in the Western Cape’s Garden Route on Monday (August 29).

Accompanied by Minister of Mobility, Daylin Mitchell, Premier of the Western Cape, Alan Winde, and the Mayor of George, Leon van Wyk, Wenger visited two top tourism attractions in the area. 

Speaking at the first stop, Wonki Ware pottery, Wenger said: “I am thrilled to begin my tourism tour right here in George, which is a popular stop for both local and international travellers, and I am looking forward to visiting other regions during the course of September.”

Wonki Ware was started about 20 years ago and has grown in popularity as more locals became interested in learning to make pottery and in the product. 

“The story of Wonki Ware is the story of so many of the wonderful tourism-orientated businesses we have in the Western Cape. People often underestimate just how much this sector contributes to our economy and just how many jobs it creates. Wonki Ware, for example, produces roughly 3 000 pottery items per day and employs approximately 100 local people. A few have become world-renowned potters.”

The next stop was Redberry Farm, an agri-tourism business that offers options for families to enjoy, such as berry picking and the biggest standing hedge maze in the Southern hemisphere. Last year alone, the farm produced 500 tons of strawberries.

“Redberry Farm is a truly impressive example of the berry industry, which is the single biggest employer in the region. But it also doubles as a tourist attraction, with around 30 per cent of visitors coming from abroad. Like locals, they will take stories of their fantastic experiences back home and encourage others to visit our beautiful destination again,” said Wenger.

Winde noted that the story of local businesses like Wonki Ware and Redberry Farm should be the story for all entrepreneurial ventures in the Western Cape. “One of being brave, taking initiative, tapping into unique ideas, and building your business up through a combination of hard work, resourcefulness, and passion.

“Job creation is a core priority for the Western Cape Government. Wonki Ware alone employs dozens of locals, and that must be lauded. As the business grows I hope it will offer even more employment opportunities to the community.”

While trying his hand at a bit of pottery at the Wonki Ware factory, Winde praised the owners and staff for all they do to help stimulate job creation in the town. “This is exactly the kind of entrepreneurial spirit we as the Western Cape Government want to nurture in the province,” he said, “where a pastime or hobby like pottery is transformed into a fully-fledged, thriving business that helps create employment.”

Winde encouraged other would-be entrepreneurs to consider basing their businesses in their passions. “Tourism is a major job creator in the Western Cape and we need to utilise the sector to its full potential.”

Leon Van Wyk, Executive Mayor of George Municipality said: “We believe that this will be a most interesting morning for our visitors from the Western Cape Government. We would certainly like to see many more tourists coming to visit George and explore the myriad tourism opportunities we have to offer within our municipal area.”

Wenger concluded: “I encourage our residents to get out and explore our province this Tourism Month, as I will be doing in the coming month. Many tourism businesses will be offering specials to celebrate Tourism Month, and this is a great opportunity to support this industry, which struggled so much during the pandemic.”