How SouthernXplorer is ensuring sustainable tourism communities

Khotso Micha’s tourism career started in the hospitality sector, working as an events planner for companies like The Ritz-Carlton Hotel. However, after a work and travel programme took him to the United States in 2012, and backpacking with a friend across Florida for a month, Micha realised his passion for travel. So, he quit his job and decided to combine this new-found pursuit with his knack for planning.

“Growing up between Gugulethu and Grahamstown, I grew up a traveller. I got to know the Garden Route well and wanted to show the rest of the world what I saw – the way a local would,” Micha shares. He took on the tourism industry as a freelancer, working as a tour guide for companies like Pangea Trails, Earthstompers Adventures, and Propel Africa under his SouthernXplorer brand.

Thanks to the small overheads he had as a freelancer (only hiring vehicles and help when he needed), when COVID-19 happened, Micha was able to close up shop without incurring too many losses. “When travel started coming back, I was able to get back on my feet quite quickly too,” he says.

For a while, Micha tried to do it by himself, but – like everyone in the tourism industry eventually realises – you can’t go the road alone. “The demand was coming at me quite quickly, and I had to take the risk to hire someone,” he explains. But before he could do that, he had to register the company.

“Credibility has been important for me from the beginning, and I knew that once it got to a point where I would shift from freelancing into running a company, I had to be fully compliant and vetted,” Micha says. “Joining associations like SATSA gave me the resources and the credibility I needed, as well as access to partners that would help me take the business through its next growth phase.”

With a new business partner and SATSA by his side, SouthernXplorer caught momentum.

Before he knew it, Micha had to look at purchasing a vehicle for the company, as it made more sense than continuing to hire in externally. “But transport regulation is a massive issue in the tourism industry,” he notes.

“SATSA has been advocating in this space for a while now, so I knew I could count on them to help me,” Micha explained. “I got involved with their Transport Committee and, as a member, was able to join their engagements with government regarding the red tape around vehicles.”

After applying for two vehicle permits in 2019 in the hopes that the business would grow, Micha finally received them in 2023. “I took the leap of faith and purchased two new vehicles, and it was all done completely legally,” he says proudly.

This was the catalyst the company needed. “With the vehicles came even more work, and I had to employ more staff,” Micha notes. “Now we have seven full-time staff and four freelance guides that work with us regularly.”

SouthernXplorer has also recently opened an accommodation establishment in Sedgefield, called Kamma Kai Beach Villa. “We use this as the base for SouthernXplorer but have opened it to all tour operators that go through Garden Route,” Micha shares.

Empowering communities through the youth

Micha explains that going from travelling through local communities to working in their establishments has entrenched a sense of responsibility to give back within him. “It's something I don’t take lightly, personally or as a business,” he says. “Many youngsters are looking for employment, and it’s up to us as employers to do right by them.”

Kamma Kai Beach Villa partners with the local municipality’s youth programme to employ people. “All of them are currently studying, and we give them the practical skills they need to one day gain full-time employment in the industry,” Micha explains.

He adds that many of the tour guides they hire are also young and new to the industry. Micha trains them on how he would like to see tours conducted in the future, leveraging each person’s unique local background to tell the country’s stories – like he had used his. “Most of them come from Khayelitsha, Gugulethu, and Athlone, or other rural communities that aren’t considered tourism hubs. But the stories they have to share are immensely important to the traveller’s experience.”

SouthernXplorer also works with many non-profits, doing workshops with the youth who are interested in the tourism industry.

A more inclusive travel experience

And it doesn’t just apply to employment – he believes in bringing the young travellers on his journey too. “Young travellers are curious to explore and open to learning – especially about a country like South Africa, with its diverse and colourful cultures and past,” Micha explains, adding that young travellers are also more likely to go into communities and help out because they are more adventurous and more susceptible to taking risks. “They should always feel like they’ve got friends in this country. If you can impact a young traveller and send them home with the right message, they become your best ambassador.” 

He believes that the young traveller segment requires a lot more focus and investment if the industry is hoping to improve their experiences in the country. “I think a lot of people overlook the youth segment because they don't see the value of spend. But that person will be around for a long time, and they are your biggest potential for a return visitor one day with their family and friends. So, we can’t overlook them just because they don’t have the right income bracket yet.”

Micha doesn’t like the country being portrayed as an expensive destination where you have to go on five-star safaris or visit lavish wine farms and exclusive hotels. “While these are great for our international tourists, if you look at our country’s economic state, that excludes most local travellers,” he points out. “If we offer more inclusive experiences to all types of travellers, we will put ourselves ahead of many other destinations.”

Creating a credible tourism community

Similarly, with smaller operators, having been one himself, he understands the importance of providing fair opportunities. “Because of heavy regulation and so much pressure for service excellence, it’s getting harder to make it in the industry,” Micha points out. “But as long as you play by the rules and you use networking opportunities and associations like SATSA to prove your credibility, then eventually they don’t have a choice but to give you a chance.”

He adds that if you continuously show up, you’ll find more people willing to take risks on you. “Whether you’re a freelance tour guide or a small operator that branches off and becomes an employer, as long as you have a good moral compass and good values, people will only have good things to say about you.”