a) In the 2015/16 financial year, the department is supporting one hundred (100) rural tourism SMMEs through the Tourism Enterprise Partnership (TEP) programme. In the second quarter 92 enterprises were supported on mentorship, business training, and marketing / market access and business development fund assistances and in the third quarter 78 enterprises were supported. The types of tourism businesses supported included accommodation establishments, restaurants, arts and crafts, tour operators and tourism attractions. The department contributed R13.5 million towards the partnership. The department has signed an MOU with the Ministry of Small Business Development to stimulate the establishment of new SMMEs, starting from the 2016/17 financial year.
b) TEP reported that 1,556 Full Time Equivalent (FTEs) jobs were created in the second and third quarter of the 2015/16 financial year.