The Department of Tourism and Events Management has compassionately held a student food drive during the October-November period, aiming to support and uplift students who are facing food insecurity.

This initiative was launched to improve student welfare by providing essential nutritional support. Dr Cynthia Dube, the acting head of the department, highlighted that the food drive was made possible through the generosity of corporate sponsors and individual donors. A total of 29 students received meal packets containing staple foods, such as canned proteins (beans, pilchards, baked beans), carbohydrates (maize meal, rice, pasta), and toiletries. These packages were designed to offer well-balanced meals and essential nourishment for a limited time.

“This approach was designed to ease the burden on students, especially those who are financially disadvantaged or unfunded by their bursaries, which enable them to focus on their academics. This initiative has managed to minimise disruptions caused by hunger,” she noted.

The goals of this food drive initiative are to support students facing financial difficulties by providing essential food parcels; to build partnerships with business sponsors who support student welfare programmes; and to encourage student participation and awareness of mutual aid and food security.

Nobesuthu Magida, a lecturer in Tourism and Events Management and the project coordinator, highlighted the department's commitment to student privacy and dignity. To protect privacy, no identifiable photos were used in documentation. Various communication channels, such as class representatives, campus notice boards, and WhatsApp messages to class groups, were employed to raise student awareness and ensure equitable access to the initiative. “Most importantly, in order to maintain the initiative's inclusivity and respect for each student's circumstances, students were urged to ask for help through a private process. This approach promoted a culture of trust and concern throughout the department and emphasised the importance of student-centred support,” Magida said.

The sponsors included Shoprite, African Bank, Unilever, Diamond Works and individual donors.

For this campaign, the Department sent a WhatsApp message to students, placed food drive posters on notice boards in key campus areas, and promoted it through word-of-mouth by class representatives and the student support team. The Department plans to appeal to new and existing donors, to launch a similar initiative during the 2026 academic year. “The goal is to build on the success of the 2025 Student Food Drive by expanding its reach and sustainability. This upcoming phase will not only focus on aiding during the examination period but will also aim to offer continuous support to students throughout their academic journey at CPUT,” said Dube.

Magida added: “To achieve this, the department plans to strengthen and formalise its partnerships with corporate sponsors like as Shoprite, African Bank, and Unilever, as well as pitching to new industry partners, local businesses, and CPUT alumni. The idea is to create a stable Student Food Drive account that can be used to purchase food vouchers, hygiene packs, and other necessities regularly. This fund will be managed transparently, with clear reporting methods to ensure accountability and donor confidence.”

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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A group of  CPUT postgraduate students and staff have been selected as participants of the Douglas Ribeiro da Silva Field School, which takes place during the upcoming Leisure and Recreation Association of South Africa  (LARASA) World Leisure Congress in Durban.

The goal of the field school is to provide a platform for young people during the LARASA World Leisure Congress which will be held from 24 June to 1 July 2016.

Sport Management junior lecturer Janice Hemmonsbey, Tourism  Masters students Nolwazi Mabaleka and Gift Muresherwa as well as Tourism Management junior lecturer Shameelah Ismail will volunteer assistance in the management of the congress and conduct presentations.

In the field school the CPUT group will work together with student delegates from various universities around the world in international and multi-disciplinary groups on a project related to the city of Durban.

“In this way we want to facilitate a platform in which students of leisure and tourism from various countries and backgrounds can come together, learn about and from each other’s perspectives, share knowledge and ideas in order to create and develop new ideas and practices relevant for the professional field,” says Nicoline de Heus, co-organizer of the field school.

The field school is seen as a great opportunity for the World Leisure Centers of Excellence (Vancouver Island University, Arizona State University and NHTV Breda University of Applied Sciences) to collaborate, to exchange knowledge and to build on each other's expertise.

Hemmonsbey says the field school will expand her knowledge and help her learn more about what attributes the industry requires from graduates.

Nolwazi hopes it will enhance her research capacity as an emerging researcher and afford her an opportunity to work with people from different backgrounds.

Prof Kamilla Swart, from the Department of Tourism and Events Management says participation in this event will contribute to the development of the CPUT students and staff.

“They will be groomed as future leaders in the leisure industry,” says  Swart.

Written by Kwanele Butana
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Prof Kamilla Swart from the Department of Tourism and Events Management has been recently appointed to serve as a member on the Western Cape Nature Conservation Board.

Swart was appointed to her new role by the provincial Minister of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, Anton Bredell, after she was recommended by the Standing Committee on Environmental Affairs and Development Planning.

“The Standing Committee consulted with the Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning and CapeNature on the nominations received and made recommendations to the Minister, she says.

Her role will be to provide leadership in biodiversity conservation in the Western Cape until 2021.

“I feel honoured, and would like to make a greater contribution to nature conservation in the Western Cape in relation to sustainable and responsible tourism in particular.”

Swart’s appointment adds to the university’s prestige and profile as it positions CPUT as well as the Tourism and Event Management Department as a leader and industry partner.

This is just one of the many positions she holds in tourism and events industry associations and research networks.

Says Snyman Ohlhoff, HoD: Tourism and Events Management: “I think as a department, school and faculty, we can be very proud of her achievements and the national and international recognition she has as an academic.”

Prof Dina Burger, Director: Research congratulated Swart and wished her all the best.

“This is an excellent achievement and the Research Directorate would like to congratulate Prof Swart on this achievement,” says Burger.

Written by Kwanele Butana
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The Department of Tourism and Events Management recently hosted a Responsible Tourism Workshop for students at the Cape Town campus.

This initiative formed part of the City of Cape Town’s Responsible Tourism Week.

Responsible Tourism (RT) is about creating better places for people to live in and visit as this increases economic stability and ensures the long-term appeal of a destination.

The City has supported the principles of RT since the Cape Town Declaration in 2002, and to demonstrate its commitment it adopted the RT Policy as well as an Action Plan in 2009.

Dr Theuns Vivian, from the City of Cape Town, told students and lecturers that RT is a guiding principle towards a triple bottom line focus of environmental integrity, social justice and local economic growth.

Vivian called on students, organizations and businesses to take responsibility for their actions and related impacts.

He says that the City initiated a pilot programme between 2011 and 2013, developing and sharing best practices, which culminated in the big six tourist attractions in Cape Town signing the City’s RT Charter.  

The City’s priorities for RT include saving water and energy, waste management and social responsibility.

Students also had the opportunity to hear from Chris Gordon, General Manager of the Peninsula Hotel, who outlined steps taken by the hotel to ensure that it leaves a green footprint as well as its Corporate Social Investment initiatives.

Written by Kwanele Butana
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