Philile Nzimande, a mentee of Maud Masiyiwa-Wakatama, is a co-founder of the South African based business, Travelingcheapskates. Travelingcheapskates is a black female owned social enterprise that began in 2012. They have been listed on Soul Traveller as 1 of 7 ‘Black Owned Travel Start-ups Changing The Face of South African Tourism’. As well as featuring on all leading South African media platforms, such as SABA News, ENCA, SAFM, RADIO2000, UKHOZIFM, and more.
Philile told us that they have learnt a lot through their journey in the tourism industry, as each day they are growing, impacting and learning – learning about themselves, the local people and their country. “We don’t strive to be better than anyone, we strive to move our nation, grant them the opportunity to get out of their comfort zone, and open them up to South Africa’s potential.”
Due to the brutal past of the Apartheid, cultures and races have been segregated leading to people not knowing each other. The company also aims to alleviate black on black related issues, such as xenophobia and tribalism, by living by their motto ‘U MUNTU NGUMUNTU NGABANTU’ (We Are Because of Each Other). As they believe they are best suited to achieve this. “We are Africans and have indigenous and life experience with the problem. We understand what the problems are, and we are Afrocentric at heart, breaking borders and uniting nations.”
