Cause news

A Return to the Earth: The Green Piketberg R366 Launch in Goedverwacht

On Friday 17 July, I attended the launch of the “Green Piketberg” Route 366 in the village of Goedverwacht—the heart of this regenerative tourism initiative. After presenting the DEDAT Tourism...

Building a !Haru oms: Connecting Heritage, Environment and Tourism

On Friday 10 July in Hawston, the Griekwa community gathered for a moment that felt both ancient and urgently present: the ceremonial finishing and blessing of a !Haru oms, the traditional mat house...

Sixteen new tourist guides in Stellenbosch

On Saturday, we gathered at the Rupert Museum to celebrate an important milestone in the DEDAT Visit Stellenbosch Tourist Guide Training Programme. Sixteen new tour guides officially received their...

Sector-Led and Partner-Supported Youth Development

I have journeyed with Pynotage Youth Development Academy (PYDA) for over 10 years and continue to be impressed by the quality, consistency, and real-world success of their youth training, development...

If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far … build the right partnerships.

I recently facilitated a partnership development workshop for NPO leaders in the SCAN network—and it reinforced a simple reality: SDG #17: Partnerships for the Goals is the enabling force behind all...

A Step Closer to a Model for Inclusive Socio-Economic Development through Tourism.

DEDAT Tourism Ambassador Co-developer Workshops were recently convened in Drakenstein (Paarl) and Bergrivier (Piketberg), bringing together a diverse cross-section of municipal leadership, tourism...

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Cause reviews

Khahliso Lefatsa, Chairperson of the Myezo Sustainable Development Alliance.

I felt compelled to write to you following the recent workshop to express my heartfelt appreciation and excitement after experiencing your powerful storytelling and leadership in person. The depth, honesty, and clarity with which you shared your journey with Kayamandi entrepreneurs was not only inspiring — it was energising. It reminded many of us why we chose to walk the sometimes-difficult road of community development in the first place.

Andrea Bradfield, Vice Chair, Mossel Bay Tourism

I had the privilege of attending the Community-Based Tourism product development Master Class with twenty-two participants, and it was an inspiring showcase of local talent, creativity, and entrepreneurial drive. Congratulations on a well-executed programme and to all the prize winners. The initiative strongly supports our vision of growing inclusive tourism, particularly by empowering township-based products, experiences, and entrepreneurs to confidently enter the market. It is encouraging to see participants stepping forward to share authentic local stories. This is how meaningful, community-driven tourism develops.

Annemie Liebenberg, CEO, Visit Stellenbosch

Cause Development Agency is an exceptionally capable and effective specialist agency in sustainable and regenerative tourism development. Their innovative methodologies, strategic insight, and disciplined execution consistently deliver high quality outcomes. These strengths are complemented by a deeply human-centred approach and an outstanding ability to build trust and meaningful relationships within marginalised communities, enabling inclusive participation and long-term impact.

Marshalline Martin, CEO & Co-founder, Zisa Ithemba

We would like to express our gratitude for the opportunity to attend the Ambassador Tourism workshop on in Paarl. We will forever cherish the knowledge that we gained to enhance our abilities and to contribute to better socio-economic development within Drakenstein.

Michelle Walker, CEO, Bergzicht Training

Bergzicht Training and Development recently had the pleasure of completing a project with Cause Consulting, and the experience exceeded our expectations in every way. From the outset, their team demonstrated exceptional organization, ensuring every phase of the project ran smoothly and on schedule. Professionalism was evident in every interaction, from initial planning through final delivery. What stood out most was the genuine personal touch they brought to the collaboration, treating our goals as their own. Their competence was matched only by their friendliness, making the entire partnership feel both productive and enjoyable.

Nomthandazo (Thandi) Losi, Deputy Director: Tourism Safety, DEDAT

Cause demonstrates a firm and insightful understanding of Government’s economic development strategy and inclusive growth agenda through tourism, giving powerful practical expression to this vision by translating policy into meaningful programmes that bring the strategy to life across communities. 

Jacques Stoltz, Director: Tourism, DEDAT

Working with Cause Consulting on the Tourism Toolkits and Master Classes project has been a very positive experience for the Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism. Cause Consulting brought strong expertise, professionalism, and a practical approach to developing the Experience Development Toolkit and facilitating pilot Master Classes for community-based tourism entrepreneurs in the Western Cape.

Lieschke Steven-Jennings - Chief Operations Officer, Mossel Bay Tourism

On behalf of Mossel Bay Tourism, we would like to confirm our participation in and support of the DEDAT-sponsored Marketing Master Class delivered by Cause. We genuinely appreciate the effort and care that went into delivering such a meaningful and impactful programme.

Emmalene Ravell-Arries, Programme Manager, PYDA

PYDA has worked closely with Cause Consulting through the Stellenbosch Youth Employment Project, a multi-partner tourism-led education and employment initiative spearheaded by Nicolette Booyens in partnership with Visit Stellenbosch and other tourism stakeholders. Through this partnership, Cause Consulting has played a significant role in strengthening tourism education and employment pathways for young people in Stellenbosch.