Africa Travel WeekIn this webinar, we look at how SMEs have survived during the COVID-19 pandemic and what the future has in store for them.
THE SPEAKERS
Sisa Ntshona
CEO: South African Tourism
Sisa Ntshona is the Chief Executive Officer of South African Tourism, a position he has held since October 2016. He is at the helm of steering the mandate and all operations of the National Destination Marketing Organisation’s head office and country offices.
With over 20 years’ experience, he has held several strategic leadership positions across different jurisdictions in Africa & Middle East in blue chip corporations and multinationals. Having initially joined Barclays Africa as an Investment Banker, he later moved to become the Head of its SME Banking Division, a role he held until joining SA Tourism.
Sisa also has worked in the aviation industry for South African Airways, Financial Services Money Transfer, Western Union and Manufacturing, Parmalat Food Industries.
An accountant by training, he holds a string of commerce qualifications including a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Pretoria and an International Executive Programme (IEP) from INSEAD Business School in France. He has also served on a number of boards including as non-Exec Board Member for the Enterprise Development Council of South Africa.
Valentina Ndou (PhD)
Senior Researcher and Aggregate Professor on Management Engineering Department at University of Salento (Italy).
Valentina’s research specializes in analyzing the innovation management trends and the effectiveness of information systems with particular emphasis on new solutions and approaches for smart tourism, eBusiness, entrepreneurship education and knowledge management.
She will focus on “Tourism innovation and entrepreneurship for POST-COVID-19 period”
Kwesi Eyison
President: Tour Operators Union of Ghana
Kwesi an entrepreneur and business executive with career experience in the public, private, large corporate and organisational sectors of the Ghanaian socio-economic landscape.
Kwesi is the President of the Tour Operators Union of Ghana (TOUGHA), the Vice Chairman of the Ghana Sector Skills Council (Tourism & Hospitality Sector) and the Acting Vice President of the Ghana Tourism Federation (GHATOF).
He is the founder and CEO of Pacific Tours, Pacific Solutions (Advertising & Marketing Communications Consultancy Firm affiliated with the ICOM global network) and Pacific Eyison Farms.
Kwesi is a certified UNWTO Tourism Practitioner and an accomplished Marketing Communications consultant and practitioner. He is a member of the African Tourism Board and the International Advertising Association (IAA).
He holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration (MBA) with Marketing Major from the University of Ghana, Legon and a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree in Biochemistry and Food Science from same University. He has professional graduate diploma degree from International Professional Managers Association (IPMA) and currently pursuing a higher degree in Business Administration for academia and industry practice.
THE MODERATOR
Septi M Bukula
Founder: Seeza Tourism SME Network
Septi M. Bukula is a nationally recognised specialist in entrepreneurship and SME development policy in South Africa. He has undertaken numerous SME policy and programme advisory assignments in South Africa and other African countries. He regularly hosts prominent international conferences focusing on a broad range of SME development issues. In 2017 he established Seeza Tourism SME Network to promote the interests of tourism SMEs, with particular focus on facilitating domestic and international market access. In 2014 his company, Osiba Management, received South African Tourism’s coveted Lilizela Tourism Award.
