Khwela
Source: Nelisiwe Zangana
Khwela helps South African women climb the social ladder
Khwela Tourism Stars Academy is a Cape Town-based NPO that helps young South African women acquire skills to find work in tourism and hospitality. The female youth unemployment rate in South Africa reached a staggering 60,7% in 2019, underlining the importance of young South African women given the means to pursue fulfilling careers.
Khwela, meaning ’climb’ in isiXhosa, provides disadvantaged women an opportunity to pursue a career in tourism through a monthly stipend, an online learning platform, a three-week cross-country educational trip and a five months paid internship. Their teaching methods include solving real-life cases and challenges, and working in small groups to enhance cooperative skills and promote peer-to-peer learning.
Khwela students can make use of the NGO’s ‘sisterhood’ – a network of partnering businesses and organizations in tourism – to find employment after graduating the program.
Khwela works to decrease youth unemployment by providing vocational skills through education (8.5, 8.6)
Khwela promotes gender equality by providing vocational training for disadvantaged women (5.1, 5.5)
Khwela reduces economic and social inequality by providing career opportunities for disadvantaged women (10.1, 10.2)
Khwela provides education and training for disadvantaged young women (4.1, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 4.a)
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