A 24-month initiative of the Department of Tourism, managed by a project implementer, designed to deliver business support initiatives to tourism enterprises (known as incubatees),these incubatees are based in the Ba-Phalaborwa Tourism Business Incubator. The Tourism Business Development Officers (BDOs) are there to facilitate the successful delivery of business support services at the incubator, these services includes;

a. Ensuring effective operation and use of incubator facilities to maximize SMME goals and objectives;

b. Establishing and manage relationships with both public and private sector stakeholders, public sector entities, colleges, universities and research institutions.

c. Working intimately with business owners on the incubation programme with the goal of ensuring effective incubation support that will ensure growth of sustainable businesses

1. Growing knowledge and skills development of incubates (including business improvement skills which will lead to increased profitability and growth)

2. Assisting to improve tourism products and services of enterprises such that that are able to grow and enter new markets

4. Working with SMMEs/Incubatee’s to develop and implement marketing plans for their respective businesses

5. Encouraging an environment of innovative thinking and commercialization of innovative ideas

6. Identifying and evaluating specific business opportunities, including assisting into accessing finance for business growth/ expansion

7. Assisting in achieving improved sales growth of the SMMEs/Incubatee’s

8. Assisting to build stakeholder networks of the respective businesses

9. Offering coaching and mentoring to SMMEs/Incubatee’s

10. Assisting in facilitating linkage opportunities for business.