Theme: Community-appropriate capabilities

This theme deals with community capabilities. According to Aref, Redzuan & Gill (2010:172), local communities require capacity building to improve the process of tourism development to reap benefits. Similarly, Naguran (1999) suggests that support may take the form of training, capacity building, business skills, access to finance, and monitoring and evaluation of the tourism projects.

151 Table 8.13: Results for community-appropriate capabilities

Ndengane Noqhekwane I think I have enough capacity to manage the CBT

project 6.1

Disagree 3 7

Neutral 1 1

Agree 1 9

I think I have enough capacity to manage my

specific role within the CBT project 6.2

Disagree 4 3

Neutral

Agree 1 14

I want more training 6.3

Disagree Neutral

Agree 5 17

There is enough capacity to properly manage the

finance of the CBT 6.4

Disagree 3 7

Neutral 2

Agree 10

The operations of guiding of the CBT project are

properly managed 6.5

Disagree 3 1

Neutral 1

Agree 1 16

The operations of accommodation of the CBT

project are properly managed 6.6

Disagree 4 Neutral 1

Agree 17

The operations of catering of the CBT project are

properly managed 6.7

Disagree 4 Neutral 1

Agree 17

I think I know where to go/ask/apply for funding and

training 6.8

Disagree 4 17

Neutral

Agree 1 There is enough expertise in marketing

6.9

Disagree 5 14

Neutral

Agree 3

Table 8.13 displays the results of the appropriate capabilities to ensure success of the project, and shows high levels of agreement and disagreement. With reference to statement 6.1 (I think I have enough capacity to manage the CBT project), 3 of 5 respondents from Ndengane disagreed that they had the capacity to manage the CBT project, while more than half of the respondents from Noqhekwane, 9 of 17, agreed that they had the capacity to manage the project. As explained previously, some members from the Noqhekwane project attended management training after being selected by the community and funded by the European Union (EU). The majority of respondents, 4 of 5 from Ndengane, disagreed with statement 6.2 (I can manage my specific role in their CBT project), while the majority of respondents from Noqhekwane, 14 of 17 agreed that they were able to manage their specific roles in their CBT projects. Respondents from Noqhekwane were more confident, as they had run their CBT

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project for more than eight years since the EU had withdrawn from the project, while the Ndengane project was at the infancy stage, and these capabilities had not been tested.

All the respondents, 22 of 22, from both areas, agreed with statement 6.3 (I want more training). The members of the project did realise that they had limited capacity to run a successful CBT project. With reference to statement 6.4 (there is enough capacity to properly manage the finance of the CBT), 3 of 5 respondents from Ndengane disagreed that they had sufficient capacity to manage the finance of the CBT project, while 10 of 17 respondents from Noqhekwane agreed that they had the capacity to manage the finances of the project; this again can be attributed to some of the members being trained as the EU pursued the setting up of the Noqhekwane CBT Trust that deals with the finance. Fewer respondents, 7 of 17, disagreed with statement 6.4, that low educational levels could be attributed to their not having the skills to manage the finances of the project. With reference to statement 6.5 (the operations of guiding the CBT project are properly managed), 3 of 5 respondents from Ndengane disagreed that guiding operations of the project were properly managed; this project is still in its infancy and such problems are acceptable at the development stage, while the majority, 16 of 17 of the respondents from Noqhekwane, agreed with the same statement. The majority, 4 of 5 of respondents from Ndengane disagreed with statement 6.6 (that the operations of accommodation were properly managed), while all respondents from Noqhekwane agreed that the operations of accommodation were properly managed.

The positive response from the Noqhekwane project members could possibly be attributed to the training provided to selected members by the EU and the fact that they had been providing accommodation to tourists for the past eight years. The majority, 4 of 5 of the respondents from Ndengane disagreed with statement 6.7 (that the operations of catering within the CBT project were properly managed), while all the respondents from Noqhekwane agreed that the catering was properly managed; again certain members from this project had been trained and had provided catering to tourists for the past eight years.

The majority of the respondents, 4 of 5 from Ndengane, and all the respondents, 17 of 17 from Noqhekwane, disagreed with statement 6.8 (I think I know where to apply for funding and training). All the respondents, 5 of 5 from Ndengane, and 14 of 17 (82.4) from Noqhekwane, disagreed with statement 6.9 (there is enough expertise in marketing).

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The results can also be linked to the minimal education patterns shown in Figure 8.2 and the need for training as per Figure 8.16. In addition to the lack of capacity mentioned in this section, the project members from both areas required additional training (see Table 8.5). Supporting this theme on appropriate community capabilities is the question on training needs (see Figure 8.16), where all the respondents from Ndengane and the majority of the respondents from Noqhekwane believed that they needed more training. Overall, respondents indicated a need for further training. Therefore, in terms of the theme on capacity, it can be surmised that mostly this pre-condition had not been met for Ndengane, while Noqhekwane met some of the capacity needs. This theme can be considered a challenge for both areas. Both project areas require capacity building to enhance the success of their tourism business. These results are consistent with results indicated in Table 8.5, showing skills required by respondents; Figure 8.2, educational patterns of respondents, showing minimal schooling; and Figure 8.13, need for training.