FOLLOWING four years of planning, a centre that will co-ordinate tourism efforts in Soweto and provide hospitality industry training, is ready to open.

SOWETO is gearing to unveil a new tourism information centre that will coordinate tourism projects in the township, provide training, and strengthen Soweto's tourism industry.

Following four years of planning and construction, the two-story building at the Walter Sisulu Square of Dedication in Kliptown has been completed and is ready to open its doors for business.

The centre aims to develop the Soweto tourism industry by grouping local tourism-related businesses under one umbrella, to ensure they receive the same publicity and use a single brand to promote the township.

The centre will feature a conference room fitted with the latest technology, a curio shop, an Internet café and a cafeteria. A call centre will also serve to link tourists with local businesses operating in the hospitality industry. Other features include a visitors' walkway showing historical glimpses of Kliptown, including the signing of the Freedom Charter in 1955.

Mayor Amos Masondo (wearing cap) gets a tour of the partly-built Soweto centre from Johannesburg Tourism's Eddie Khoza (black shirt)

Mayor Amos Masondo (wearing cap) gets a tour of the partly-built Soweto centre from Johannesburg Tourism's Eddie Khoza (black shirt)

Johannesburg Tourism Company (JTC) acting chief executive Eddy Khosa said: "The information centre will service tourism interests in the whole of southern Johannesburg. The centre will also invite reputable organisations to help facilitate skills training sessions for local young people wanting to get involved in the tourism industry or youngsters wanting to establish their own small businesses."

One of the main challenges facing Soweto tourism is the lack of tourism infrastructure and signage, but the new centre will help to address some of these problems, according to Dumisani Ntshangase, chairperson of the Soweto Tourism Association. "It is appropriate for the centre to be established in Kliptown, because the area played an important role in our country's freedom and democracy, which is what Soweto symbolises to many people.

"We are very excited about this project because we believe it will contribute to the growth of tourism in Soweto by providing tourists with relevant information about places they can visit and all the exciting things they can do during their visit," said Ntshangase. "Centre construction has been completed and we can't wait for the centre to start operating, because it will present many job opportunities for local people."

The building forms part of the Kliptown Development Project which is transforming central Kliptown into a massive shopping complex that includes tourist and heritage sites.

Quick facts about Soweto tourism

Known for its role in the struggle for liberation, its diverse culture, and its prominent residents, Soweto is home to more than 890 000 residents.

It has a number of accommodation establishments, conference venues, and historical sites such as the Hector Petersen memorial museum, the Oppenheimer towers and Vilakazi Street - where two Nobel prize winners, Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desomond Tutu once lived.

Soweto's tourism industry contributes R143-million to Gauteng's Gross Domestic Product, creating over 1 400 jobs.

For more information about the Soweto Tourism Information Centre call 011 463 6372.