By Charmaine Ndlela
A black woman-owned hotel in White River, Mpumalanga, has received more than R3.5 million in blended government and development-finance funding to expand the business, upgrade facilities, and support job creation.
Hotel 247 received a R1.65 million grant through the Tourism Transformation Fund, a R1.65 million senior loan from the National Empowerment Fund, and R242,600 through the Alternative Energy Fund.
The investment was officially unveiled on Friday during the launch of the hotel’s refurbished restaurant, which can accommodate up to 140 patrons.
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Deputy Tourism Minister Maggie Sotyu said at the launch that access to finance remained one of the biggest barriers facing emerging tourism businesses.
“Mechanisms such as the Tourism Transformation Fund are important to enable entrepreneurs to establish, expand, and improve their businesses,” she said.
According to the Department of Tourism, the investment created
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