This Women’s Month, Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company (TMACC) is highlighting the women entrepreneurs behind many locally made products sold on Table Mountain and how they turn visitor spending into opportunities beyond the visitor experience.
Tourism is one of Cape Town’s most important economic sectors, but its long-term impact depends on how much visitor spending remains within the city. By prioritising local procurement and supporting small businesses, tourism operators can strengthen supply chains, help enterprises grow and ensure more tourism revenue benefits the communities where it is generated.
TMACC has increased its local procurement from 29% in 2017 to 89% today. However, 97% of the retail products sold at the attraction are sourced locally, with more than half supplied by women-owned businesses. The approach reflects a deliberate strategy to ensure more of tourism’s economic value stays within Cape Town’s economy.
This support is particularly important in a country where the official unemployment rate reached 33.6% in the second quarter of 2026, leaving 8.5 million people unemployed. By helping small businesses access formal supply chains and more consistent commercial opportunities, tourism businesses can support enterprise growth and strengthen their potential to sustain and create jobs.
For TMACC, that commitment extends beyond simply sourcing from local businesses. Through its Supplier Development Programme, delivered in partnership with Siyakha Consulting, the company has supported more than 150 small businesses with mentorship, business coaching and practical development to help them build sustainable enterprises capable of competing within formal supply chains.
Wahida Parker, Managing Director of TMACC, believes procurement is one of the most powerful ways tourism businesses can contribute to inclusive economic growth.
“Every procurement decision determines whether tourism creates lasting opportunities for local businesses or whether its economic value leaves our communities. By sourcing locally, we showcase Cape Town’s talent and creativity to international visitors while helping local businesses grow. We believe tourism has a responsibility to invest locally because that’s how destinations become stronger, more inclusive and more resilient.”
She says women-owned businesses have become central to that vision.
“More than half of our suppliers are women-owned businesses. These entrepreneurs aren’t simply part of our supply chain – they’re helping shape the visitor experience while creating employment, supporting families and strengthening the local economy. That’s exactly the kind of impact responsible tourism should have.”
One of those suppliers is Lizl Naude, founder of the Klapmuts-based social enterprise Lilly Loompa Creative.
Visitors browsing the Cableway’s retail store may not realise that some of the products they purchase began life as discarded materials. TMACC collects plastic bottle tops that Lilly Loompa transforms into products made from recycled plastic and sold in its retail outlets.
“We are a social enterprise that turns waste into memorable and creative brand stories,” says Naude.
“The team at Table Mountain believed in us when we were just starting out. That support gave us the confidence to invest in our business, create jobs and continue growing. Opportunities like these show what’s possible when tourism businesses invest in entrepreneurs.”
For Naude, Women’s Month is an opportunity to recognise the role women-owned businesses play in building stronger local economies.
“It’s important to love what you do and believe in your vision. Every business has the potential to create opportunities for others, and that’s what motivates us every day.”
Parker says responsible tourism should ultimately be measured not only by visitor numbers, but by the opportunities it creates.
“Every locally sourced product purchased by a visitor represents an investment in a local entrepreneur, a local family and a stronger Cape Town economy. That’s how tourism leaves more than memories behind.”
