The Delicious Festival Trader Academy (DFTA) Powered by FoodBev SETA in association with CATHSSETA is proudly launching its second intake of 50 students for the Culture, Arts, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport Sector Education and Training Authority (CATHSSETA) course.
Held at the Johannesburg Culinary & Pastry School on 24 May 2024, 50 aspiring CATHSSETA students were announced as the new cohort of the 2024 SMME Development Programme, where they will receive mentorship, learning opportunities and vital tools that will assist them in cultivating successful businesses. The students come from within the Townships, Informal Settlements and Hostels (TISH) sector of Gauteng Province.
Jean Huddy, the Delicious Festival Trader Academy Powered by Foodbev SETA and CATHSSETA Programme Director, expressed her excitement about welcoming the new cohorts, stating, “After our initial induction class, I’m already so impressed by the level of commitment and enthusiasm. The students are embarking on this journey with us, and I look forward to supporting them throughout the programme.”
Launched in August 2023, the DFTA is an accredited theory and practical training programme for informal SMMEs sourced from TISH (Townships, Informal Settlements and Hostels) within the hospitality, food, and beverage sectors.
Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Innovation, Honourable Mr. Buti Manamela, could not attend the launch but has expressed his support for the DFTA’s initiatives in writing. Manamela remarked, “We hold this initiative in high regard as it provides further evidence that by working together with partners, we can achieve so much more.”
This next six-month course, where students will gain skills in business development, safety and licensing, and new business development, among other things, is a SETA-accredited skills programme.
During the event, the CEO of CATHSSETA Marks Thibela said, “As CATHSSETA we believe that this programme will make a difference to the livelihoods of the participants because post-training some of them will be assisted with startups, whereas others who are already entrepreneurs will be assisted through an incubation programme to grow their businesses and make them competitive.”
In August 2023, the first cohort of 50 SMME entrepreneurs enrolled in a FoodBev SETA Accredited Course, where the students also gained unique on-site work experience at the 2023 DStv Delicious International Food & Music Festival. The inaugural course was a resounding success, with students gaining invaluable insights and expertise into the food and hospitality industry. The students were able to take away key learnings such as compliance, branding, entrepreneurship and cost management – essential pillars for growing their businesses.
Rooted in a set of core values — namely, sustainability, continuous learning, innovation, and excellence — this initiative aims to offer immediate and long-term social and economic benefits to informal SMMEs across Gauteng who meet specified criteria. This includes but is not limited to, upskilling, market access promotion, networking, and partnerships.
The new cohort of students looks forward to what the programme has in store for them and how this six-month course can help them sharpen their professional skills and take their businesses to new heights.
We would like to thank our partners, FoodBev SETA, Gauteng Tourism Authority (GTA), and Gauteng Enterprise Propeller (GEP), for their continuous commitment and support of the Academy.