Stellenbosch, South Africa – 3 November 2025: Township & Village (T&V), the Stellenbosch social enterprise connecting travellers with community?led experiences, has been awarded Global Silver in the Peace, Understanding & Inclusivity category at the Global Responsible Tourism Awards (sponsored by Sabre), following its Gold win at WTM Africa earlier this year.
Emeritus Professor Harold Goodwin, chair of the judging panel and founder of the International Centre for Responsible Tourism (ICRT), said responsible tourism is about making better places for people to live in and visit.
“All of the Global Responsible Tourism Award winners have explained what they took responsibility for, what they did and with what impact. We hope they will inspire other organisations to follow in their footsteps,” said Goodwin.
This recognition caps a breakthrough year in which T&V has so far channelled more than R1,000,000 in cash payments directly to local community partners – guides, hosts, cooks, artists and other entrepreneurs – through paid bookings and donations from guests, T&V and our partners.
“This award belongs to the people who make the experiences – our guides, hosts, cooks, musicians and storytellers,” said René Momberg, Head of Growth, Experiences & Partnerships at T&V. “The Global Silver recognises a consistent, collective effort by our community entrepreneurs, the Greater Stellenbosch Trust and other strategic partners that powers the work we do.”
“Our model for T&V is simple: co?create with communities, keep the economics fair, and sell to the right buyers,” added Leana Kotze, Head of Strategy & Implementation at Greater Stellenbosch Trust (GST), T&V’s sole shareholder and long?term backer. “With the right ecosystem support, responsible tourism amplifies every rand invested into community earnings. In 2025 we’ve seen this backing translate into at least five times that value in real local earnings.”
“Township and Village proves that responsible tourism isn’t a ‘nice-to-have’; it’s a powerful economic engine that creates dignity, ownership and sustainable livelihood,” said Annemie Liebenberg, CEO of Visit Stellenbosch. “As Stellenbosch’s tourism offering expands, T&V gives us the blueprint for ensuring that growth serves everyone, from the storytellers of Kayamandi to the artisans of Ida’s Valley. The T&V enterprise creates pathways to prosperity that honour our communities’ heritage while providing unique, enriching visitor experiences. That’s community tourism leadership at its finest!”
Powered by people and partners
None of this is possible without our community partners across Kayamandi, Ida’s Valley, Kylemore, Pniël and Jamestown – the entrepreneurs who open their communities and homes, share their stories and co-own the experiences.
We also acknowledge our current and historic strategic partners whose patronage makes inclusive tourism work: the Greater Stellenbosch Trust, Cause Development Agency, Visit Stellenbosch, Cape Winelands District Municipality, Stellenbosch Municipality, Department of Economic Development and Tourism in the Western Cape (DEDAT) and Old Mutual Foundation.
The story of this year (highlights)
- Quality demand, real earnings: Large group bookings from Edwin Doran Sports Tours and Fairfield Tours, plus spectacular craft shop sales put consistent money into local hands.
- Experiences made with – not for – communities: Constant renewal and refinement of offers across home dining, heritage walks, music and craft in all communities we work in.
- People before product: A new guide cohort trained and mentored with regional partners – building careers, not just shifts.
- Doing it right: Completion of the Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism-sponsored Sustainable Tourism Enterprise Programme (STEP) and adoption of a robust policy suite.
About Township & Village
Township & Village is a community based tourism initiative in Stellenbosch that co-creates and delivers experiences led by local residents – from heritage walks and storytelling evenings to home dining, music and craft. The model prioritises dignity, ownership and fair economics for community partners and aligns with international responsible tourism standards.
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Author: Madalene Manuel from Big Ambitions on behalf of Visit Stellenbosch.
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