JOHANNESBURG – The Gauteng Tourism Authority said that it would miss the teachings and guidance of Soweto Backpackers founder and township tourism ambassador, Lebo Malepa, who died over the weekend.
Malepa is being lauded by many in the sector as a champion for township tourism and an innovator who made valuable contributions to the country's tourism industry.
The 46-year-old, who passed away at a Johannesburg hospital on Christmas Day, was well-known for his popular offering of guided tours of iconic sites in Soweto by bike, tuk-tuk or by foot, giving an authentic township experience through food and overnight lodging.
The Gauteng Tourism Authority's Barba Gaoganediwe said that Malepa made township tourism fashionable.
"Lebo represented the generation of youthful leaders and change agents in Soweto and Gauteng and throughout the rest of the country who believed in the power and quality of township tourism as a catalyst for lasting socio-economic development and growth," Gaoganediwe said.
Artmotion S.Africa
