Award-winning South African actress Lerato Mvelase has called on the government to come up with measures that will see the travel agents being regulated.
Mvelase’s call comes after she publicly exposed an alleged travel scam that turned what was meant to be a once-in-a-lifetime family trip into a cautionary tale.
She said the incident occurred on what was meant to be a joyful milestone for her family.
Family holiday trip ruined
“On Monday [January 5] was our travel day. My mother’s surprise trip, her first international trip. But it’s okay,” she posted the statement on Tuesday morning.
According to the actress, the alleged scam was carried out by Refiloe Miriam Tsakatsa and Itai “Africa” Tsakatsa. Both are owners of Black Trotters Africa, a travel agency whose social media accounts have since been deleted.
In December last year, media reports revealed that Mvelase’s family lost more than half a million rands to the couple. She said she had been pursuing the matter when she received a message confirming the extent of the loss.
“We paid R640, 000 for a family of eight,” she said.
According to Mvelase, they discovered that the payment covered only flights. There was no visas, accommodation or entertainment arrangements ever secured.
The actress, who starred in Marked, blamed her woes on weak regulation within the tourism sector.
“The lack of strict government oversight and reliance on self-regulation has enabled scammers like Refiloe Miriam Tsakatsa and Itai ‘Africa’ Tsakatsa to exploit travellers who work so hard to afford themselves opportunities to travel,” she said.
“We need stricter regulations or empowerment of industry associations like Asata.” Asata refers to the Association of Southern African Travel Agents.
While acknowledging government plans aimed at inclusive economic growth in tourism, Mvelase said these strategies need to go further.
Measures needed to protect clients
“I am cognisant of the inclusive economic growth plans that aim to make the sector a driver for broad-based economic benefits and provide opportunities to diverse groups. But this plan needs to include innovative, proactive, creative and flexible measures that ensure companies like Black Trotters Africa have no room to take advantage of South Africans who are intentional about supporting small businesses,” she said.
Mvelase also highlighted the alleged mistreatment of employees by the company.
“This scam of a company has taken advantage of employees, leaving them stranded overseas with clients. It forced them to use their own money, which they never got back,” she said.
“Black Trotters has cases upon cases against them at the CCMA and the Labour Court. These employees deserve justice!”
Calling for broader consumer protection, Mvelase said South Africans need safeguarding 365 days a year as they travel, explore and experience tourism locally and internationally.
Tourism graduates available
She further proposed that unemployed tourism graduates could play a role in monitoring the industry.
“There are many young unemployed people sitting at home with tourism qualifications. We should be leveraging these professionals to monitor travel agents and the experiences people are having. This is particularly on social media, a space that has become a shopping avenue for travel and many other things,” she said.
“Instead of sitting at home, they could be the industry’s monitors. All information gathered from social media, the police and our courts becomes empirical evidence that tourism could use to continue finding relevant and purposeful solutions for a lucrative market segment that is on social media and other spaces,” she added.
At the time of publication, Black Trotters Africa could not be reached for comment.
