Man shares joy of travelling

WHITE RIVER – Mr Sertorio Mndau Mshothola, known as Ntwanano, is one of the big names in the tourism and travel sector in the province.
Mshotola owns Ntwanano Tours and Travel alongside his daughter, Khensani.
In an exclusive interview, Mpumalanga News learned that through travelling his passion for people, cultures and nature unified.

His love of different cultures comes from the Soweto uprisings of 1976. This was when he visited different parts of the world. In 1978 he traveled to Mozambique and many different countries in Africa, Europe and the United States of America. This broadened his understanding of the world and its people.
Mshothola turned his experience into a hobby and then a business, hence, his company now offers innovative tourism products for domestic and international travelers. His company’s slogan is “Turn your holiday into a reality”.
This former consultant for policy making and designs, left his job in 1999 to venture into entrepreneurship.

Without any experience, he took the risk of starting his business in 2000 as a tour operator where he drove shuttles from the Kruger National Park and airport, to different hotels, lodges and guest houses in the province.

Slowly he started taking people on excursions to tourist attractions around the province, Mozambique and Swaziland.

Mshothola’s products include Kruger game drives, guided tours and excursions, transfers to and from major airports, lodges and hotels, vehicle rental and accommodation arrangements. His company boasts professional drivers who speak Portuguese too.

His company has four roadworthy vehicles, including an open safari vehicle with comprehensive passenger liability covers. Mshothola is an accomplished and respected businessman with financial independence.

“I am very proud and honoured to have created and sustained my own business, plus that of four permanent employees and countless freelancers who are called whenever there is a need, due to the seasonality of the industry” he said.
He has participated in a number of important international tourism exhibitions and conferences in the country, Spain, Portugal and Brazil.

Taking part in these exhibitions of magnitude and stature, sharped his understanding of travel trends within the local and global markets. He said the greatest challenge he has come across was that of starting and running a business with no experience whatsoever, coupled with the lack of financial management resources.
Mshothola was able to overcome and conquer such challenges with time. “To stay relevant and adaptable in this competitive industry helps a lot. Being hands-on and available at all times, are prerequisites for overcoming most of the challenges in any business,” he said.
He added that the zeal to do better and excel has helped in his ventures.
Besides business, Mshotola also has a soft spot for people living with disabilities, hence, his company also launched a specialised tour product for the blind and visually impaired. “We offer them free guided tours to experience selected tourist gems in our area where they get the opportunity to explore their other areas such as hearing, smell, touch, taste and spatial awareness.

We also provide free transportation for children from Dasha Foundation for the Disabled whenever they have an educational trip or a fund-raising event,” he stated.