DUNDEE KZN: Patricia cannot wait to get tourism up and running again
"The Dundee district is very much a part of the fabric of my make-up. I love meeting different people"
Patricia Zoya is the fresh new face at the Dundee Tourism office. While the tourism industry has been hard-hit over the past year due to lockdown restrictions, Tourism Dundee has never stopped marketing the area – albeit to ‘internal tourists’, as a surge in the need to travel is expected once restrictions are eased.
Patricia was born in the Eastern Cape and came to Dundee as a toddler; her family roots can be traced back to the well-known Steele family of the area. “I completed matric at ML Sultan Glencoe Secondary and went on to study Social Welfare and Psychology at the University of Fort Hare, where I was fortunate to earn an academic bursary three months into my studies,” she recalls.
After much sacrifice, she completed her four-year course and went on to work at a children’s home in Bethlehem and at an old age home in Kroonstad. “I later had the opportunity to come home to Dundee and worked for eight years at the Christelike Maatskaplike Diens (CMD), where I was touched by what I saw: the terrible hardship faced by so many. It is especially heartbreaking when you see children suffering.”
Despite all this, Patricia said she found solace in being able to assist these families through the CMD – be it through counselling or logistical help. It is this passion for people that drove Patricia into a new direction when the vacancy at the Tourism office arose following the departure of Kajal Deepchund to Newcastle.
“The Dundee district is very much a part of the fabric of my make-up. I love meeting different people; I am outgoing and keen to learn. I hope to visit as many establishments and Tourism Dundee members as possible, and assist where I can. I want to get out there and do my best for my town.”
She invites anyone with questions regarding Tourism Dundee to pop around and see her at the office adjacent to the library during working hours. Tourism Dundee chairperson Naresh Gopie welcomed Patricia, saying that she is already making great, positive strides in the short time she has been in the seat. “She will certainly be an asset to tourism and the town,” he said.
