Since 2010, Africa!Ignite and our partners have established vibrant ‘WOWZULU Marketplaces’ in recognised tourist destinations across KwaZulu-Natal, as an additional strategy to alleviate poverty and ignite rural enterprise. The contemporary, colourful ‘WOWZULU Marketplaces’ combine craft sales with vibrant cultural experiences and attractions such as coffee shops, story-telling, rural home stays and opportunities to learn craft techniques.

Our seven existing WOWZULU Marketplaces are located at Inanda Durban , Isandlwana (KZN Battlefields), Emazizini, Khula Village, Ndumo, KwaNzimakwe and Ilembe. The Marketplaces sell the products made by isolated rural crafters and showcase the best of KwaZulu-Natal’s proud craft traditions, its Zulu culture, people, music, stories and landscapes. We intend to establish WOWZULU Marketplaces across KwaZulu-Natal and beyond. We are currently expanding our marketplaces under the WOWAFRICA brand into Gauteng, the Eastern Cape and potentially into Kenya, Ghana and Zambia. Our product expansion strategy includes the sale of agro-processed products.

Each WOWZULU Marketplace is operated by local entrepreneurs as a for-profit business. Africa!Ignite and support partners provide and equip the structure and supply branding, signage, marketing materials and point-of-sale stands. We also provide training, assist with product development, and financial management, help create tourist experiences and provide mentoring and support.

IMAGES: Maybe include the WOWZULU BRAND, THE WOWAFRICA BRAND AND SOME NICE PICS OF TOURISM EXPERIENCES.

The Sustainable Tourism Model is further complemented by Africa! Ignite’s WOWBIZ social franchises, which we launched in early 2019. WOWBIZ centres offer critical support for emerging businesses through services such as business registrations compliance and planning, printing, marketing, branding, social media and mentorship. The WOWBIZ centres work hand-in-hand with the WOWZULU/WOWAFRICA Marketplaces to ensure that entrepreneurs within the tourism supply chain and other surrounding businesses have access to vital services that will help them grow.