Philippi Village, a state-of-the-art smart centre that has been transforming the lives of communities in the Philippi area of Cape Town, has been awarded a 3-star grading by the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA). The TGCSA is the only officially recognised quality assurance body for tourism products in South Africa with a mandate to maintain and increase the standards and quality of tourism services, facilities and products. Quality assurance plays a critical role in the attractiveness of tourism facilities and destinations for both international and local consumers, as well as increasing the competitiveness of tourism products in the marketplace. A TGCSA grading enjoys global recognition and is awarded only once an independent quality assessment has been completed and approved. The intention behind the grading is to help travellers and visitors know what to expect from establishments and facilities. Marshe Abrahams, an Accredited Independent Assessor for TGCSA revealed that the council is committed to boosting unexplored and hidden tourism destinations like Philippi Village in South Africa’s villages, small towns and ‘dorpies’. The TGCSA’s villages, townships and small ‘dorpies’ (VTSDs) programme aims to ensure that tourism products adhere to the standard and quality that consumers have come to expect from TGCSA’s star grading system. “We are delighted to award Philippi Village a 3-star grading, particularly as the work that Philippi Village is doing is very impressive and forward thinking,” says Abrahams. “As the Tourism Grading Council, we aim to promote all of Cape Town’s attractions and not only the ones situated in the city centre or the winelands. In the weeks and months ahead the council will be working with Philippi Village to investigate what improvements can be made to achieve a 4 or even 5 star grading in the future.” Philippi Village is a distinct integrated community development hub and home to a diverse group of …
Philippi Village and Global Freedom Fellowship join forces to build safer South African communities through art, music and lived experiences
Philippi Village, an innovative and dynamic community development hub in Cape Town, has joined forces with the Global Freedom Fellowship (GFF) to make communities safer in South Africa. The partnership was solidified during the fellowship’s trailblazing tour of Philippi Village in March, which brought together music, art, and drama to explore critical issues surrounding community safety. As a transformative platform for formerly incarcerated leaders from around the world, the GFF aims to nurture changemakers, build transnational solidarity, foster a shared sense of struggle and success, combat stigma against people who have been in prison and instigate innovative justice work worldwide. The partnership between Philippi Village and the GFF marks a significant step forward in promoting positive change in South Africa and beyond. By bringing together some of the most visionary minds in the fields of criminal justice and community development, this extraordinary tour sparked vital discussions, ignited creative solutions, and instilled hope for a more equitable and just society. The aim of the partnership is to elevate the message of building safer communities in South Africa and to change the narrative on how safety is talked about. By leveraging the power of music, art, and drama, the event challenged traditional approaches to community safety and laid the groundwork for a new era of collaborative and innovative safety and security work. During the tour, the fellows collaborated with artists and entrepreneurs at Philippi Village and highlighted their journey and stories. They also participated in painting a mural and recording a podcast on what safety means to them. In addition, they recorded a song that is now the GFF global anthem, completed in three languages. "We wanted to do more than visit Philippi Village. They are a community development hub and the perfect partner because together we can build safer communities that benefits all of South Africa. …