The active involvement of authorities at national, provincial and local levels is needed to assist SMMEs on Durban’s Golden Mile to bounce back to normality after the devastation caused by COVID-19 and other damaging events.

This is the finding of research completed by Ms Nasra Tinambo for her Master’s degree in Social Sciences (Culture and Heritage Tourism).

Tinambo explored the recovery strategies employed by tourism’s small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) on Durban’s beachfront and the role played by Durban Tourism as well as the eThekwini Municipality Business Support Centre as organisations responsible for helping SMMEs run their businesses smoothly.

The findings of her study indicate that the relevant stakeholders played a vital role in helping the tourism SMMEs to bounce back to a form of normality after their businesses were affected by the pandemic.

Tinambo outlined various factors which impeded the recovery of the tourism SMMEs, including unequal distribution of recovery resources, safety and security concerns, lack of government involvement as well as the impact of the 2021 April floods and the July looting.

She recommended active involvement by the government at national, provincial and local to assist SMMEs’ operations, to return to normality.

‘In the beginning of my master’s journey, I never thought it possible that I would graduate, but with God, my supervisor Dr Mabuyi Gumede, family and close friends, serving as a source of inspiration from which I drew strength, I achieved the milestone.

‘This degree has taught me that perseverance is a huge step to success,’ added Tinambo.