{"id":10630,"date":"2012-05-08T12:53:58","date_gmt":"2012-05-08T10:53:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/05\/pes-hidden-treasure-could-become-my-local\/"},"modified":"2012-05-08T12:53:58","modified_gmt":"2012-05-08T10:53:58","slug":"pes-hidden-treasure-could-become-my-local","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/pes-hidden-treasure-could-become-my-local\/","title":{"rendered":"PE\u2019s Hidden Treasure Could Become My Local"},"content":{"rendered":"

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On Friday 4 May I popped along to Jeya\u2019s Tavern<\/a> in New Brighton for a celebratory lunch and Orange Juice. What excited me no end about our little Hidden Treasure was when the face and voice of Jeya\u2019s, Noxolo Sume, told me that Shebeen beers (Quarts) are R12.00 a pop. Cheaper even than at the Algoa Bay Yacht Club<\/a> with my members discount I tell you.<\/p>\n

Jeya\u2019s Jazz Tavern<\/a> has, for 8 years dominated the corner of Ferguson and Avenue A in New Brighton and played host to many local and overseas visitors and now claims the accolade of being the first tavern to be honoured as one of the South African Hidden Treasures\u2122 \u2013 conquering the tourism industry and paving the way for other small, medium and micro enterprises.<\/p>\n

At the lunch Noxolo Sume, co-owner along with husband Jeya \u2013 after whom the pub is named, acknowledged Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism<\/a> (NMBT<\/a>), the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (NMBM) and Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism agency for their ongoing support and encouragement.<\/p>\n

The little pub on the corner in New Brighton will be attending Indaba \u2013 one of the biggest tourism events again this year. NMBT<\/a> in collaboration with NMBM Tourism Unit has selected a handful of SMME\u2019s to attend Indaba thus providing these tourism businesses to gain experience in product marketing, an opportunity to make new contacts and gain greater exposure for their products.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have really seen the impact of this initiative, \u201csaid Titus Chuene, Marketing Manager of NMBT.\u201dJeya\u2019s Jazz Tavern is a leading example of the powerful spin-offs bringing SMME\u2019s to Indaba can have. The vibrant township tavern has recently been added to the South African Hidden Treasures\u2122 experiences list along with eight other tourism products in our city and it is partly due to the profiling it received at expos like Indaba.\u201d<\/p>\n

Being an exhibitor in previous years, Jeya\u2019s has reaped the rewards of Indaba and the tavern has seen its business flourish with tourists visiting from all around the globe.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe started this tavern eight years ago with only ten cases of beer, my husband and I were both unemployed. I never thought we would get this far. It\u2019s a long road, but it\u2019s more than just selling liquor, it\u2019s marketing and I\u2019ve got to thank NMBT and NMBM for helping us with that. They took interest in us and took the journey with us,\u201d said Noxolo Sume. \u201cWe\u2019ve learnt a lot from them over the years and we look forward to going to Indaba again this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other SMME\u2019s going along for the first time this year; include the Red Location Backpackers Lodge<\/a> and Zureen\u2019s Guesthouse<\/a> (Uitenhage). Noxolo wishes them the best, \u201cThey must make the best of this, Indaba can really open doors for your business if you approach it with the right attitude.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are extremely proud of what Noxolo and her husband has achieved. We are even more flattered that they have shared the \u2018Hidden Treasures\u2019 award with us. They set an amazing example to other SMME\u2019s. With hard work, drive and a little help you can make a success. Being part of Jeya\u2019s success story is a privilege to us at NMBT,\u201d said Mandlakazi Skefile, NMBT CEO.<\/p>\n

By sharing her success with her community, Noxolo has a good sense of marketing, believes Carleen Arends, assistant director of tourism at NMBM.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe gives back to her community \u2013 she supplied kit to as soccer team who could not afford it. This is only one of the ways she has ploughed back to the community,\u201d Arends added. \u201cShe truly is a go-getter and always willing to learn, she\u2019ll phone me late at night for advice. That is testament to the kind of person it takes to run a successful SMME.\u201d<\/p>\n

Noxolo and her husband have the right mix of personalities to make a success of Jeyas, \u201cMy husband and I work hard. We are very different, but in all the right ways. People say I am successful, but it takes hard work from both of us, and our staff. This road is not finished; this award is just a sign that we are on the right track and making progress. Success is a journey, and I am glad to be on it with my husband and the ongoing support of my city and its people,\u201d added Noxolo.<\/p>\n

NMBT also made use of the celebrations on Friday to elaborate on the agency\u2019s activities planned for this years in Indaba. Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism<\/a> together with the Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA<\/a>) will be taking the city\u2019s Top 10 icons to Indaba. The city agencies will also be launching Route 67, Nelson Mandela Bay\u2019s incredible new public art route at Indaba.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are particularly excited for this year\u2019s Indaba as we are going to launch the MBDA<\/a>\u2019s Route 67. This is great because the centre-piece of Route 67, the Donkin Reserve, is one of the recently voted Top Ten city icons,\u201d said Chuene. \u201cIndaba is all about exposure and we are aiming to gain enough exposure for Nelson Mandela Bay to cement the city\u2019s presence in the existing target markets but also in new and developing target markets such as China and India\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Indaba, a South African Tourism initiative, is one of the largest tourism marketing events on the African calendar and one of the top three \u201cmust visit\u201d events of its kind on the global calendar attracting over 13\u00a0000 delegates from the travel, tourism and related industries throughout the world. It takes place from May 12 \u2013 15 at the Albert Luthuli Convention Centre in Durban.<\/p>\n

Other Port Elizabeth Hidden Treasures are:<\/strong><\/p>\n