TRAVELINGCHEAPSKATES,
online travel curator, is
tapping into the BEE
market with custom-made
budget travel packages
based on the personal
travel experiences of the
two young black women
who own the company.
Co-founders, Pearl Nkosi
and Philile Nzimande,
discovered a shared love
of travel when they met
at Durban University
of Technology, where
Pearl studied Hospitality
and Philile Information
Management and
Communications. After
their studies, Pearl did an
internship at Disneyworld
in Florida before joining
Philile in Johannesburg.
On a joint backpacking
trip to Knysna, the pair
discovered a gap in the
market for young black
travellers. Recording
their adventures on
social media soon
attracted a following
of potential clients
clambering to follow suit.
Travelingcheapskates was
registered in 2014 and
became operational in
2016.
“Our aim is to inspire
people like us to travel
and to make travel
affordable,” says Pearl.
Their target market is
young and middle class,
not only focusing on black
professionals but also
attracting international
volunteers and travellers.
They have broadened their
horizons beyond South
Africa to include Botswana
and Namibia. Different
travel ideas are promoted
monthly, attracting repeat
customers. Packages
negotiated with preferred
partners include
accommodation, road
transport and activities,
with airfares added on
request.
“Where we are different
is that we try out our
packages first and then
market them on social
media, through our
blogs and social media
influencers,” explains
Pearl.
Important marketing
tools include the hashtags
#TravelYourBackyard and
#TheTravelingBlacks;
Instagram images;
and instant WhatsApp
accessibility.
Travelingcheapskates
is not affiliated to an
industry consortium but
tickets through SLM
Safaris in Windhoek.
Pearl says it is a member
of the SA Youth Travel
Confederation, is listed
on SA Tourism’s Sho’t
Left website and is in the
process of applying for
Asata membership.
Looking to the future,
she says: “We want to
make travel accessible to
underprivileged schools
and are working with
partners to make it
happen.”RAVELINGCHEAPSKATES,
online travel curator, is
tapping into the BEE
market with custom-made
budget travel packages
based on the personal
travel experiences of the
two young black women
who own the company.
Co-founders, Pearl Nkosi
and Philile Nzimande,
discovered a shared love
of travel when they met
at Durban University
of Technology, where
Pearl studied Hospitality
and Philile Information
Management and
Communications. After
their studies, Pearl did an
internship at Disneyworld
in Florida before joining
Philile in Johannesburg.
On a joint backpacking
trip to Knysna, the pair
discovered a gap in the
market for young black
travellers. Recording
their adventures on
social media soon
attracted a following
of potential clients
clambering to follow suit.
Travelingcheapskates was
registered in 2014 and
became operational in
2016.
“Our aim is to inspire
people like us to travel
and to make travel
affordable,” says Pearl.
Their target market is
young and middle class,
not only focusing on black
professionals but also
attracting international
volunteers and travellers.
They have broadened their
horizons beyond South
Africa to include Botswana
and Namibia. Different
travel ideas are promoted
monthly, attracting repeat
customers. Packages
negotiated with preferred
partners include
accommodation, road
transport and activities,
with airfares added on
request.
“Where we are different
is that we try out our
packages first and then
market them on social
media, through our
blogs and social media
influencers,” explains
Pearl.
Important marketing
tools include the hashtags
#TravelYourBackyard and
#TheTravelingBlacks;
Instagram images;
and instant WhatsApp
accessibility.
Travelingcheapskates
is not affiliated to an
industry consortium but
tickets through SLM
Safaris in Windhoek.
Pearl says it is a member
of the SA Youth Travel
Confederation, is listed
on SA Tourism’s Sho’t
Left website and is in the
process of applying for
Asata membership.
Looking to the future,
she says: “We want to
make travel accessible to
underprivileged schools
and are working with
partners to make it
happen.”
Meet Pearl and Philile
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