SA AIA – upping professionalism in the adventure industry

For us, like our loyal readers and followers, the concept of adventure is not an unknown one. It is what inspires and motivates us, driving us to go further, do more and discover everything this wonderful planet of ours has to offer. Adventure Afrika… our name says it all really.

Whatever your idea of adventure is – whether it be overlanding, off-roading, camping, hiking, exploring, fishing or more adrenaline-filled activities – the options are almost endless in terms of destinations, venues and service providers. This means that you have to think very carefully before you decide where you go, what you do and with whom you do it. It is imperative to know that you are in safe and capable hands.

This is where the South African Adventure Industry Association (SA AIA) comes in, a non-profit organisation established in 2020. Acting as an association for two sectors – the school camping/team building industry and the adventure tourist guide history – the organisation aims to take the guess work out of choosing a qualified, experienced and reliable service provider. It also provides backing to the industry through education and guidance and is in the process of registering with SAQA as a professional, non-statutory body representing these two sectors.

Of course, everything ground to a screeching halt during the COVID-19 pandemic and when Jessi Sunkel, the current driving force behind SA AIA, took up the reigns in October 2021, she soon realised that there was no real understanding of the adventure industry and that no clear guidelines existed. In fact, in many cases the necessary skills and experience were sorely lacking. In addition, the adventure industry is very segregated, and all stakeholders seem to have their own ideas on how things are done.

According to Jessi the organisation came into being after a few tragic incidents involving children at school camps and events. These highlighted the necessity for an umbrella body to organise the industry and to ensure that service providers have the knowledge and credentials to be able to serve the public safely and effectively. She stresses, however, that SA AIA is not a watchdog, and its main purpose is to provide information and guidance and to bring structure to an industry that is still largely unregulated.

Although SA AIA itself is not a regulator in the legal sense of the word, the adventure industry operates under many laws. So, for instance, the Occupational Health & Safety Act, the Tourism Act and the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act (to name but a few) all come into play for industry members, depending on the specific field they are involved in. For SA AIA to be recognised as a statutory body, it needs to be written into South African law. That is not off the table, but for now, Jessi and her team simply want to promote the industry as a professional one.

Because SA AIA is not a statutory body, it is not a legal requirement for businesses and service providers within the adventure industry to be members. It is purely voluntary. According to Jessi SA AIA strives to be inclusive rather than exclusive and as such welcomes any prospective members with open arms. “There are no stringent criteria for membership, but obviously we make sure that everything is above board.”

As such, new members must provide certain key information, sign a code of conduct and ethics and must conduct their business in a lawful manner. A membership fee is also payable. SA AIA currently has 37 corporate members and 23 professional members. “SA AIA is for anybody making use of adventurous endeavours to facilitate experiences – whether for recreation, education, development, therapeutic, or ministry purposes. It is for businesses wanting to be more knowledgeable or sensitive to intentionally make learning from adventurous experiences more impactful. Membership of SA AIA provides the perfect opportunity to learn, network, gain tools and self-develop,” Jessi enthuses.

Each tier has its own specific membership perks. Those include the following:

  • Online member community.
  • Online facilitator and tour guide database.
  • Direct business and marketing mentoring (including social media training and assistance)
  • Monthly interviews and articles with experts
  • Members-only workshops
  • Members-only and public job boards
  • Virtual events
  • Volunteering programmes
  • Exclusive, industry-specific offers
  • SAAIA-only posts and messages
  • Full library of publications and research access
  • Member-only voting power
  • Outdoor industry discounts
  • Listing on the SAAIA website and social media platforms
  • Access to industry networking events
  • Monthly newsletters.
  • SAAIA stamp of approval on your site
  • Assistance and mentoring around getting your business legal and safe
  • Public relations.
  • Direct and indirect relationships with governmental organisations and stakeholders

Jessi has big dreams for SA AIA, and plans are already under way to include the following in the membership offering:

  • CPD accreditation 
  • RPL processes 
  • Professional designations 
  • Flexible online learning and certifications 
  • Mentoring programmes 

As part of SA AIA’s mission to unify the adventure industry, the overlanding and 4×4 community obviously also comes into play. As a key role player in this industry, Adventure Afrika is now a proud member of SA AIA and will contribute towards unifying, vetting and educating businesses and service providers operating within this realm. Says Anton Willemse, the man at the helm of Adventure Afrika and all its associated platforms: “We are thrilled to be involved with SA AIA and the great work it is doing to unify the industry. We hope that our expertise will contribute towards making sure that professionalism reigns supreme and that the public have the peace of mind of know that they are dealing with duly trained, experienced and reputable service providers.”

More information: https://www.adventureassociation.co.za/

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