By Buziwe Nocuze
• Tour operator Sizwe Dusubana has spent more than 12 years promoting Port St John’s while creating temporary jobs and supporting village families through tourism.
• South Africa welcomed more than 4.2 million international visitors in the first five months of 2026, giving hope to tourism businesses along the Wild Coast.
For more than 12 years, Sizwe Dusubana has been showing visitors the beauty of the Wild Coast.
The 37-year-old from Port St John’s believes tourism can change lives in one of the Eastern Cape’s poorest regions.
Instead of leaving his hometown to look for work, he decided to build a business that creates opportunities for local people.
Dusubana is the founder of Wild Coast Trails and Transfers.
His company offers one-day hiking trips, overnight adventures and five-day hiking tours between Port St John’s and Coffee Bay.
Visitors cross rivers on foot or by boat, climb hills, walk along untouched beaches and explore forests that many South Africans have never seen.
Along the way, they also learn about local birds, plants, rivers and the traditions of rural communities.
“My mission is to promote tourism in the remote areas of Port St John’s because I love helping people and showing them the beauty of where we live,” said Dusubana.
One of the unique parts of his tours is that visitors stay with local families instead of hotels.
This allows tourists to experience village life while bringing much-needed income directly into rural communities.
Dusubana said tourism is not only about beautiful scenery.
“It also helps visitors understand our culture and the way people live in rural South Africa,” he said.
Like many small business owners, rising costs have made running the business much harder.
Transport costs for trips between Port St John’s and Coffee Bay have increased from about R3,200 to R5,750.
River crossing fees have also gone up from R30 to R50 per person.
To cover higher accommodation, food and transport costs, the price of his four-night hiking package increased from R2,770 to R3,280 per person.
The package includes accommodation, meals, guide services and river crossings.
Dusubana dreams of buying his own vehicle and boat instead of hiring transport for every trip.
He estimates he needs about R3-million to expand his business.
Despite the challenges, he continues creating jobs.
Although he does not employ permanent workers, he regularly hires local porters, guides and support staff.
This month alone, he employed 10 local porters for a hiking tour.
“Port St John’s has huge tourism potential, but unemployment is very high. Tourism can create many jobs if more people visit,” he said.
He believes attractions such as Isinuka Sulphur Springs, the Gap and Blowhole, Bulolo Waterfall, Silaka Nature Reserve and the famous Wild Coast hiking trails could attract many more local and international visitors.
Another local tourism operator, Nkosinathi Xulu from Milani Adventure, said the industry is still recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We are surviving because we love what we do, but business is still slow. We used to welcome many international tourists. Now we depend mostly on South Africans,” he said.
Xulu said improving roads, public infrastructure and investing in small tourism businesses would help attract more visitors to the area.
There are signs that tourism is recovering nationally.
Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille recently announced that South Africa welcomed more than 4.2 million international visitors between January and May 2026.
That is a 12.8% increase compared with the same period last year.
Visitors from other African countries increased by 14.7%, while arrivals from Europe grew by 11.1%.
For entrepreneurs like Dusubana, those numbers bring hope that more travellers will discover the beauty of the Wild Coast and help create jobs in communities that need them most.
Pictured above: Port St John’s tour operator Sizwe Dusubana is using tourism to create jobs and showcase the beauty of the Wild Coast.
Image source: Sizwe Dusubana
