Minister Buti Manamela launches fourth national Heritage Careers Expo at ORBIT TVET College in Mankwe, North West, on September 22, 2026

“Heritage to Wealth: Turning Culture into Careers”

MANKWE, NORTH WEST, 22 September 2026: The Minister of Higher Education and Training, Mr Buti Manamela, today launched the fourth edition of the Heritage Careers Expo (HCE) at ORBIT TVET College, Mankwe Campus, in the North West province. The Minister was joined by the Premier of the North West Province, Hon. Lazarus Kagiso Mokgosi (MPL), and the North West MEC for Arts, Culture, Sport and Recreation, Hon. Galebekwe Virginia Tsotso Tlhapi (MPL), together with government leaders, education and training institutions, industry partners and thousands of learners.

The Expo, held under the theme “Heritage to Wealth: Turning Culture into Careers,” is a national initiative that exposes learners to career, training, employment and business opportunities within South Africa’s cultural, creative and heritage industries.

The programme responds to the need for career guidance that reflects the full range of opportunities available to young people. Many learners have creative, cultural and practical abilities but lack access to information about qualifications, professional standards, workplace experience and routes into business.

The Heritage Careers Expo brings government, Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs), schools, universities, TVET colleges, accredited training providers, employers, entrepreneurs and experienced practitioners into one national career-development platform.

Speaking at the launch, Minister Manamela said the programme would help learners connect their abilities with recognised education and economic opportunities.

“South Africa’s heritage carries knowledge, identity and economic value. Our responsibility is to help young people develop that value through education, skills and enterprise. Talent may provide the starting point, but young people also need training, workplace experience and access to opportunities,” said Minister Manamela.

FROM SCHOOL TO SKILLS, WORK AND ENTERPRISE

The Expo provides a clear pathway from School - Skills - Qualification - Work - Enterprise.

The Department of Basic Education supports learner mobilisation, career guidance and the inclusion of rural schools. The Department of Higher Education and Training connects learners with universities, TVET colleges, community education and training institutions and career advisers.

The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture and industry practitioners provide specialist knowledge and practical exposure to careers across the cultural and creative economy.

CATHSSETA serves as the anchor SETA, leading the national coordination and implementation of the programme. Ten partnering SETAs; FP&M SETA, FoodBev SETA, Services SETA, AgriSETA, W&RSETA, TETA, MQA, EWSETA, FASSET and PSETA; provide sector-specific career content, industry participation and practical learning opportunities aligned with their mandates.

LEARNERS EXPERIENCE CAREERS IN ACTION

The programme moves beyond conventional career exhibitions. Learners are participating in practical “Try-A-Skill” activities, live demonstrations and industry-led masterclasses.

The career experiences on offer at the launch cover:

•     Indigenous food and culinary entrepreneurship

•     Music, composition and recording

•     Dance and choreography

•     Visual arts and jewellery

•     Fashion, costume design and textiles

•     Hair and make-up

•     Poetry, writing and storytelling

•     Cultural tourism

•     Indigenous games

•     Digital content creation and online commercialisation

Learners are also receiving guidance on qualifications, training institutions, workplace learning, employment, entrepreneurship, branding and access to markets.

MASTER CHAMPIONS SHARE EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE

Six recognised South African practitioners are serving as Master Champions across the programme’s main creative disciplines:

•     Onezwa Mbola: indigenous cuisine, food entrepreneurship and foraging

•     Mbuso Khoza: indigenous music, composition, vocal technique and cultural storytelling

•     Kitty Phetla: contemporary dance, choreography and performance

•     Nelson Makamo: visual arts, painting, mixed media and cultural expression

•     Sheli Masondo: fashion, costume design, styling and textile innovation

•     Mandisa Vundla: poetry, writing, storytelling and spoken-word performance

The Master Champions are helping learners understand the work behind successful creative careers, including training, discipline, professional standards, business development and continuous learning.

Their participation is also exposing learners to the wider career value chain. A creative enterprise requires technical practitioners as well as administrators, marketers, project managers, event professionals, digital specialists, customer service teams and entrepreneurs.

NATIONAL AND PROVINCIAL REACH

The North West launch introduces a broader national programme of provincial activities, school visits, live experiences, masterclasses and digital content. Further live experiences are planned in KwaZulu-Natal (Esayidi TVET College) and the Eastern Cape (Lovedale TVET College), with a closing ceremony to follow in the Eastern Cape.

Recorded and streamed content will extend the programme to learners who cannot attend the physical events. The national model allows provinces to showcase their heritage, institutions, industries and economic opportunities while maintaining a common career-development message.

The programme prioritises learners in Grades 8 to 11, including learners in rural, township and underserved communities.

Mr Marks Thibela, Chief Executive Officer of CATHSSETA, said the fourth edition of the Heritage Careers Expo reflects the programme’s growth into a national movement:

“Every edition of the Heritage Careers Expo has grown in scale and impact, and this fourth installation is no different. We have moved beyond a single-day exhibition to a national platform that places heritage at the centre of career development. Young people must be able to see and experience the careers available to them, and today they are doing exactly that; meeting practitioners, employers and training institutions who can open real pathways into South Africa’s creative and cultural economy,” said Mr Thibela.

The Expo aims to establish a national pipeline linking creative talent with education, employment, entrepreneurship and innovation.