04 September 2015

Award-winning township entrepreneur heads off to the US for a magical book tour

Submitted by: Fazielah Williams
Award-winning township entrepreneur heads off to the US for a magical book tour

With magic anything is possible … just ask Mzukisi Lembeni, managing director of  tour operator company iMzu Tours and qualified magician – turned book author, as he embarks on a United States of America book tour for his bestseller, Introducing Cape Town’s Townships , this Tourism Month!

A graduate of Cape Town’s College of Magic, the only magical arts organisation of its kind in the world, Lembeni founded his tour guiding company in September 2011 and credits the College for imbuing him with self-esteem and teaching him the necessary expertise to build his professional persona with presentation, showmanship and business skills. His magical skills are what sets his Cape Town tours apart from others, as he performs magic for his tour guests.

An ardent fan of close-up and comedy magic, Lembeni first caught the attention of tourists and his tourism mentor Claus Tworeck, MD of City Sightseeing South Africa, whilst performing magic shows at the Two Oceans Aquarium in 1998. Since then, he has successfully completed his tertiary education through the University of South Africa (Tour Operation Management) and has also attended the College of Cape Town where he studied Tourism Management and Tour Operation.

Lembeni published his first book, Introducing Cape Town’s Townships, in 2014 and is currently developing his second manuscript. He will be visiting schools, colleges, universities and business clubs in the States to chat about his book, his entrepreneurial journey, life story and his magical studies.

“I am very excited about this trip! It’s a once-in-a- life-time experience and I cannot wait to share my amazing tale with a larger, global audience “, says the excited businessman.

That the book tour kicks off during Tourism Month and around World Tourism Day on 27 September, 2015 is a fortuitous event. With this year’s Tourism Day theme being “Millions of tourists, millions of opportunities”, Lembeni’s passion for the tourism industry shines through in all he does:

“I am passionate about this industry because I love people and I love learning new and exciting things. My core passion, though, is township tourism because it is necessary for uplifting the community and creating jobs for locals. I foresee a future where the government invests steadily in township tourism by supporting our businesses with grants or collaborations that are mutually beneficial.”

The College of Magic, a non-profit organisation based in Claremont, has been teaching magic and its allied arts to children and adults for 35 years. Many of its graduates span the kaleidoscope of careers, finding success in business, IT, engineering, medicine, comedy, the film industry and education.

“We are incredibly proud of Mzukisi and all that he has achieved. Magic is at its core about making the impossible possible, and Mzukisi’s successes have proven he shares this universal desire to achieve it! ” says David Gore, director of the College.

For more information about Imzu Tours and bookings, please visit www.imzutours.co.za.For more information about the College of Magic and its courses, please visit www.collegeofmagic.com or call +27(0)21 683 5480.

Issued by Fazielah Williams on behalf of the College of Magic (Hi-res images and interviews available on request).

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