March 8, 2010

“I can TALK!”

That’s vibrant Maropeng tour guide Adelaide Motsanani at her best, and most honest…

Adelaide got a job as a waitress at Maropeng in 2005, but she freely admits that she liked chatting to her customers far too much – a fact that her bosses also picked up on. They soon asked her whether she’d like to become a tour guide, and she jumped at the chance, completing a training course at the University of the Witwatersrand.

Adelaide laughs confidently as she describes her first solo guiding experience: “I was SO nervous on my first day, the moment you realise you’re alone with these people is so scary!”

Self-confessed talker, Adelaide Motsanani

“You become nervous, you don’t know where to look and everybody is staring at you. The worst is when you try to make a joke and no one laughs!”

“But now there is nothing here I don’t know.”

Adelaide says she’s also learnt a lot about people during her time as a tour guide: “I know how to deal with people’s moods, you get all sorts here.”

Adelaide is very optimistic about the future, saying, “Tourism is an exciting field, it’s growing every day and there are lots of jobs. One day I want to be a tour operator and work all over South Africa.”

One thing people might not know about Adelaide? “I love eating Chappies all day – but don’t tell my boss!”