From excavator to tourist guide – Irene Maphosa

July 12, 2010

By Miliswa Sitshwele

Irene Maphosa started working as a tour guide at Maropeng in November 2006. After working as an excavator at a fossil digging company for four years, Maphosa took a tour guide training course.

After the training, she heard about Maropeng, applied for a job as a tour guide there, and was accepted.

Being a guide means she is one of the first people guests see when they arrive at Maropeng. Her job involves welcoming guests, giving them a brief history of Maropeng and taking them on the exhibition tour.

Guide supervisor Reuben Tsime says of Irene: “She is a gentle, easy-going and friendly person, who always greets the tourists with an innocent smile. She always makes a good first impression and that is exactly what people want from guides. I have never heard a complaint about her. She does her job very well!”

“She does the right thing at the right time, she respects her job,” adds Reuben.

Maphosa says that some days are busier than others, but this energetic woman prefers being busy all the time.

Maphosa says the atmosphere and scenery at Maropeng is relaxing, making it a great place to work. “There’s no noise, no traffic; just nature all around,” she says.

Working at Maropeng also means Maphosa gets to meet South African celebrities.

“Today [the day of the interview with her] I met Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu. He shook my hand, and it was such a great feeling because some people don’t have the opportunities that I have.

“Wherever I go, I promote Maropeng. I encourage people to bring their friends and families here.”

To Maphosa, success means being able to afford all of life’s luxuries, like a house and a car. It also means having an ideal job and earning a good salary.

In the next three years Maphosa would like to open her own travel and tourism company and direct people to Maropeng.

“Maropeng is going places, you watch,” Maphosa says.

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