Elicha Jonker

Experienced academic in Tourism Management with a focus on creative tourism, audience development, and the creative economy. Strong background in postgraduate supervision, curriculum design, and research leadership across interdisciplinary projects. Committed to bridging academic research with industry needs to support inclusive tourism development, community engagement, and capacity building in the sector.

Lecturer, Central University of Technology, Bloemfontein (2020 - present)

• Undergraduate and postgraduate teaching
• Supervision of research projects
• Departmental and faculty-level committee roles
• Community engagement coordination
• Research and conference participation

• Senior Lecturer, North-West University, Mafikeng Campus
• Lecturer, Centurion Academy
• Facilitator & Assessor, Networx for Career Development

• Jonker, E., Saayman, M. & De Klerk, S., 2009, The role and attributes of entrepreneurs at South Africa’s largest arts festival., Revista de Turismo y Patrimonio Cultural, 7, 3, 381–392.
• Jonker, E. & Saayman, M., 2010, Socio-demographic analysis of festival entrepreneurs in South Africa., Southern African Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management, 3, 1, 1–17,
• 2023, Proposed framework to determine the contribution of the creative industries to the South African economy., International Conference on Entrepreneurship Development (ICED)

• Tourism Industry Law
• Tourism Marketing
• Tourism Management
• Research Methodology

• (2024) Co-Supervisor, Magister Artium in History, Heritage and Cultural Tourism, NWU, Preserving Shona and Venda culture and heritage to develop tourism post-1994: A case of the Mapungubwe cultural landscape, Limpopo, South Africa
• (2023) Master’s Dissertation Examiner, NWU, Creative Tourism, 2023
• (2024) PhD Thesis Examiner, NWU, Green Rewards Programmes at Arts Festivals

• Reviewer, 40th Annual (Virtual) Conference of the International Society of Travel & Tourism Educators (ISTTE 2021)
• Reviewer, Journal of Consumer Sciences, South Africa

• Chair, Departmental Research and Innovation Committee, Department of Tourism and Hospitality, CUT
• Member, Faculty Research and Innovation Committee, Faculty of Management Sciences, CUT
• Member, Masters and Doctorate Quality Assurance Committee, Faculty of Management Sciences, CUT
• Member, Undergraduate Teaching and Learning Committee, CUT

• AI in Research and Education workshop
• Amadeus Novice Course
• Introduction to SPSS
• Advanced SPSS
• Postgraduate Supervision Webinar Series
• Article Writing and Publication Programme
• Research Ethics and Integrity Workshop
• Graduate School Webinar Series on Postgraduate Supervision
• Assessor Course
• Moderator Course

Date of Birth: 08/14/85

• Creative industries and tourism in South Africa
• Economic contribution of tourism and the creative economy
• Hospitality management and Work-Integrated Learning
• Tourism entrepreneurship, innovation, and community engagement
• Research methods in tourism and events

Bianca De Klerk HOD

Central University of Technology

meyerb@cut.ac.za

Dr Lisebo Tseane-Gumbi Deputy Director

School of Tourism Management NWU Mafikeng Campus 

Lisebo.TseaneGumbi@nwu.ac.za

Ursula Mylet Bhengu

Networx for Career Development Owner

ursula@ncd-hrd.co.za