The Team

The Plett Tourism Team is made up of:

• Patty Butterworth – CEO – patty@pletttourism.com
• Liz Phillips – Treasurer – finance@pletttoursim.com
• Cindy Wilson-Trollip – Manager – cindy@pletttourism.com
• Janet Middleton – Social Media Manager – janet@pletttourism.com
• Thandi Mabukane – Membership Manager – thandi@pletttourism.com
• Brendon Morris – IT Systems Manager – brendon@pletttourism.com
• Andisiwe Nonkosana – Administration Assistant – andisiwe@pletttourism.com
• Emily Potgieter – Information Officer – emily@pletttourism.com
• Brayley Booysen – Information Officer – brayley@pletttourism.com
• Porche Saayman – Tourism & Travel Trade Consultant – porche@pletttourism.com
• Alice Evans – Graphic Design & Art Director – alice@designdesign.co.za

CINDY WILSON-TROLLIP // MANAGER

Cindy Wilson-Trollip is the GM of Plett Tourism and heads up the Events and Festivals portfolio, a position she has held for the last 9 years.

Her marketing experience at the Nestle SA head office as advertising liaison manager on all brands, client service executive at Ogilvy & Mather, TV producer at Hunt Lascaris and Grey Advertising et al, broadcast, national and international commercials, music video and documentary film producer and editor, lecturer at the Department of Journalism at Rhodes University and sometime teacher of English in the far east has comprised her working career of 43 years.

Having previously lived in Plett for her school and varsity years, (the ‘70’s) Cindy returned 20 years ago, and was invited onto the Plett Rhythm & Roots Festival committee, presenting a programme on the Khoisan/Griqua heritage, and becoming involved in tourism in the town, whilst continuing work in the furniture retail, interior design and manufacturing space, owned an import furniture business for 8 years, joined the Plett Tourism team 9 years ago and has been full time for the last 7 years.

ANDISIWE NONKASANA // ADMINISTRATION ASSISTANT

Andisiwe is originally from the Eastern Cape and studied Office Administration, Business Practice, New Venture Creation, Office Data Processing and Office Practice at South Cape College from 2014 to 2016.

Previous roles she held in the hospitality sector include waitressing and other positions in the food service industry.

In 2017 she joined the Plett Tourism Team as an intern and her role has developed into signage and event coordination for events such as the Plett Wine & Bubbly Festival, Plett ARTS Festival and Plett Ocean Festival to name a few.

She also manages the ordering of office stationery and supplies, maintains the filing system and organises the storage and printing of company documents as needed.

Andisiwe is committed to providing helpful, fast, and accurate service to patrons.

JANET MIDDLETON // SOCIAL MEDIA & DIGITAL MARKETING

Janet Middleton manages Plett Tourism’s social media accounts, general mailer and blogs for the Plett Tourism website. Janet is originally from Port Elizabeth and studied IT and Marketing at Nelson Mandela Bay University (then University of Port Elizabeth). Following her studies, she trained as a scuba dive-master and, later, instructor, returning from London to open and operate a new dive centre at the Beacon Isle Hotel. She managed this tourism business successfully for six years before turning her attention full-time to digital marketing, with a strong focus on the tourism industry.

Since 2011, Janet has operated her own digital marketing consultancy, Key Media & Marketing, training and working with a variety of businesses and destinations in the Garden Route and the Eastern Cape ranging from Destination Marketing Organisations, real estate, magazines and private businesses. With a firm background in both traditional marketing and IT, 15 years’ experience in the travel and tourism sector and an ahead-of-the-curve approach to new media, Janet brings a balanced and experienced approach to Plett Tourism’s digital marketing channels.

For more information, please visit: www.keymediaandmarketing.co.za

BRENDON MORRIS // WEB DEVELOPMENT & IT

Brendon handles the IT for Plett Tourism, focusing mainly on the website, web development, hosting, and content management. He manages the association’s email systems, compiles the bulk email newsletters and promotional mailers, and provides general online IT support services.

After growing up and attending primary school in Plett and then high school Port Elizabeth in the 1980s, Brendon studied Civil Engineering in PE before heading to the UK in the mid-90s to work as a surveyor on the construction of new tube tunnels for London Underground. He thereafter joined Thames Water managing large pipeline construction projects around the city.

In 1999 Brendon made a career change by studying IT Networking and qualifying as a Microsoft Certified Professional. This enabled him to work for a UK startup company deploying ethernet networks and developing websites during the Y2K and dot-com boom of the early 2000s, dealing with clients such as Colorama Film and Lloyds of London, amongst others. In 2003, while still in the UK, Brendon started his own web development business and then returned to South Africa in 2004, branching out into web hosting as another of his key offerings.

He has built a large client base in the 20 years that his business has been in operation, with the local tourism sector being one of his main sources of customers, although he continues to serve a number of his international clients in the UK, USA and Ireland.

PATTY BUTTERWORTH // CEO

Patty Butterworth, CEO at Plett Tourism, has held several portfolios under the Plett Tourism Association. She was appointed as CEO in October 2020, and her previous portfolio was focused on Travel and Trade, the Media Management and Business Development.

She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Media Relations from George Mason University in the United States. She has worked in publishing, marketing, public relations and brand management over the course of 33 years. Her experience is across the board, having worked for industry leaders in the US such as Alston & Bird, CNN, DuPont, Southern Living and The Washington Post.

She moved to South Africa with her husband in 1996 and has worked with industry leaders such as the Border-Kei Chamber of Business, Daimler Chrysler, GA Creative Brands and Johnson & Johnson. She has been involved with tourism over the course of 12 years. She started in the private sector and helped formalise the current board structure of the Plett Tourism Association, having been involved since the Association’s inception and joining the Plett Tourism Team in 2012.

THANDI MABUKANE // MEMBERSHIP MANAGER

Long-standing Plett Tourism employee Thandi Mabukani, joins the Management Team as Membership Manager, recently appointed by CEO Patty Butterworth. Her new position officially started 1 September 2021.

Thandi Mabukane formerly held the position of Membership Coordinator and has been actively involved with the management of the members since October 2020.

Prior to her new role, Thandi Mabukane was first employed by the Association as an information officer, and later accepted the position of Membership Coordinator in October 2020 under the guidance of the Association’s team who work directly with members. Her familiarity with the local hospitality industry products, her experience in administration and her hard work made her the most viable candidate for the position on the Management Team.

EMILY POTGIETER // TOURISM OFFICER

With more than 22 years of experience with the Plett Tourism office, Emily enjoys assisting guests and members with special requests and guidance with activity and accommodation bookings.

Her knowledge of the local restaurants, shopping areas and activities is like a walking and talking Plett encyclopedia. She speaks English, German, Zulu and Afrikaans.

In her spare time, Emily likes to spend time with her family and explore the beaches, activities and coffee shops of Plett and speaking with local residents.

BRAYLEY BOOYSEN // TOURISM OFFICER

Having started her tenure at Plett Tourism as an intern, Brayley accepted an offer to stay on as an Information Officer in 2022.

She oversees the Administration Services on offer at the office and manages the Community Hot Desk bookings. She speaks English and Afrikaans.

Brayley enjoys attending the many different events and festivals on offer – an eclectic collection that range from music concerts featuring Amapiano, GQOM, rock and Afrikaans to the many art, culture and wine life style events on offer.

PORCHE SEPTEMBER // TOURISM & TRAVEL TRADE ASSISTANT

Plett Tourism is pleased to welcome a new addition to the family. Beautiful and talented Porche September is ready to apply her knowledge and skills as a Tourism & Travel Trade Assistant, working directly with CEO Patty Butterworth on projects that require experience and expertise with tour operators, trade shows and other travel trade projects.

Confident and dynamic Porche insists that her current appointment isn’t her first tourism, betterment rodeo. She cut her proverbial professional teeth in ICT (Information, Communication & Technology) Management, Corporate Services, HR, and Tourism Coordination.

Porche earned her N4 and N5 Tourism certificates in 2012 and is currently in the process of earning a Diploma in Law. She clearly does not lack energy or ambition. As to her professional strengths, she acknowledges her ability to work well under pressure and to execute tasks in a professional and timely manner. Porche is happiest when she is employing her creativity, unique problem solving, and innovative ideas to the task at hand.

ALICE EVANS // GRAPHIC DESIGN & ART DIRECTOR

As a multifaceted graphic designer and art director, Alice embodies a blend of artistic vision and strategic thinking. With a keen eye for aesthetics and a passion for storytelling, she excels in crafting visually captivating designs that leave a lasting impression.

Her expertise spans a wide range of mediums, allowing her to seamlessly create compelling brand identities, impactful marketing campaigns, and engaging user experiences. Through her leadership skills and effective collaboration, Alice inspires teams, while maintaining a strong focus on delivering results.

With a drive for innovation and a commitment to excellence, she consistently pushes boundaries and elevates the art of design.

Journalists and Writers for Plett Tourism

SIHLE NTSASHA // FREELANCE COMMUNITY JOURNALIST AND WRITER FOR PLETT TOURISM

Sihle is a PR & Communications Practitioner who graduated from Cape Peninsula University of Technology in 2019 and is currently a freelancer in the field of communications.

Read some of Sihle’s work for Plett Tourism here