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The awards event concluded the Journey to Service Excellence Programme, which ran through August and September in Paarl and Wellington, emphasising the importance of service excellence initiatives in the tourism value chain.
The programme was open to all businesses in Paarl and Wellington, and had three components – a 4-day series of service excellence workshop in which 151 beneficiaries took part and a leadership workshops in which 18 beneficiaries took part, a radio competition where people could nominate their service heroes and, finally, the J2SE awards.
The winners of the weekly J2SE awards were:
| NAME | SURNAME | ORGANISATION | DESIGNATION |
| Linda | Benjamin | Foundation Stones Guesthouse | Hospitality Manager |
| Ronelle | Louwrens | Yehbaby Marketing | Owner/Manager |
| Sonja | Rautenbach | Rautenbach Transport | Shuttle service driver |
| Sharlene | Coetzee | Sunfield Home | Carer |
| Esra | Steyn | Essie Salon | Owner/Manager |
| Elzanne | Smit | Picardie Guest Farm | Hospitality Manager |
| Karel | Nell | B. Kuiler Taxis | Taxi driver |
The overall winner of the J2SE Awards for Paal and Wellington, was Elzanne Smit from Picardie Guest Farm, whom, according to the judges, stood out as an ambassador for the region and for tourism service excellence.
Speaking at the J2SE Awards, Minister Maynier congratulated the winners, adding, “As the Western Cape government, we are working hard to grow the regional economy, and create jobs so that all who live in this Province can live with dignity, with independence and with hope.
“The tourism sector remains the backbone of the Western Cape economy, supporting over 300 000 direct and indirect jobs in our province thanks to the millions of tourists who flock to the region annually to enjoy some of the most scenic and breath-taking locations that the globe has to offer. Many of these jobs offer fantastic opportunities for young people, and are often the first career stepping stone for graduates entering the market either through internships, work placements or entry-level roles.
“Improving service levels in tourism has been identified as one of the focus areas to be addressed in the industry by the Department of Economic Development and Tourism. Ensuring that visitors to the province have a fantastic, memorable experience – from start to finish – is critical to growing the tourism sector in the Western Cape.
“The important role every individual living in a region like the Cape Winelands, and towns like Paarl and Wellington, can play in ensuring a thriving tourism industry is evidenced by the range of winners today. Every one of you fulfils an incredibly important role in delivering a culture of service excellence which supports the tourism industry and in turn, grows our economy and creates jobs.”
