A birthday trip to 
Cape Town gave identical twin sisters Busisiwe and Gugu Ngcelwane more than an adventure. It inspired them to leave Johannesburg and launch Twin Venture, an adventure tourism business at the Atlantis Dunes.
The 100% Black women-owned company offers guided quad-biking and sandboarding experiences at the Witzands Aquifer Nature Reserve.
The idea was born in November 2021 when the sisters travelled to Cape Town and struggled to secure a quad-biking booking.
“When we eventually did, we completely fell in love with the dunes and the adventure. But we also saw a business opportunity. We started asking ourselves: ‘Why can’t we do this? Why can’t two young Black women enter this industry and create our own adventure tourism company?’” Busisiwe recalled.
Back in Johannesburg, the sisters researched the market and used their savings, with support from their late father, to buy four quad bikes. They purchased one-way tickets to Cape Town and started trading in December 2021. Twin Venture was formally registered the following month.
“We did not wait until we had a major investor or millions of rands in funding. We believed in our idea and decided to start with what we had,” Busisiwe said.
Busisiwe’s Advanced Diploma in Marketing helped shape the company’s branding and sales strategy, while Gugu contributed skills in networking and business development. Much of their tourism knowledge, however, came through hands-on experience.
“We entered this industry without knowing everything about tourism, adventure operations or running a business at the dunes. We had to learn everything from the ground up,” she said.
The sisters navigated permits, regulations, insurance requirements and online booking systems while also maintaining bikes and building relationships with hotels, tour operators and travel agents.
“We knew that we had to work hard, remain professional and allow the quality of our work to speak for us. Our philosophy has always been: ‘We are equal to the best.’”
By reinvesting earnings, Twin Venture expanded beyond its original four bikes and created employment opportunities for guides, administrative staff and maintenance personnel.
The business has exhibited at Africa’s Travel Indaba and Meetings Africa and received the Empowering Her Award in 2024 from the Nomzamo Lighthouse Foundation and Hollywood Foundation.
In April 2025, Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille launched the national Easter domestic tourism campaign at Twin Venture, while Wesgro later featured the company in its 2026 Youth Spotlight.
Although primarily self-funded, Twin Venture benefited from the Department of Tourism’s Market Access Support Programme and support from Cape Town Tourism, South African Tourism and Wesgro.
The sisters hope to expand into other provinces and introduce activities such as archery, paintball, hiking and team-building programmes.
“You do not have to start big. You simply have to be brave enough to start.”
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