Coping with COVID: Nomad shows grit to retain employees

Nomad Africa Adventure Tours is just one of many tourism companies that are finding innovative ways to cope with the global COVID-19 pandemic – which has had an immediate and massive impact on revenue generation and job security in the sector.

Founder and MD of Nomad, Alex Rutherford, is mindful of supporting 123 families during a time when the company is not generating revenue and the future of the COVID-19 pandemic is extremely uncertain. This is why the company took the decision to retain its more than 70 tour crew, as well as its 45 office staff.

Nomad GM, Henk de Kock, said the tour crew were contract workers who were normally paid on a ‘per tour’ basis. “They will now be retained on a monthly salary basis by Nomad.”

He said an official staff policy had been put in place for tour crew as well as office staff for the near future. “While we cannot commit to this indefinitely, we will steer this course for as long as possible,” De Kock noted.