At the age of 21, Bheki Dube set out to disrupt the backpacker industry in South Africa with a vision to provide “backpacker style meets boutique hotel” accommodation in Johannesburg’s vibrant Maboneng.
The founder of Curiocity started the business in 2013 after taking a backpacking trip across the country. Dube said that on his journey he realised that the industry was dull and lacked “youth energy”.
He said the idea came to him when Maboneng was going through a massive rejuvenation. At the time, he offered walking tours to people visiting the city.
“I grew up in Troyeville, in a fascinating building among artists, socialists and conscious rebels. That made me think outside the lines and believe in my idea. I was inspired to look at the streets of Johannesburg and appreciate the art,” he said.
Because he was working as a tour guide in Maboneng, Dube was acquainted with the precinct’s developer Jonathan Liebmann, who was the first to believe in his vision. After hearing Dube’s plans about Curiocity, Liebmann arranged for him to take an investor on a tour.
“I didn’t know the guy was one of the investors. I spoke to him about the area as if it was my own neighbourhood. He then asked me what I wanted for the place. After the tour, he wrote a letter to the developers telling them that he believed in my concept and wanted to back me financially.”
Dube describes Curiocity as a travel movement that connects local and international travellers, digital nomads and groups with authentic experiences that only Africa can provide.
“We provide hybrid accommodation for the curious travellers in the same building. So you can book a dormitory with four beds, but in the same building find a premium room that affords you your privacy.”
To be able to grow beyond that five-year mark has been exciting for us, and we have plans of expanding across the country. We recently opened our head office in Cape Town where we are building an engine room that will propel us for growth
— Bheki Dube, founder of Curiocity
Attracting guests from countries such as Brazil, Nigeria, the US, and the UK, Dube said the “magic” happened in their common rooms, the coffee shops and the bars.
“There we have curated experiences every day and we encourage people to take part in the tours we offer. Curiocity is more than just a bed, four walls, and a door. It’s an experience,” he said.
In Johannesburg, the business offers tours to Soweto, the Cradle of Humankind and street walking tours. It recently started offering tours in Cape Town, including wine farm excursions.
For a dormitory room, each bed costs a minimum of R650, while a private room costs between R1,200 and R1,600 depending on the season.
Dube said the business encountered multiple obstacles along the way. One of the main issues was that he had no background in business and had to “learn the tricks of the trade” as he progressed. He also found that funding to expand the project would not be easy to find.
“In America and Europe, they had already put this concept in motion, but in South Africa we were the first pioneers of this. Changing the perspective in the investor community proved quite challenging.”
When it came to staff, he learnt it was difficult to find young people who were experienced enough to work in the tourism sector. Duma said as a youth-led brand that prioritises hiring young people, finding employees with the right talent was difficult.
Affected by the Covid-19 pandemic like many other businesses, Curiocity faced a setback when it had to shut down its operations in Durban after five years. Dube said the priority during the pandemic was to ensure that the company did not lose its talent. It did not consider retrenchments and instead encouraged its employees to move into its accommodation as they could not afford to cover their rent.
Today, Curiocity has nine locations in Johannesburg and Cape Town, employing a total of 73 people including baristas, housekeeping staff and front desk operators.
Dube said the long-term plan was to have Curiocity buildings in landmark locations such as the Garden Route in Cape Town, Kruger National Park and Rosebank in Johannesburg.
Eleven years into the business, he said one of his biggest achievements was keeping Curiocity going for so long, as he believes start-ups in the country have a five-year lifeline.
“To be able to grow beyond that five-year mark has been exciting for us, and we have plans of expanding across the country. We recently opened our head office in Cape Town where we are building an engine room that will propel us for growth.”
While the business is attracting local and international tourists, it has not yet reached its pre-pandemic numbers.
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