The 2024 Tourism Business Council of South Africa Leadership Conference, under the theme Tourism Matters, is officially under way at Sun City, in the North West Province. The two-day Leadership Conference gathers industry stakeholders from the private and public sectors, including thought leaders, academics, and other industry stakeholders. Now in its third year, the TBCSA Leadership Conference continues to be a platform for progressive discussions, deliberations, and observations on the state of tourism in South Africa.
This year the conference takes place within the ambit of the seventh democratic administration, under the Government of National Unity (GNU). For its part, the industry remains steadfast in meeting its goals of achieving inclusive growth in the sector and creating work opportunities in communities across the country. The 2030 deadline of attracting 15.6 million travellers is ever looming – and the work continues through private and public partnerships to amplify and boost the appeal of Destination South Africa.
In his opening address TBCSA Chairperson, Jerry Mabena, emphasised the importance of using the Leadership Conference to cement relations between the public and private sectors. He also highlighted the importance of tourism in creating jobs, contributing significantly to South Africa’s GDP, and showcasing the country’s rich culture and tradition.
“South Africans look to this new government to see how it works to solve critical issues such as unemployment, the cost-of-living crisis, and slow economic growth. We, on the other hand, need to demonstrate how our sector is positioning itself to address these very same challenges” says Mabena.
Tourism Matters
As South Africa marks 30 years of democracy, the tourism sector continues to be a conduit for connecting people, places, and cultures. The day’s keynote speaker Deputy Minister of Tourism Maggie Sotyu has noted the importance of the public and private partnership in achieving common national goals.
“This kind of gathering also signifies the power of pulling together. Without an association, coordination between government and industry remains challenging. It is therefore important that we stand together united by the common goal of growing an inclusive sector,” notes Sotyu.
The public sector has also been working to address some of the industry’s challenges. Progress has been made in clearing the operating license backlog for tour operators, reforms in visa regimes, and the development of legislation that aids the growth of tourism.
Since the last Leadership Conference, the Cabinet has approved the Tourism Sector Master Plan and extended its implementation until 2026, while the Tourism White Paper is under consideration. Once gazetted, the White Paper will boost efforts to create an enabling regulatory environment. On the other hand, the Tourism Crisis Management Strategy will be a blueprint for the sector to better respond to disasters in the future. According to Sotyu, the strategy aims to ensure the industry and other partners can mitigate, respond to, and manage crises as and when they occur.
At the same time, as South Africa works to reform its visa regimes, the debate continues on the best approach for the country – but there is consensus that automation needs to be bolstered. Yusuf Simons from the Department of Home Affairs notes the progress of the public sector in addressing various issues such as developing legislative frameworks for foreign remote workers, the Trusted Employers Scheme and group visa applications for tourists from China and India among others. The department has set a goal of clearing all backlogs by Christmas.
Issues of improving existing public infrastructure to enable better access for visitors to the country, enhanced service delivery and sustainable tourism that considers the environment, increasing aviation capacity, safety and security, and creating an industry that develops communities while it grows continue to dominate discussions at the Leadership Conference.
Building foundations for success
In his annual report, TBCSA CEO Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa began by addressing the media furore over the council-led campaign that featured renowned South African comedian and global celebrity Trevor Noah. He has once again dispelled reports that the comedian was paid over R30 million for the advert that has reached at least 281 million people in nine markets worldwide since it was first flighted in November 2023.
Tshivhenga says the rationale behind the Trevor Noah campaign was to leverage his celebrity to boost the appeal of Destination South Africa.“Our goal remains the same, and that is to stimulate demand for travel into South Africa. We need to ensure that South Africa remains alive, relevant, and top of mind when visitors consider their options” says Tshivhenga.
One of the cornerstones of this year’s Leadership Conference is creating an inclusive industry that empowers young people. Youth Employment Service(YES) CEO Ravi Naidoo says it is important that youth are positioned, enabled, and empowered to help unlock potential in the sector. YES was formed after the private sector (through the CEO Initiative, comprising 150 of the most forward-thinking companies) identified youth employment as South Africa’s critical development prerequisite.
So far, 1760 private sector companies are funding YES, benefitting at least 156,000 young people, many of whom come from social grant-receiving families. Some of the beneficiaries of this programme have gone on to start small businesses in the communities.
