In every crisis lies opportunity. For South Africa, the COVID-19 pandemic was not only a devastating health emergency, but it was also a reckoning for a tourism industry that had long coasted on potential rather than performance. What should have been our wake-up call has become a warning, and we ignore it at our peril.
South Africa is a rare destination. We have mountain ranges and city skylines, wine estates and wildlife, iconic history, and vibrant youth culture. We have culinary brilliance, design ingenuity, and a cultural story that resonates across continents. We are a global destination waiting to be recognised as such not just once, but repeatedly and consistently. And yet, our tourism sector remains underleveraged, undercapitalised, and under-imagined.
We treat tourism as an accessory rather than a strategic growth engine. We speak of it as a nice-to-have, not a must-deliver. We drown it in red tape, overlook it in budget allocations, and fail to brand ourselves to a global market that is not only watching but booking.
But imagine this: a South Africa that is not just a place to visit, but a place to return to. A country that draws travellers not only for safaris and sunsets, but for wellness retreats, fashion and design weeks, innovation festivals, luxury escapes, township culture, and pan-African cuisine. Imagine a tourism sector that accounts for 15% of GDP, employing millions and powering the rise of small businesses from Khayelitsha to Kalk Bay.
We could become the Africa of aspiration not because of our past, but because of how we shape our future.
The recent Africa Travel Indaba 2025, held in Durban, showcased the continent’s rich tourism potential. With over 1,000 exhibitors from 55 countries, the event emphasised unique tourism aspects like astro-tourism, leveraging Africa’s ideal dark skies for stargazing experiences.
The Indaba highlighted the importance of sustainable tourism practices. Exhibitors were encouraged to innovate in ways that preserve the environment, recognising the impact of climate change on destinations. This focus on responsibility and sustainability reflects a broader shift in the tourism industry towards more ethical and environmentally conscious travel experiences.
To get there, we need to stop treating tourism as a photo opportunity and start treating it as a national imperative. That means rebuilding the ecosystem around tourism. It means fixing visa delays, investing in aviation, incentivising private-sector investment, rethinking how we use technology to market the country, and training our people not just to serve but to lead.
It means recognising that competition is not a threat, it is a catalyst. More hotel brands, more experiences, more entrepreneurs not fewer will raise standards and generate growth. Protectionism suffocates excellence. Openness invites innovation.
And it means confronting an uncomfortable truth. Government alone cannot build a world-class tourism sector. It must create the enabling environment, yes, but it is entrepreneurs, investors, creators, and experience-makers who will bring South Africa’s tourism vision to life.
The world has changed. Travellers want more than brochures and sightseeing buses. They want meaning, immersion, authenticity, and value. They want cities that speak to their curiosities, and landscapes that host their dreams. We have all of this, but we need to deliver it with excellence and scale.
Tourism is not a soft issue. It is a tough economic driver. It is where job creation meets nation branding, where infrastructure meets storytelling, where domestic demand meets global capital.
South Africa’s tourism moment is now. But moments pass. The question is not whether we have what it takes it is whether we have the will to act. Whether we are ready to stop admiring our natural gifts and start delivering on their potential. Whether we are brave enough to compete, bold enough to innovate, and committed enough to execute.
The opportunity is here. The world is looking. It is time for South Africa to show up.
By Hamza Farooqui, CEO of Millat Group
