President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday officially opened Africa’s Travel Indaba 2026 in Durban, positioning tourism as a strategic driver of economic growth, continental integration and global competitiveness.
Delivering the opening address at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre, Ramaphosa said Africa’s tourism sector had moved beyond recovery and was now firmly in a growth phase, underpinned by rising arrivals, expanding air connectivity and policy reforms to ease travel across borders.
His address came a day after he publicly condemned acts of violence and intimidation against foreign nationals in South Africa, reiterating that xenophobia runs counter to the country’s values and economic interests. He reassured African partners that South Africa remains committed to openness, mobility and cooperation, particularly in tourism and trade.
Africa choosing Africa
Ramaphosa revealed that South Africa welcomed 10.5 million international visitors last year, noting that nearly three-quarters of arrivals came from within the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
“Africans are choosing Africa,” he said, adding that intra-African travel was critical to strengthening economies, deepening cultural ties and building a more integrated continent.
To support this, the President said South Africa was working with neighbouring states to advance the SADC Tourism UNIVISA, alongside one-stop border posts and cross-border itineraries designed to make regional travel seamless.
Tourism an an economic engine
Ramaphosa described tourism as “a living expression of who we are as a people,” linking its growth directly to jobs, small businesses and community development.
According to Statistics South Africa, the sector accounts for nearly one million direct jobs, meaning one in every 18 workers in the country is employed in tourism-related activity.
“These numbers are not merely of statistical interest,” he said. “They represent families supported, small businesses revived and communities uplifted.”
De Lille: From recovery to growth
Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille reinforced this message, saying South Africa was “no longer speaking recovery, but growth.”
She cited the latest Tourism Satellite Account, which shows the sector contributed 4.9% to GDP and supported 954,000 direct jobs by 2024.
De Lille highlighted strong investor confidence, pointing to major projects including the R24 billion expansion of the V&A Waterfront, R10.5 billion investment in Winelands Airport, and the R2.1 billion Club Med Beach & Safari Resort in KwaZulu-Natal, set to open later this year.
“These are clear demonstrations of confidence in South Africa’s tourism growth prospects,” she said.
MICE takes centre stage
A major focus of the 2026 Indaba is MICE tourism, which De Lille described as a critical job creator and economic multiplier.
She revealed that during the 2025/26 financial year, the South African National Convention Bureau submitted 100 international MICE bids and secured 52, underscoring confidence in the country’s convention and events infrastructure.
Building on the successful hosting of the G20 Leaders’ Summit, South Africa will host the SADC Heads of State Summit in Durban in August 2026, followed by a World Economic Forum special meeting and the 2027 Cricket World Cup, co-hosted with Zimbabwe and Namibia.
Expanding experiences beyond gateways
Both Ramaphosa and De Lille emphasised the importance of diversifying tourism offerings beyond traditional gateways.
Recent projects include the upgraded Cape Agulhas Lighthouse precinct, where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet, and the Kgodumodumo Dinosaur Interpretation Centre in the Free State, home to the world’s oldest known dinosaur embryo, which has attracted close to 90,000 visitors since opening.
The City of Durban has also added new cultural attractions, including statues of Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo, reinforcing heritage tourism as a growing segment.
Indaba as a continental marketplace
Africa’s Travel Indaba remains one of the continent’s most influential tourism trade platforms. Last year, it attracted around 10,000 delegates and over 1,300 exhibitors, with benefits felt across local communities, township enterprises and small businesses.
This year’s edition, themed “Unlimited Africa: Growing Africa’s Tourism Economy,” brings together more than 1,200 exhibitors and about 1,000 buyers from across Africa and key international markets.
De Lille announced that the Indaba itself will undergo a revamp from 2027, with the government inviting private-sector partners, sponsors and creatives to submit proposals aimed at ensuring the event’s long-term sustainability and relevance.
A Pan-African vision
Ramaphosa linked tourism growth to broader continental frameworks, including the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the African Continental Free Trade Area, arguing that Pan-Africanism must translate into economic opportunity.
“Africa is not waiting,” he told delegates. “Africa is leading.”
As trading floors opened and negotiations began, the message from Durban was clear: tourism is not just about destinations, but about confidence, capability and a continent positioning itself for the next phase of global travel growth.
