South Africa will host a first-of-its-kind Tourism Investment Summit on 9–10 September 2025 in Cape Town, setting the stage for a new era of global collaboration and investment in the country’s tourism industry. The event, which precedes the G20 Tourism Ministers’ Meeting in Mpumalanga on 12 September, is designed to position South Africa as a leading hub for tourism investment on the African continent and to align the sector with the country’s broader economic development agenda.
Tourism as a Catalyst for Economic Growth
Tourism is one of South Africa’s most strategic sectors, contributing significantly to GDP, employment and foreign direct investment. As a labour-intensive industry, tourism has the potential to absorb a wide range of skills, generate livelihoods across communities, and stimulate growth in related industries such as hospitality, transport, culture and creative industries.
However, for South Africa to fully unlock this potential, targeted investment is required to strengthen tourism infrastructure, enhance digital transformation, and embed sustainability as a guiding principle. The upcoming summit is specifically designed to drive this agenda by creating a robust pipeline of projects and initiatives that can attract both domestic and international investors.
Patricia de Lille, South Africa’s Tourism Minister
The Purpose of the Tourism Investment Summit
Taking place at Investec Cape Town at the V&A Waterfront, the summit will convene a carefully selected audience of global leaders, policymakers, investors, financiers, and tourism stakeholders. The event will focus on three strategic pillars:
Tourism Investment in Smart Cities and Digital Transformation – Leveraging technology to improve visitor experiences, streamline travel services, and support the growth of innovative tourism start-ups and small businesses.
Sustainable Tourism and Green Investments – Driving environmentally responsible development that conserves natural heritage, reduces carbon footprints, and promotes long-term resilience.
Infrastructure Development for Competitiveness – Enhancing transport systems, hospitality facilities, and cultural attractions to ensure South Africa remains a globally competitive destination.
The summit aims to generate structured outcomes, including an investment framework that combines enabling policy interventions, facilitation mechanisms, and opportunities for public-private partnerships. By targeting key areas of development, South Africa intends to strengthen its appeal to investors, improve accessibility for travellers, and promote inclusive growth that benefits communities across the country.
Building Towards the G20 Tourism Ministers’ Meeting
The Tourism Investment Summit serves as a prelude to the G20 Tourism Ministers’ Meeting, scheduled for 12 September 2025 at the Nombolo Mdhluli Conference Centre in Skukuza Rest Camp, Mpumalanga. This high-level gathering will bring together ministers from the world’s largest economies to finalise the G20 Tourism Action Plan, a policy blueprint to shape the future of global tourism.
Throughout 2025, the G20 Tourism Working Group (TWG) has convened senior officials, experts and stakeholders to exchange best practices and develop proposals. Four thematic priorities were agreed earlier in the year to guide the action plan:
Promoting people-centred artificial intelligence (AI) and innovation to support start-ups and small businesses in the tourism sector.
Strengthening tourism financing and investment to ensure equality and long-term sustainability.
Enhancing air connectivity to enable seamless travel and facilitate greater mobility of visitors.
Building resilience for inclusive and sustainable tourism development, particularly in the face of global challenges such as climate change and pandemics.
The Mpumalanga meeting will consolidate these themes into a shared framework that G20 nations can adopt and adapt within their own national contexts. For South Africa, hosting this meeting not only underscores its global standing but also provides an opportunity to highlight its leadership in driving innovation, inclusivity, and sustainability in tourism.
Youth Innovation at the Forefront: The G20 Tourism Hackathon
Another highlight of the programme is the G20 Tourism Hackathon Award Ceremony, scheduled for 11 September 2025 at the Sabi River Sun Resort in Hazyview, Mpumalanga. This initiative has provided a platform for young innovators from institutions of higher learning to propose AI-driven solutions for the tourism sector.
The hackathon has encouraged youth participation in shaping the industry’s future, with a particular focus on sustainable growth, enhancing visitor experiences, and creating employment opportunities. The top three innovations will be recognised at the award ceremony, and winners will present their solutions at the G20 Tourism Ministers’ Meeting, ensuring that youth perspectives are integrated into high-level decision-making.
Strengthening South Africa’s Global Tourism Profile
By hosting the Tourism Investment Summit and the G20 Tourism Ministers’ Meeting, South Africa is positioning itself as a thought leader and convenor in global tourism. The events highlight the country’s commitment to building a resilient, competitive, and inclusive tourism sector that contributes directly to sustainable economic growth.
The outcomes of these gatherings are expected to extend far beyond South Africa’s borders. The investment opportunities presented in Cape Town, the innovations emerging from the Hackathon in Hazyview, and the policy frameworks adopted in Mpumalanga will all feed into the broader G20 agenda. Collectively, they will shape how tourism is leveraged as a driver of growth, innovation, and sustainability for years to come.
As South Africa prepares to host the broader G20 Summit in November 2025, these tourism-focused events represent a strategic opportunity to showcase the country’s readiness for global investment, its commitment to sustainable development, and its vision for a future where tourism continues to be a cornerstone of economic growth.
