Africa tourism enters expansion phase

Growth
Call for innovation and partnerships at Africa’s Travel Indaba
SAnews.gov.za
  • 1 Day Ago

South Africa’s deputy tourism minister Maggie Sotyu has called for stronger collaboration and innovation and community driven growth in the tourism sector of Africa.


Sotyu made the call as leaders and stakeholders gathered for the Business Opportunity Networking Day, the official precursor to Africa Travel Indaba 2026.


Africa Travel Indaba 2026 officially kicks off in Durban, KwaZulu Natal, with the Business Opportunity Networking Day programme, which launches critical conversations around policy and entrepreneurship and destination competitiveness and sports tourism and culture and digital transformation. These elements are designed to showcase new growth opportunities for African tourism economies.


Taking place from 11 to 14 May 2026, under the theme: "Unlimited Africa: Growing Africa Tourism Economy", the Indaba is set to deliver significant economic benefits for the city.


Addressing delegates, the Deputy Minister described the Business Opportunity Networking Day as more than a programme opening, calling the event "a celebration of the collective potential of Africa". The event takes place during Africa Month, a period that reflects the unity and resilience and shared aspirations of the continent.


Sotyu highlighted tourism as one of the most powerful economic drivers of Africa, noting the role of the sector in job creation and investment attraction and entrepreneurship. Despite global uncertainties, the Deputy Minister said the sector continues to show resilience and growth.


"Tourism remains one of the most powerful economic drivers of the continent, creating jobs, attracting investment, stimulating entrepreneurship, and connecting Africa to the world. Yet this growth is not without challenges. Infrastructure, market access, safety, skills development, competitiveness, and changing global travel dynamics require that the industry remains agile, innovative, and united," Sotyu said.


Sotyu said the theme of this year is both an aspiration and a strategic call to action, noting that Africa is among the fastest growing tourism regions globally, according to UN Tourism Africa.


"This signals that the continent is no longer in recovery mode but entering a new expansion phase."


The Deputy Minister stressed that unlocking the tourism potential of Africa will depend on collaboration over fragmentation and partnerships over isolation and innovation over complacency.


At the heart of the tourism future of Africa, the Deputy Minister noted, are communities and entrepreneurs and micro and small and medium enterprises, which form the backbone of the tourism value chain.


"According to the World Bank, tourism supported 357 million jobs globally in 2024, or one in every 10 jobs worldwide, because tourism creates direct pathways for communities, small businesses, and local enterprises to participate meaningfully in economic growth," the deputy minister said.


She expressed hope that the Business Opportunity Networking Day would inspire stakeholders to position tourism as an accessible and practical opportunity for communities across the continent, capable of uplifting households and empowering small businesses and creating shared prosperity from the ground up.


"The Business Opportunity Networking Day exists to ignite Africa Travel Indaba with energy, strategic insight, and innovation. Today is about knowledge sharing, thought leadership, and practical engagement. The event is a platform where delegates can learn, connect, and be inspired by the voices shaping the future of tourism," she said. 


Sotyu also emphasised the importance of innovation in a rapidly evolving global environment, pointing to the growing influence of digital platforms in shaping travel decisions and destination marketing.


"Africa must embrace innovation, technology, and bold storytelling to ensure destinations remain globally competitive, culturally authentic, and future ready. Through the Business Opportunity Networking Day of today, the industry will also explore the critical role that sport and culture play in advancing the tourism economy of Africa and strengthening global competitiveness.


"Sport and culture are among the greatest tourism assets of Africa and some of the most powerful drivers of economic growth, destination differentiation, and continental pride. Across the continent, the music and heritage and languages and fashion and cuisine and creative industries and cultural traditions of Africa offer the world experiences that are rich, authentic, and unmatched," she added. 


Sotyu further highlighted the importance of public private partnerships in unlocking sustainable tourism growth, noting that governments provide policy direction and infrastructure support and enabling frameworks for tourism to flourish, while the private sector brings innovation and investment and agility and market responsiveness.


"Private partnerships are essential, in that the tourism growth of Africa cannot be delivered by government alone, or by the private sector in isolation. Sustainable tourism growth depends on strong public private partnerships," Sotyu said.


Positioning Africa Travel Indaba as a critical platform for trade and dialogue and collaboration, Sotyu said the event goes beyond a traditional trade show, serving as a strategic economic platform for knowledge exchange and market access and policy dialogue and partnership building and continental growth.


"The event is where the tourism sector of Africa comes together to share ideas, build connections, unlock trade, and shape a stronger future. The event is where the sector positions tourism not simply as travel, but as a serious driver of economic development," she said. said.


Sotyu concluded by encouraging delegates and exhibitors and buyers and policymakers to use the platform to foster meaningful engagement and strengthen partnerships and pursue innovative solutions.


"May the Business Opportunity Networking Day set the tone for a week of meaningful engagement, bold thinking, and transformative opportunities. May the event inspire communities, empower small businesses, strengthen partnerships, and remind all people that the tourism future of Africa is brightest when the sector innovates boldly, collaborates intentionally, and grows together," she said.