Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille says Africa’s Travel Indaba is a powerful celebration of the continent’s extraordinary potential to drive economic growth through tourism.
“This is where travel industry professionals gather, including tour operators, hotels, airlines and tourism boards to showcase products, network, negotiate deals and form partnerships with buyers,” De Lille said on Monday.
Speaking at the media launch of Africa’s Travel Indaba in Durban this morning, De Lille said President Cyril Ramaphosa will officially open the indaba on Tuesday, 12 May.
The indaba will be held from the 12 -13 May in Durban under the theme: “Unlimited Africa: Growing Africa’s Tourism Economy”.
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“[The President’s presence] reflects the strategic importance of tourism at the highest level of government and affirms our collective understanding that tourism is not peripheral to economic growth; it is central to it,” she said.
De Lille said Africa’s tourism economy is poised for extraordinary growth.
“The tourism sector remains one of the continent’s most powerful economic contributors. Through the geographic spread of tourism, the sector creates job opportunities and stimulates investment even in the most remote villages.
“Here in South Africa, domestic tourism continues to be the backbone of the sector. Between January and February 2026, total trips grew by 35.6% when compared to the previous year.
“Equally important are meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE), which continue to contribute immensely towards the range of the country’s tourism offerings.”
De Lille said South Africa is world-renowned for hosting events.
“Hosting major business events injects billions into the GDP and drives tourism beyond leisure.”
The Minister described tourism as a “soft power asset”, which has the ability to shape international perception. “Tourism is a gateway sector for investment, influencing investor confidence, country image and new project development.
“It is for this reason that the Inaugural Tourism Infrastructure Investment Summit, held in September 2025, launched eight bankable projects worth approximately R1 billion, with three of them already securing funding.”
De Lille said some recent major investments in the tourism sector include the R24 billion V&A Waterfront expansion.
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According to Statistics South Africa’s Tourism Satellite Account for South Africa Report, in 2024, the tourism sector accounted for 953 981 direct jobs. This means 1 in 18 workers was directly employed in tourism.
Africa’s Travel Indaba is one of the largest tourism marketing events on the African calendar and one of the top three ‘must visit’ events of its kind on the global calendar.
It showcases the widest variety of Africa’s best tourism products and attracts international buyers and media from across the world. Africa’s Travel Indaba is owned by South African Tourism.
According to the organisers of Africa’s Travel Indaba, the indaba has won the award for Africa’s Best Travel and Tourism Show for two years in a row. This award was presented by the Association of World Travel Awards.
The indaba takes place as the continent celebrates Africa Month, which commemorates the founding of the Organisation of African Unity (the African Union).