President Ramaphosa to address Africa’s Travel Indaba

Added: 2026-05-12

[00:55:23]Mary is our God Heat. Heat.

[00:55:55]etal.

[00:56:16]s of my own sing of all to come Together and united we shall stand.

[00:57:10]Thank you so much. That is the Draensburg Boys Choir delivering our national anthem. You may now take your seat as we continue with our official program, the opening of Africa's travel inda 2026. The keynote address of course will be delivered by the president of the country, Madamea Rama. But it's very important to also acknowledge the bid partners of Africa's travel inda 2026 and that of course includes this province that we are in Guazulu Nadal.

[00:57:42]With that said, I would now like to call on the MEC for economic development, tourism and environmental affairs here in Guazuno Nadal MC Zundi who is now going to join us on stage and he will of course introduce the premier of the province Premier Tamin Tuli. But MC this is also a moment where we get to showcase what the province has to offer.

[00:58:08]And ladies and gentlemen, take a look.

[00:58:30]a wetland park. Nature unfolds in ways you've never imagined. Where dreams come alive and we stand still. Stand where legends were forged on the battlefields of Isandraana and Rog's Drift and witness the story of a nation unfold.

[00:58:50]Immerse yourself in a rich cultural heritage. A true melting pot of traditions and influences where African, Indian, and European cultures come together in a vibrant expression of life. Savor every moment. From Durban's iconic bunny chow to worldclass dining along the sanga coastline where every flavor tells a story. Experience a city in motion. The golden mileida stadium and the Durban IC where Africa meets the world. Head counter the wild in Chua Faloi Park, the oldest proclaimed reserve in Africa and across Guazulu Natal's renowned game reserves where the big five roam free. Relax in effortless luxury. From exclusive safari lodges to five-star escapes overlooking the Indian Ocean, your destination awaits in a land of endless discovery.

[00:59:58]Feel more, explore more, live more, because there's so much more to Quazulu Natal, the magical Zulu Kingdom, His Excellency the President of the Republic of South Africa, the Minister of Tourism, Miss Patricia Dil, Deputy Minister of Tourism, Madame Su the honorable the premier of Natal Mr. Tini is worship the mayor of Mr. Sera the honorable the speaker of the legislature of Miss Nbego and her deputy Miss Tbe MC is present honorable counselors of and other counselors and mayors present your excellencies is the ministers and representatives of African countries who have graced us with your present presence here today feel at home.

[01:01:56]Members of the Guazulunatel Tourism and Film Authority and other tourism boards present. All our esteemed guests, members of the media, ladies and gentlemen, it is an honor and privilege to welcome you to the opening of the a of Africa's travel in Dhaba here in the beautiful province of Guazun.

[01:02:23]Your Excellency President Ser Ramaposa, your presence here today sends a powerful message to all of us, but most importantly to the tourism sector as a whole, to investors and to the people of South Africa. It demonstrates that tourism matters.

[01:02:47]It confirms that government recognizes tourism not merely as a leisure industry but as a strategic economic driver that creates jobs that supports communities that attracts investment and positions our country competitively on the global stage.

[01:03:12]For Wazulu Natal, Africa's travel in Daba is more than just a trade show.

[01:03:19]It is one of the most important economic and tourism platforms on our calendar.

[01:03:26]It brings buyers, exhibitors, investors, airlines, tour operators, and media from across the world into our province.

[01:03:38]thus creating opportunities for growth, partnership and market access for our tourism businesses.

[01:03:48]Tourism remains a critical contributor to the GDP of our province and our country.

[01:03:55]That is why we are fortunate to have pre in the premier the honorable Mr. determined to understands economic power and strategic importance of this sector.

[01:04:11]Since assuming office, the premier has consistently demonstrated his commitment to driving economic growth, to attracting investment, to creating employment opportunities, and ensuring that tourism becomes a vehicle for inclusive development across both urban and rural communities.

[01:04:37]Under his leadership, Quazulunatal continues to position itself as a province open for business partnership and tourism growth.

[01:04:49]The premier has championed collaboration, service delivery, infrastructure development, and community upliftment.

[01:04:59]All of which are essential to building a globally competitive tourism destination.

[01:05:06]Importantly, he recognizes that tourism is not only about visitors, but it is about livelihoods, small businesses, cultural preservation, and restoring dignity to communities through economic participation.

[01:05:25]To all our delegates, while you conduct business over the coming days, I take this opportunity to also encourage you to experience Guazu Natal beyond these glorious conference halls.

[01:05:42]Explore our coastline, our mountains, our wildlife, our heritage, our township experiences, and our vibrant culture.

[01:05:54]We especially encourage you to participate in the post tours and discover why this province remains one of Africa's most diverse and authentic tourism destinations.

[01:06:09]Let this Africa's travel in Dhaba be one of meaningful engagements, strong partnerships, and tangible business outcomes.

[01:06:19]Let it strengthen Africa's tourism story and and reinforce our collective commitment to growing this sector for the benefit of our people. Ladies and gentlemen, it is now my distinct honor and privilege to introduce to you the honorable the premier of the province of Guazulin, the honorable Mr. Tintuli, a leader committed to growth, progress, and ensuring that tourism continues to uplift the people of this province. I thank you for listening to me.

[01:07:15]you writing.

[01:07:21]Well, thank you very much. Uh, Oral MC H Reverend Zandi H who's our MC for economic uh development, tourism and environmental affairs uh program director. Thank you to yourself too.

[01:07:40]Your excellency uh President Ramaposa, the Minister of Tourism, Hable Deil, the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Hor, the mayor of TWI, the Horal Mesa present, the honorable speaker of our legislature and the deputy speaker, your excellenc Excellencies uh the ministers present members of the diplomatic corpse present distinguished delegates exhibitors tourism leaders partners from across our beloved continent and the global community.

[01:08:30]Ladies and gentlemen, members of the media, it is with immense pride and deep gratitude that I welcome you once more as the MC has done together with uh his worship the mayor at the earest time to Guazu Natal. When you see many welcome, it means you are mostly and warmly welcomed in the province of Guazu Natal.

[01:09:00]A province that once again has become a home away from home for hundreds of exhibitors, investors, storytellers, and dreamers from across the African continent and the world. To all our guests, we say sug merely visitors here. You are family. We thank the continent of Africa and indeed the world for once again bestowing upon was Nadal the honor of being a destination of choice and the proud home of this great gathering.

[01:09:45]Africa's travel in Dhaba.

[01:09:49]This h confidence in our province is not taken lightly. It is a profound affirmation of who we are, what we offer and what we continue to become.

[01:10:05]Natal is a place where stories live.

[01:10:09]It is where the warm waters of Indian Ocean greet golden shores at sunrise.

[01:10:18]It is where the ancient majesty of the Dragonsburg mountains stands in silence conversation with the energy of our vibrant cities. It is where the rhythm of tradition dances gracefully with the momentum of a modernity.

[01:10:42]Here history is not confined to monuments.

[01:10:47]It breeds in our people, our languages, our customs and our hospitality.

[01:10:56]This is the land of King Shaga, of resilience, of courage and of rich cultural heritage that continues to inspire generations.

[01:11:08]Yet, Guazadal is equally a province looking boldly to the future. We are building a destination where worldass infrastructure meets authentic African experience.

[01:11:24]Where investment opportunities meet innovation.

[01:11:29]Where tourism is not a simply an industry but a powerful engine for inclusive growth, job creation and shared prosperity.

[01:11:42]Africa's traveling daba is far more than an exhibition of destinations.

[01:11:49]It is a declaration of possibility, a marketplace of ideas, a celebration of Africa's limitless beauty and untapped potential.

[01:12:03]And it is fitting that this story continues to unfold here in Wazu Natal, a province naturally positioned at the meeting point of nature, culture, commerce, and connection.

[01:12:20]As the province, we understand tourism not merely as a sector but as a strategic economic efforts capable of transforming communities, empowering a small enterprises and creating meaningful opportunities for our young people.

[01:12:42]This is why we remain committed, your excellency, to strengthening our tourism ecosystem, improving visitor experience, expanding destination offerings, and positioning was Nadal as Africa's premier tourism and investment gateway. And we are grateful for the leadership of the honorable minister together with the deputy minister h for h putting guazu natal at the center of growing tourism in our country. Thank you very much honorable minister at our brothers and sisters from across Africa. Thank you for bringing your colors, cultures, creativity, and commerce to our shows.

[01:13:36]To our international partners, thank you for continuing to believe in this continent and in the enduring promise of African tourism. And to every delegate gathered here, may your time in Wazu Natal remind you why some places are visited once but remembered forever.

[01:14:01]For in this province, nature does not compete with culture. It embraces it.

[01:14:09]Heritage does not resist progress. It enriches it. And hospitality is not an offering. It is our identity.

[01:14:21]The presence of the first citizen, the president of the republic here in Wazu Natal today attest to what I've said about all of all what I have said above.

[01:14:37]I may not welcome him in this province, but I can only thank him for his leadership during this important time.

[01:14:48]I cannot welcome the president in his country. But to say thank you for your leadership, we see a stable government.

[01:14:56]We see a stable province. We see our economy beginning to stabilize and grow.

[01:15:03]And thank you very much, your excellency. and I welcome all who are present in our province. Thank you very much.

[01:15:18]Thank you so much um honorable premier there Tamin Douly and he said it very very well. Hospitality is our identity.

[01:15:29]And I speak about this obviously from a South African perspective that when you travel and somebody ask you, "So, where are you from?" And you say, "San," and they're like, "Oh, love, love, love, love your people."

[01:15:43]Because as the premier has said, hospitality is our identity. We're going to call now back onto the stage the Draensburg Boys Choir as they're going to render an item.

[01:15:57]Look at them here. Look at them here.

[01:16:00]Can you see the African map there?

[01:16:03]Glowing, glowing, glowing, glowing. And it reminds us once again that this is also Africa month.

[01:16:11]And uh ladies and gentlemen on Friday last week South Africa commemorated the adoption of our constitution. 30 years the 30th adoption of our constitution 30th anniversary of the adoption of our constitution. And I just quickly want to quote what the then deputy president of the country had to say.

[01:16:34]I am an African.

[01:16:38]I owe my being to the hills and the valleys, the mountains and the glades, the rivers, the deserts, the trees, the flowers, the seas, and the everchanging seasons that define the face of our native land.

[01:16:55]The dramatic shapes of the Draensburg, the soil colored waters of the Leoa and the sands of the Kalakadi have all been panels of the set on the natural stage on which we act out the foolish deeds of theater of our day at times and in fear I've wondered whether I should concede equal citizenship of our country to the leopard.

[01:17:24]to the lion, the elephant, the springbog, the hyena, the black mamba, and the pestilanial mosquito. Ladies and gentlemen, I am an African. And this is the Draensburg boy choir. The same Draensburg that the former president spoke of. It's over to you.

[01:17:51]Heat. Heat.

[01:18:04]Hey, hey, hey.

[01:18:25]Kash loose.

[01:19:02]Sammy.

[01:19:27]is our last Happy.

[01:20:19]down.

[01:20:39]Is it something?

[01:21:00]He must again he must again.

[01:21:17]I know you I Heat. Heat. N.

[01:21:47]Heat. Heat.

[01:21:57]Heat. Heat.

[01:22:07]Heat. Heat.

[01:22:35]Hey, hey, hey.

[01:23:03]Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, boys.

[01:23:14]That's the Draensburg boys, ladies and gentlemen.

[01:23:18]And now we are going to call on the minister of tourism, Patricia Dil, who will also then introduce the president of the country and welcome the president who will be delivering the keynote address. Ladies and gentlemen, please put your hands together for the minister of tourism from South Africa, Patricia Dil.

[01:23:57]Okay.

[01:24:00]Good afternoon. I promise you I'm not going to be long. I would like to greet our president Raaposa, our deputy ministers, all ministers and deputy ministers from the beautiful continent of Africa, the chairperson of the portfolio committee, members of the select committee of the NC, our premier of Quazulu Natal, our MEC for economic development in Quazulu Natal, our mayor South African Tourism Board Chairperson and the board members uh director general of the department of tourism.

[01:24:44]Ladies and gentlemen, I will stand on the protocol that is already being observed. Sanai, good morning.

[01:24:56]Assalamu alaykum.

[01:24:58]Mr. President, it is in this building here in Durban International Convention Center that the au the successor of the African Union would in July 20 uh 2002 launched the African Union at its inaugural session here in the same venue.

[01:25:28]And ladies and gentlemen, it's because of this history that Africa travel in Dhaba held every year here in Durban during the month of Africa month.

[01:25:44]And in keeping with the ideals of the AO AU and the African Union, I I encourage everyone present today to co-sign the Africa Travel in Dhaba pledge, which reads as follows.

[01:26:06]Today, we pledge to grow Africa's tourism economy, to tell our stories, and together build a better Africa and a better world.

[01:26:23]Tourism policy is economic policy.

[01:26:28]Tourism is an economic catalyst and it impacts and change many, many lives.

[01:26:36]We seen according to the recent stats released by the satellite account of STS SA that in 2024 tourism created 954,000 direct jobs. It contributed 4.9% to the GDP of our country. And with a record 10.5 million visitors in 2025, we are no longer speaking about recovering. We are speaking about growing.

[01:27:12]And the growth is because of deliberate actions that we are taking including our partnership with the private sector, with the stakeholders and with our communities.

[01:27:27]So in 2025, tourism I mean cabinet approved the tourism growth partnership plan that was co-created with the private sector and it also includes how do we diversify our tourism offering and we've seen investment in tourism products already.

[01:27:52]We've seen an investment of 24 billion rand in the VNA waterfront in Cape Town.

[01:28:00]We've also seen 10.5 billion rand investment in the Cape Welands airport and nearly 2.5 billion rand right here in Quazulu Natal with a club made beach and safari resort that will open on the 4th of July. And that is a classic example of a public private partnership.

[01:28:28]And all of these investments, Mr. President, demonstrate confidence in our country, demonstrate confidence in our continent.

[01:28:40]So, Mr. President also in your state of nation address you instructed us to promote the country's unique cultural, historical and natural attractions. We started doing this to this end a month ago at the most sudden tip of Africa where the Indian and the Atlantic oceans meet. We handed over a 82 million rand project to the Cape Agala's lighthouse precinct and it now boasts a 60seater sea view restaurant and a pathway that you can walk from the one ocean to the other.

[01:29:35]We further last year the deputy minister and myself in the Free State Golden Gate Highlands National Park in a partnership with the European Union and an investment of 120 million rand. We launched the Kodumo Dinosaur Interpretation Center and by the end of last year we have seen over 90,000 visitors going there.

[01:30:05]So, we also discovered the oldest dinosaur embryo in the world, 2.2 million years old, right here in South Africa.

[01:30:18]So, we are not just the cradle of humankind, we're also the cradle of culture.

[01:30:26]Just here in Quazula Natal as part of the our our maintenance program in the department of tourism we will be handing over soon. It is being completed a 23 million rand refurbishment and a rehabilitation of the Banga neck campsite at the Mangaliso wetland park.

[01:30:53]And so the Department of Tourism will continue to facilitate investment into tourism infrastructure.

[01:31:01]That's why last year in 2025, we unveiled the first eight tourism investment projects worth more than 1 billion. We will have our second tourism infrastructure investment summit in October this year. And we are discussing with our ministers in the continent how we can all work together.

[01:31:26]But delegates let me remind you that we have also identified the my sector the meetings and events and conferences.

[01:31:37]It's a critical job creator in our country.

[01:31:41]Just last year, we had put in bids to host international events in our country. We put in a 100 bids and we've been successful with 52 that will take place across our country.

[01:31:59]And this is yet another vote of confidence in our my sector because with the G20 successful hosting of the G20, we now look forward in the month of August to welcome all the SAD heads of states here to Durban for their meeting in August. Then of course in 2027 we will be hosting uh the cricket world cup together with Namibia and Zimbabwe and we look forward to working together there and once again this this shows us the growth of the tourism sector including South Africa will be hosting the World Economic Forum spring divorce also here in South Africa.

[01:32:50]Now, we've also seen the change of the traveler trends all over the world and this would require us also to re-evaluate of how we sell our tourism products and what we say about ourselves in Africa.

[01:33:12]And in response to that, the Africa travel in Dhaba for 2027 will receive a revamp because we have to look at all the shifting changes happening around this.

[01:33:28]And therefore we are calling for proposals from the creative sector from the tourism sector to join us in this journey to revamp the Africa travel inda for 2027 and therefore we have made an email address uh proposals at southa.net where you can please send all of your ideas.

[01:33:51]Ladies and gentlemen, in closing, let us continue to grow the tourism sector because this sector is changing lives, many, many lives in our country.

[01:34:08]And with over 1,200 exhibitors on the floor today, and I know you want to get out there, with more than a thousand buyers from 71 countries around the world, it's time to make deals. It's time to do business on the floor. So, we are very very happy to to welcome our own president. It's my easiest task to in h introduce the president because we all know him and we all love him in South Africa. Mr. President, thank you for gracing us uh today and I can tell you he we signed performance agreements with him and then he he calls us once a year to come and report back. So the president gave me a target that by 2030 we must welcome 15 million visitors to our country.

[01:35:14]He also put he said minister you must also create more than a million jobs by 2029.

[01:35:22]So we've got targets that we are working to and the president is monitor us very closely. So Mr. President, thank you for being with us today and may God bless all of you once again and we are sorry for the late start but you know because of the weather conditions in the rest of the country Durban you feel like you're in a different country Premier I know Reverend Zundi had an open line to pray for us for the good weather so thank you thank you so much and God bless all of you in Kosikul Oh, thank you for coming.

[01:36:17]>> Thank you. Let's be seated, please.

[01:36:26]Thank you. Program director Alvin Sierre, Minister of Tourism, Miss Patricia Dil, Premier of our province here in Kasut Natal, Mr. Tamuli, the deputy minister of tourism, Messo, the mayor of Eteini municipality, who is also called Sirillo.

[01:37:01]Now, because I'm older than him, I give him an annual license to use the name serial.

[01:37:10]So, he didn't renew his license this year.

[01:37:14]your worship councelor Sir Baba, ministers and deputy ministers who are also here present.

[01:37:24]Our traditional leaders from their royal house who are also here present.

[01:37:31]Ministers from across our African continent.

[01:37:35]Leaders of tourism authorities from across our continent.

[01:37:42]members of parliament and our legislature who are also here present, exhibitors, buyers and members of the media, distinguished guests and ladies and gentlemen.

[01:37:57]Just as I walked in, I just could feel and sense a real vibe here. I even asked Minister Dil, "What is this? Is this a jamboree? Have you brought me to a party? Uh, is this a place to have fun?

[01:38:13]It does look like you are all here to have fun. Even those of you who are wearing a tie and a suit like the premier and Reverend Zonyi. So, continue to have the fun. And uh, if nothing else, I'd like nothing more than to stay here and have a little bit of fun with you. Now your theme is unlimited Africa growing Africa's tourism economy.

[01:38:46]And it's interesting that we could be talking about tourism as a growth economy.

[01:38:53]Some years ago traveling into the continent I met one of the elder statesmen who is the head of state who said you know in the past whenever people came to our country the officials the home affairs or the customs or the passport officials would often ask as visitors came to present present their passports. The question they would ask is what is your name? They would give their name, look at the passport. What do you want here in our country? And they would say we've come to tour and to look at the wonderful splendor of either animals or landscape.

[01:39:45]What do you want to do with it? Do you want to take our animals away?

[01:39:51]you don't have animals in Europe, so you've come here to steal our animals.

[01:39:57]And they would continue asking them those testing questions.

[01:40:02]And he said that in many ways is what prevented the growth of our tourism.

[01:40:10]But today we tell a different story.

[01:40:14]We tell a story that a tourism is one of the most strategically important sectors to our continent.

[01:40:25]It is a new as well as an old sector.

[01:40:29]It is old because our people have always traveled across the various lands that we have on our continent.

[01:40:39]It is new because it has become an important sector in the economy of any country. I was in Spain the other day and I was told that every year they welcome 30 million tourists into their country. They are like number two or so.

[01:41:00]There's another country that welcomes 40 million and above. So tourism has become an important sector in the economy of many countries. Our people on the African continent have always traveled across the continent to various countries.

[01:41:21]This sector in the end sits at the heart but as well as the intersection of economic growth, employment, infrastructure development, cultural diplomacy as well as conservation and continental integration.

[01:41:43]This is really the heart of what tourism is all about and what it contributes to the economies of our continent. For many African countries, tourism is not merely a leisurious industry. It is a developmental instrument.

[01:42:04]It becomes an instrument through which we can grow our economies.

[01:42:11]Tourism must be seen for what it is, a major economic driver as it contributes billions of dollars annually to many African economies.

[01:42:27]But those African economies have to create a conducive environment for this treasure trove to be opened for these people to come to various parts of our continent to come and see the glamour the splendor of what Africa has to give.

[01:42:50]Yes, they bring foreign exchange.

[01:42:53]There are tax revenues that our countries can get and there are investment inflows.

[01:43:01]As people see the splendor of what our continent has to give, they become incentivized to invest and small businesses also develop.

[01:43:16]Job creation becomes an added activity that we should rely on. But the more important part as well is the skills development.

[01:43:28]Skills development that should benefit the young people, the women of our continent and the disabled people on our continent. Now before COVID 19, tourism accounted for possibly around 7% of Africa's GDP directly and indirectly and supported tens of millions of jobs across our continent and countries such as Egypt, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Mauritius and Rwanda have demonstrated how tourism can become a real pillar of national growth. As Minister Dil was saying here in South Africa, we recorded 10.5 million tourists who came into our country. And when tourists travel, they do not travel empty-handed.

[01:44:29]And when they travel, they do not travel with empty stomachs.

[01:44:35]When they travel, they tra they come in some clothes, but they walk away and go back to their homes with more clothes.

[01:44:46]Their bags are more full. And this is the beauty of what tourism is all about.

[01:44:53]For countries struggling with commodity dependence, tourism is the answer.

[01:45:00]It is able to diversify the economies of countries.

[01:45:06]If for instance your economy is more focused on commodities as many of our countries on the continent are, tourism can give a country an avenue, a new avenue to grow the economy and it becomes possible as I will outline in a minute. So economic diversification becomes an easier path that countries can take. But it requires focus. It requires boldness as Premier Douly was saying. It requires a country that will directly focus on seeing tourism as a growth platform.

[01:45:58]Compared for instance with other industries like mining and oil sectors which are more industrially based and benefits broadly the economy. Tourism distributes economic activity across communities.

[01:46:17]It is able to draw in ordinary people in the community to participate as tourists flock in and therefore it opens more opportunities for everyone.

[01:46:33]Everyone then can become economically active. Tourism is beneficial to the fortunes of a country in that it has mass employment potential as a sector.

[01:46:47]Most tourism subsectors are labor intensive because it creates jobs and it is also able to develop multiple skills but also to upskill those who may well have had skills earlier. For instance, as in hotels, hotels can be built around the tourism prospect.

[01:47:13]And this city, this metro, Etawini, Durban particularly is a clear example of how tourism has been able to draw in investors who can build hotels right on the beach because the climate and the environment for tourism has been improved.

[01:47:38]Earlier some two years ago, this metropolitan city faced its own challenges.

[01:47:46]Challenges of governance, challenges of neglect of the metro and business people got together, business people got together with government people and they drew the president in and we set up the presidential working group. No sooner had we set up that group which started working at a multistakeholder level that we started seeing Durban beginning to see great development and I forever remember meeting with the business people here saying that Mr. President, now that a better climate for investment is being open, particularly in tourism, we will now revamp our hotels. We will now build new hotels as it is now on the seabboard here in KZN. Hotels are springing up.

[01:48:49]They are springing up because this province and my compliments go to the premier.

[01:48:57]Hotels are springing up because the mayor has also taken charge of the possibilities that are here. They are springing up because we are creating a conducive climate.

[01:49:14]And later I'll talk a little bit more about how for instance conservation has also contributed to Durban becoming what it is now. We've always said that Durban is the true mecca of tourism in South Africa. And indeed there are many other cities on our continent that are the makers of tourism. Tour operators come to the four quickly. transport providers, farmers become part of the tourism ecosystem and cultural performers.

[01:49:52]For instance, the young boys like these the Drakensburg boys choir.

[01:49:58]They become part of this tourism effort that we are involved in. crafts people, event managers, conservation workers, people who can market our tourism offerings right across the continent, the digital marketers and aviation and logistics workers as well. So this demonstrates that tourism is a multi- multi-focused industry that we all need to take seriously.

[01:50:34]Importantly, tourism creates opportunities also for youth employment.

[01:50:41]Young people can easily be brought in and be trained and be part of this exciting industry. Womenowned businesses and we are finding a lot of womenowned businesses who see opportunities in tourism. the informal sector participation.

[01:51:04]Those who are able to sell artifacts who are able to make offerings of very unique items that they are able to sell and people living with disabilities also participate in this type of industry. This is especially important in Africa, our continent, where unemployment, particularly young people, is one of our continent's greatest challenges.

[01:51:34]A safari lodge in a remote area offers support in a number of countries on our continent.

[01:51:43]Here in South Africa, safari lodges are set up in remote areas in Kenya, in Namibia, in the Sutu and in various parts of our continent.

[01:51:57]And that leads to local food being made on offer. Security services are part of the whole offering.

[01:52:08]Fuel providers, road maintenance and community cooperatives as well. So this the multiplier effects of tourism are quite substantial and it is a sector that we as Africans must seek to own.

[01:52:27]But the other important thing about tourism is the rural development and spatial inclusion aspect of it which becomes a very important economic development driver. Now tourism has the unique ability to bring economic activity into the rural areas and the undeveloped areas. And we all know that investors often want to go to the bright lights.

[01:52:58]They often want to go to areas where there's much better infrastructure, where there's better connectivity and tend to ignore the rural areas.

[01:53:09]But sometimes we can find and we should work towards that. Develop our rural areas around tourism offerings and also reconfigure the special development of our countries through tourism. A good example is for instance Johannesburg as well as Suetto. So was built as a dometry. It was just a place that the apartate government built and developed just to dump black people. So the black people should just be there and they should be a source of labor to come and work in Johannesburg city. And now of late so is now developing as a tourism attraction. For instance, Villagazi Street where the Nobel laureates Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu lived. On that street, Vilagazi Street, it has become the most popular street in the whole of Suetto and possibly the only street in the world where to two Nobel laureates have lived. Many people now go to Suetto to that precinct and it is quite possible to think of other precincts, think of other areas. It requires packaging. It requires marketing and the spatial development of a country like South Africa which has an ugly history can begin to be changed around so that tourists don't only always throng to sancton or to places like Cape Town. So where traditional industrialization may be difficult, we should be able to go to more rural areas and this can manifest through yes safari economies, coastal tourism and heritage and cultural tourism roots. Our traditional leaders, our traditional leaders are now on a high path of wanting to develop heritage sites where they live, where the kings and queens of our country lived and continue to live and where historical battles were fought. And that is where the tourists will go to. For instance, with the battle of Isan, with the nine wars that were for fought in the eastern Cape over a 100redyear period on how Macad in the northern uh part of our country in Limpopo defeated the aparate uh invaders and how a number of other areas on our continent can be transformed to be real tourist attractives attractions.

[01:56:19]the mountains of our country, the mighty rivers of our continent.

[01:56:24]This can reduce pressure on the major cities by creating all these areas and bring about rural incomes. Local entrepreneurs can also be developed like we are seeing in Suto. The people who are doing business in Vilagazi street are all local entrepreneurs.

[01:56:46]They are all people who've been trading in the township and now their businesses are becoming much more accessible to all and we can also develop more communityowned enterprises. Now countries like Botswana for instance used high value ecoourism to generate rural empowerment while preserving their ecosystems.

[01:57:14]And in South Africa, provinces such as Limpopo, Pumalanga, Guazul Nadal and Western Cape have also taken steps to derive substantial economic activity of tourism corridors linked to nature, to culture as well as to heritage.

[01:57:34]Now conservation and environmental protection must also be aligned to tourism as they can gain economic value from conservation.

[01:57:47]Now here in KZN that is being used to good effect and in a number of areas as well wildlife areas can become financially vulnerable uh viable and we can also through involving communities communities need to see the benefit from conservation years ago I became associated with an organization that's doing tremendous work on our continent which is called African Parks and African Parks has developed the absolutely wonderful capability of identifying parks conservation parks on our continent and some of them that have gone derelictked that are no longer functioning. They go in there and then agree with the government, mobilize communities around the park and that gets their communities involved in the activities on the park. Poaching stops, animals reappear and regenerate and they as a community also get a viable livelihood. So these are processes that we need to embark upon because through for instance conservation it leads to the protection of our animals, of our rhinos, of our gorillas, of our wetlands and forest ecosystems. For example, gorilla tourism in Rwanda and Uganda generates major conservation revenues while funding surrounding communities in their own development. When communities benefit economically from economic tourism, they are able to be the real guards of their environment and their area because they become stakeholders and we can use tourism as Africa as a continent as a global soft power.

[02:00:03]This is where for instance Africa can really ramp up its own image and use that as our soft power to demonstrate that apart from everything else we have gods or providenc's continued living gift which is our natural endowment.

[02:00:29]Tourism shapes the way the world looks at our continent. And too often global narratives about Africa tend to focus on all the negative things. They focus on for instance the wars, the coups and the poverty as well as the diseases, the political instability.

[02:00:52]And what what we now need to do is to change that narrative. And tourism is the instrument that we can use.

[02:01:04]It is the color that we can put to our continent. It is the shine that we can put to our continent and showcase our continent to the world. Not only showcasing, you know, the animals, not only showcasing, yes, the mountain, not only mountains, not only showcasing our beautiful deserts, but also showcasing the people, the people of Africa and also showcase showcasing their capability, their knowhow and how well adept they are in running things, in organizing ing things in building things in making things. So tourism gives us a window to the world. But tourism should also give us a mirror against which we can look at ourselves and ask ourselves are we living up to the dream that we have of this African continent. So the whole continent is replete with all the wonderful endowments and tourism tourism is what is right on the surface.

[02:02:22]It's not like the mines the minerals that are buried below. It is the tourism aspect that can showcase our continent can show the beauty the sophisticated cultures of our continent. the heritage, the very rich heritage of this continent.

[02:02:45]We are the continent where humanity originated from. That's what we need to showcase. We need to showcase the stories of our continent. The stories of the various kingdoms on our continent.

[02:03:00]We actually need to show the stories and the histories of our people. And that we do. as a people. I remember I forever remember going to Isandraan to go and hear and see the history of where the battle of Isandana took place and how for the very first time in the history of the British Empire, the British Empire soldiers were defeated by Zulu warriors who were walking barefoot.

[02:03:36]And it was a joy to listen just to the narrative of how that battle was fought and how the British were defeated. Now that is the soft power that we should be using to showcase our continent and the same types of narrative can be built around a whole number of other areas. Now that is what tourists like. Tourists will travel far and are filled just to come and listen to stories like that because the world is hungry for beautiful stories. The world is hungry also to hear horrible stories of the past so that they can also see how their identity is built.

[02:04:27]Yes, hospitality is one of the things that we excel in.

[02:04:32]I'm hoping that as I go around to the exhibitors, I'll be able to see how the hospitality uh sub sector of the tourism industry is now being developed. It needs to grow. It needs to be innovative. It needs to be different. It should not be the same, you know, where you just uh slap dash give people food in the same old way. It should just be innovative and be attractive. Now Africa possesses extraordinary tourism assets. It possesses the Sahara Desert, the Victoria Falls, the Serenetti, the Krugerg National Park, the Table Mountain, the Nile, and rich and ancient civilizations and unique cultural diversity.

[02:05:28]Tourism therefore becomes a form of that soft power and continental showcasing that we should use and therefore it also gives us an opportunity for infrastructure development once we lock our thinking on tourism. We should therefore then begin to come up with infrastructure development projects and these projects should not only be the domain of government. It should also be the domain of the private sector like I saw here in a teuini where the private sector got together and said we are going to work with government to develop a tuini back a duran back to its glory days. It requires yes airports to be built. It requires roads to be built, the rail, the broadband, water systems and energy as well. Now these investments benefit from tourists and citizens and tourists require improved airports.

[02:06:41]One of the things that has made Dubai that everybody wants to go to so successful, it used to be a de desert plane but today it has become such a successful tourist attraction and it is be it has become their only main uh economic tour uh economic driver other than the oil and all that. But they built a world-class airport which pays for itself many many many times over and improving airports improves trade as well as connectivity and improving roads improves local commerce as well as uh trade. Now countries that successfully grow tourism frequently see broader economic modernization.

[02:07:36]Now for us as Africa, tourism also has another benefit for the Africa continental free trade area. When we know as a continent that we can trade freely on a tariff-free basis, we are then able to become travelers. We're then able to travel from country to country with ease. It will increase travel and the continental the Africa continental free trade area becomes a powerful instrument that will enable us to do that. But we also need to enhance and enable those travel processes. The visa restrictions must be lifted. The border inefficiencies must also go away. They must be removed so that people can travel with ease. And there have been successful initiatives in this area. Things like visa on arrival policies, single African air transport market as well as regional tourism visas. Now these are improvements that are being made moving away from what um uh the president of another country told me that when people used to arrive they used to be asked so many questions about what they want in their country. Now cultural preservation and also the promotion of identity is also very important. the use for instance of indigenous language so that people can get an appreciation of the languages of the past but they can only do that by traveling by going to those areas. For instance, I went to the Northern Cape and I was able to interact with people, the people who speak Nama, who speak uh the the the various old languages of the past. And it was a joy and a marvel. And when all this is managed properly, cultural tourism can strengthen the pan-African consciousness that we have or we aspire to by encouraging Africans to experience one another's societies directly and identities.

[02:10:10]Now we need to look at what are the major challenges that we must overcome as a continent to reach this aspiration of being the tourism hub of the whole world because that is the destination that we must now take to become the tourism hub so that people can see Africa for what it stands for. They must be willing to come back home where we all originated.

[02:10:44]It must be like a homecoming for the whole world to come and see where they originated and we can put together packages that can enable that. So what do we need to do? We need to ensure that there's better connectivity for people across the world to come so that people no longer have to struggle to get where we uh the those offerings are. So at the moment flights into many countries on our continent are expensive, they are limited and they are indirect.

[02:11:21]To get to a particular place you have to fly to many destinations. And so therefore we need to enhance that safety and stability also needs to be enhanced. There must be a focus by our governments to enhance safety and stability. People must know that when they go to a particular sport for tourism that is a safe corridor and that is a corridor where tourists will not feel unsafe.

[02:11:55]Yes, we need to enhance the political instability in our various countries and the infrastructure gaps must also be attended to. Infrastructure is a great attractor. When infrastructure facilities are built and they look outstanding, the architectural part and so on, they will enhance uh tourism and we need to focus on infrastructure such as roads and also electricity and this is a word to all of us as Africans. We need to also attend to visa barriers and Africans often need to focus on all these as governments and we also need to focus on marketing.

[02:12:47]The marketing processes must be well packaged. People must be able to see that we are marketing a real outstanding product because our continent is often marketed as isolated countries rather than a continental destination ecosystem. For instance, I've often said that what we need to do is to market for instance southern Africa collectively and say you can come to Zimbab, you can come to Namibia then go you can go to Angola then go to Namibia then go to Western Cape and then go up to KZN or Eastern Cape thereafter go to Zimbabwe and then to Tanzania. So the packaging on a regional basis needs to be put in place. You can go to central Africa, you can go to East Africa and if we can all get together and package our continent as the real attraction to the world and number of tourists I have found would love that. And in some areas, tourism revenues can then be distributed once people have bought those types of packages. So what should we do on a strategic basis is that we must encourage intraaffrican tourism, encourage Africans to travel within their own continent and get to know it.

[02:14:28]The temptation is always let's go to Dubai, let's go to Europe. And yet there are so many offerings that we need to have and we therefore need to also enhance the travel ability to be able to travel in the region and lower the tax the the airfares so that people can find it a lot easier to travel. And ladies and gentlemen, if we can do all that, that will also enhance skills development. We will then be able to have better skilled young people. And maybe we should even createmies of tourism minister where it is just a clear academy of tourism where young people can go and learn a whole number of skills and know that there is a tourism university. If we want tourism to be put up there as an important discipline or economic sector, that is what we should do. We often say we should put up a a school for engineering or a university for this and that.

[02:15:41]Tourism is a continuously growing sector in the economy of many of our countries and that is what we should do. The last issue I'd like to touch on is community ownership.

[02:15:56]We should always make sure that the communities are not left behind. That the people who own this land, our communities become part of the ownership of what we put together. So tourism in my view as your theme suggested it's unlimited growth possibilities and all we need to do is to be bold is to be focused and we will be able to have Africa breaming with a lot of tourist destinations tourism that visitors will come in their millions they will come back to their original home which is the continent of Africa. Thank you very much.