At the glittering opening of the 2026 Africa’s Travel Indaba 2026 in Durban, President Cyril Ramaphosa painted a picture of a tourism sector roaring back to life, citing 10.5 million international arrivals and nearly one million direct tourism jobs.
Yet behind the celebratory speeches, questions remain about who is truly benefiting from South Africa’s tourism revival.Government leaders and tourism executives hailed billions of rand in planned investments, including expansions at the V&A Waterfront and new luxury developments in KwaZulu-Natal.
But economists and small tourism operators warn that large-scale projects often concentrate profits among major corporations while township enterprises and informal traders continue battling high operating costs, unreliable municipal services and limited access to funding.
Ramaphosa insisted tourism growth is uplifting communities, saying increased visitor numbers represent “families supported” and “small businesses revived”. However, critics argue that official figures rarely reflect the uneven distribution of tourism income across the country.
The push for the proposed SADC Tourism UNIVISA and expanded air connectivity has also sparked debate about whether South Africa’s border systems and local infrastructure are ready to cope with increased regional travel demand.Meanwhile, eThekwini officials continue marketing Durban as Africa’s premier events destination, despite persistent concerns around crime, water outages and urban decay in parts of the city surrounding key tourism routes.
Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille described tourism as a “life-changing economic catalyst”, but analysts say the real test will be whether growth translates into sustainable jobs beyond conference halls and luxury resorts.
Email: motshwari@onenews.co.za
