Africa’s Travel Indaba 2026 has opened in Durban, with South Africa using the event to position tourism as a growth engine for jobs, investment and regional integration.
Running from 11 to 14 May under the theme “Unlimited Africa: Growing Africa’s Tourism Economy”, this year’s programme began with BONDay, which set the agenda around policy, entrepreneurship, destination competitiveness, sports tourism, culture and digital transformation.
The official opening comes as South Africa leans into stronger tourism momentum. In opening remarks, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the country welcomed 10.5 million international visitors in 2025, describing that as a sign the world was “rediscovering” South Africa. He also stressed the importance of regional travel, noting that three-quarters of international arrivals come from the SADC region.
Tourism growth shifts from recovery to expansion
The tone in Durban this year is notably more forward-looking than defensive. Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille told delegates that South Africa was no longer talking about recovery, but about growth, citing 954,000 direct tourism jobs by 2024 and a 4.9 per cent contribution to GDP, according to the latest tourism satellite account.
De Lille also used the platform to underline the scale of current and planned tourism investment. She pointed to the R24 billion expansion of the V&A Waterfront, R10.5 billion being invested in Winelands Airport and the R2.1 billion Club Med Beach & Safari resort in KwaZulu-Natal, due to open in July, as evidence of confidence in South Africa’s tourism prospects.
Ramaphosa struck a similar note, saying tourism growth is being felt beyond headline numbers.
“They represent families supported, small businesses revived and communities that are being uplifted,” he said, adding that tourism accounts for nearly one million direct jobs in South Africa, or about one in 18 workers.
Indaba platform sharpens continental agenda
BONDay, officially opened by Deputy Tourism Minister Maggie Sotyu, put early focus on the sectors and trends shaping the next phase of tourism growth across Africa. Sessions ranged from African storytelling and destination positioning to a TikTok masterclass on converting digital inspiration into bookings, alongside discussions on sports tourism and the growing role of music, fashion and gastronomy in travel.
The wider Indaba programme brings together ministers, exhibitors, buyers, media and tourism leaders from across Africa and beyond, reinforcing the event’s role as one of the continent’s key business platforms. De Lille said this year’s show includes more than 1,200 exhibitors and 1,000 buyers, while Ramaphosa noted that last year’s edition drew around 10,000 delegates and more than 1,300 exhibitors.
De Lille also signalled that the event itself is set for change.
“Africa’s Travel Indaba will go through a revamp,” she said, adding that South African Tourism is seeking sponsors, partners and new ideas ahead of the 2027 edition.
Visa reform, access and regional travel move centre stage
A strong thread through the opening addresses was the need to make travel across the region easier. Ramaphosa said South Africa is working with neighbouring countries on the SADC Tourism UNIVISA, aimed at enabling smoother cross-border travel, while also expanding one-stop border posts and cross-border itineraries.
“When Africans travel within Africa, we strengthen our economies, deepen our cultural ties and build a more integrated continent,” he said.
He also pointed to the rollout of the Electronic Travel Authorisation system, first piloted during South Africa’s G20 year, as part of a wider package of reforms designed to improve accessibility and competitiveness. Alongside that, he said new visa reforms including the Digital Nomad Visa are intended to make travel more seamless as the country targets growing outbound markets such as China, India, Southeast Asia, Mexico and Brazil.
Connectivity remains another priority. Ramaphosa said airline seat capacity has increased across South Africa and the region over the past year, driven mainly by African and Asian routes, and argued that tourism growth will depend on Africa becoming better connected both internally and globally.
Product diversification and major events add momentum
Both speeches in Durban highlighted the need to broaden tourism product beyond established icons. Ramaphosa referenced the upgraded Cape Agulhas Lighthouse precinct and the Kgodumodumo Dinosaur Interpretation Centre in the Free State, while de Lille added the Bhanga Nek Campsite refurbishment in iSimangaliso Wetland Park as another example of public investment aimed at widening the visitor offer.
De Lille also identified MICE as a major area of opportunity, saying the South African National Convention Bureau submitted 100 international MICE bids in the 2025–26 financial year and secured 52. She linked that momentum to a wider calendar of major events, including the SADC Heads of State summit in Durban in August 2026 and the Cricket World Cup in 2027, which South Africa will host with Zimbabwe and Namibia.
Held during Africa Month, this year’s Indaba is also being framed as a broader statement about the continent’s place in global tourism. Ramaphosa described pan-Africanism as “a driver of economic progress” and said the conversations, partnerships and ideas formed at Indaba would help shape a continent that is “rising, confident in its potential and united in its purpose”.
With growth, access, investment and product diversification all high on the agenda, Africa’s Travel Indaba 2026 has opened not just as a showcase of destinations, but as a platform for how the continent wants to compete in the next phase of global tourism.
