South Africa expects 66 international and regional conferences secured over the next five years to inject more than R1.2 billion (US$67 million) into the economy, Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille said on Monday, as the government steps up investment to expand the sector.
Presenting the Department of Tourism’s 2026 Budget Vote in the National Council of Provinces, De Lille said the department had been allocated R2.54 billion (US$141.6 million) for the 2026/27 financial year to support tourism growth across provinces, townships, villages and small towns.
The conferences, secured by the South African National Convention Bureau during the 2025/26 financial year, will be held between 2025 and 2030 in destinations including Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Polokwane, Sun City and Tshwane.
The business events are expected to generate more than R1.2 billion (US$67 million) in economic activity, underlining the sector’s growing role in supporting jobs and regional development.
South Africa welcomed a record 10.5 million international visitors in 2025, helped by initiatives to improve visitor services and expand direct international air links.
De Lille said Spain’s Air Europa would launch its inaugural Madrid-Johannesburg route on Thursday, operating three flights a week, in line with the government’s strategy to strengthen international connectivity.
According to Statistics South Africa’s Tourism Satellite Account, the tourism sector supported more than 954,000 direct jobs in 2024 and contributed 4.9 percent to gross domestic product.
The government will continue investing in tourism infrastructure, with projects nearing completion including R19 million (IS$1.06 million) for the Nyandeni Chalets development in the Eastern Cape, R20 million (US$1.11 million) for upgrades to the Lehurutse Trophy and Bird Hunting Camp in North West province, and nearly R30 million (US$1.67 million) for improvements to the Isibhubhu event facility in KwaZulu-Natal.
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De Lille said three of the eight projects showcased at last year’s Tourism Infrastructure Investment Summit had already secured funding, while 22 submissions had been received for this year’s summit, scheduled for Gauteng on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1.
Domestic tourism also remained resilient, with South Africans taking 44.7 million overnight trips in 2025, generating R111.6 billion ($6.22 billion) in tourism revenue.
The Northern Cape recorded the strongest growth in overnight travel, rising 58.4 percent to 1.9 million trips, followed by North West province, where overnight trips increased 34 percent to 4.2 million.
The minister also said the department was reviewing more than 6,700 public submissions on the Draft Code of Good Practice for Short-Term Rentals before publishing the final version.
She added that film and television productions were helping to promote South Africa globally, citing research showing audiences who watch South African productions are three times more likely to choose the country as a travel destinatio
