Tourism Takes Centre Stage in South Africa’s Growth Push

Johannesburg, South Africa, South Africa has placed tourism at the centre of its next economic growth drive, with the sector formally named as one of four new growth drivers under Phase 3 of the Government-Business Partnership for Growth and Jobs.

President Cyril Ramaphosa launched Phase 3 in Johannesburg on 20 August 2026, expanding the partnership’s focus into tourism, mining, infrastructure, and agriculture and agro-processing. The broader programme aims to help move South Africa towards sustained economic growth above 3% a year and contribute towards the creation of one million additional jobs by 2030.

For the tourism industry, the shift puts several long-standing constraints firmly on the national economic agenda. Ramaphosa identified improved air access, modernised visa processing, stronger destination marketing, enhanced tourist safety and increased investment in tourism infrastructure as priorities for unlocking further growth.

The emphasis on access follows the official launch of South Africa’s Electronic Travel Authorisation system on 12 August. The digital immigration reform is intended to make entry into South Africa faster and more predictable for legitimate international travellers while strengthening border security. Combined with improved international air connectivity, these reforms have direct implications for tourism businesses competing for travellers in long-haul and emerging source markets.

Ramaphosa described tourism as one of the fastest ways to generate employment across a broad range of skills, with visitor spending supporting businesses throughout accommodation, transport, food services, entertainment, retail and the creative industries.

For tourism operators, lodges, hotels, attractions, transport providers and destination businesses, Phase 3 is therefore about more than national arrival numbers. Improved connectivity and easier travel processes can strengthen access to South African tourism products, while expanded destination marketing and infrastructure investment could create additional opportunities for businesses outside the country’s best-established tourism centres.

The President also called for tourism growth to extend further into villages, townships, small towns, heritage sites and national parks. That direction places regional tourism development, local tourism enterprises and lesser-known destinations within the wider economic objectives of the partnership rather than treating growth as something concentrated only around major gateways and established destinations.

The Government-Business Partnership was established in 2023 and has previously concentrated on constraints in areas including energy, transport and logistics, crime and corruption, and youth employment. Phase 3 shifts the programme further towards sectors considered capable of attracting investment, generating foreign revenue and creating employment at scale.

The next important milestone for the tourism sector will come in the fourth quarter of 2026. Government and business have confirmed that detailed delivery plans and measurable targets for each Phase 3 focus area will be announced during this period and subsequently tracked through quarterly partnership meetings.

For South Africa’s tourism industry, those targets will provide a clearer indication of how ambitions around air connectivity, immigration reform, destination development, marketing, safety and investment will translate into measurable implementation.