President Cyril Ramaphosa launched Phase Three of the Government-Business Partnership in South Africa on Friday, aiming to raise the nation’s economic growth rate above 3%. Tourism, alongside agriculture, agro-processing, and mining, has been identified as a priority sector for driving inclusive growth, investment, foreign revenue, and large-scale job creation.
Tourism Priorities in Phase Three
The government outlined specific tourism sector goals for this phase, including expanding air access to the country, accelerating and modernizing visa processing, strengthening destination marketing, improving tourist safety, and increasing investment in tourism infrastructure. These focus areas are designed to stimulate growth and competitiveness in tourism.
Tourism Growth Partnership Plan Aligns Public and Private Sectors
These priorities align with the
Cabinet-endorsed Tourism Growth Partnership Plan (TGPP), which coordinates government and private sector efforts around five key pillars: ease of access, coordinated destination marketing, safety and security, tourism product development, and job creation. A Project Management Office under the TGPP tracks progress through a dashboard that measures the sector’s performance against macroeconomic targets and implementation milestones.
Tourism’s Economic Impact and Government Commitment
According to Statistics South Africa’s Tourism Satellite Account, the tourism sector supported 954,000 direct jobs in 2024 and contributed 4.9% to the country’s GDP, surpassing sectors such as agriculture, utilities, and construction. Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille welcomed the inclusion of tourism in the growth
plan, stating that “Operation Vulindlela now gives us an opportunity to bring greater momentum, coordination and accountability to this work as we continue to demonstrate that tourism policy is economic policy.” She confirmed the Department of Tourism’s commitment to working with the Presidency, other government departments, and the private sector to translate Phase Three priorities into measurable results.
