Do Global ESG Metrics Help or Harm Southern Africa’s Hospitality?
Eight hundred direct jobs. Over 1,600 more across the value chain. 1,500 workers on site at peak — and a 60% drop in local crime since construction began. Club Med attributes those outcomes to its coastal safari development in northern KwaZulu-Natal. They’re the kind of real-world impact communities care about — yet most of it […]
Southern Africa’s Tourism Can’t Take Off — Until Its Aviation Policy Does
A region of 300 million people. Fewer than 7.2 million passengers in the air annually. The disconnect is staggering — and it’s not because people don’t want to fly. Across Southern Africa, tourism ambitions remain stifled not by demand but by policy paralysis. At the recent SADC Tourism Alliance Think Tank, aviation and tourism leaders […]
Southern Africa’s Private Sector Tourism Leaders Elect Steering Committee to Champion Unified Tourism Growth Across the Region
Regional tourism across Southern Africa took a major step towards speaking with one voice as private sector leaders from across the region established a new governance structure to tackle the barriers holding back the sector’s growth. With intra-regional tourism accounting for less than 25% of arrivals and air connectivity remaining critically constrained, the SADC Tourism […]
Africa’s Eden and CTM Sign Strategic MOU to Strengthen Regional Tourism Collaboration
Africa’s Eden, the private sector-led destination marketing alliance for Southern Africa, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Confédération du Tourisme de Madagascar (CTM). This milestone agreement cements a shared vision for regional cooperation, tourism leadership, and cross-border business growth. The MOU outlines areas of collaboration such as reciprocal membership benefits, knowledge exchange, […]
Transforming Southern Africa’s Economic Landscape Amid The Energy Transition Through Tourism
Southern Africa’s economies are undergoing a significant transition away from coal dependency, and tourism is emerging as a vital catalyst for economic regeneration, job creation, and sustainable development. Recently, the SADC Tourism Alliance, in partnership with Nedbank and the NEPAD Business Foundation, convened a strategic forum where leaders from business and tourism highlighted the sector’s […]
Policy Alone Won’t Unlock African Aviation: Implementation, Not Talk, Is What’s Missing, Say Tourism And Aviation Leaders
Africa has spent over two decades discussing aviation liberalisation; however, the real bottleneck is no longer policy. It’s implementation. That was the central message delivered during “Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges”, a high-level panel hosted in conjunction with AviaDev, Helm, VoyagesAfriq and the SADC Tourism Alliance at the Tourism & Aviation Connectivity Forum, held on the […]
Triland initiative workshop advances regional tourism collaboration in Southern Africa
Maputo recently played host to a groundbreaking Triland Public-Private Sector Engagement Workshop, bringing together tourism stakeholders from Mozambique, Eswatini, and South Africa’s Mpumalanga Province. Co-hosted by the SADC Tourism Alliance, NEPAD Business Foundation, and the tourism authorities of all three destinations, the workshop marked a pivotal moment in revitalising cross-border tourism collaboration in the region. […]
Celebration as three Countries sign the Zimbabwe/Mozambique/Zambia Transfrontier Conservation Area Agreement
In a landmark event, the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) for the Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Zambia (ZIMOZA) Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA) was signed at the State House in Harare on the 18th July 2024. The MoA was signed by the three Heads of State from the partner countries, namely: Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Zambia following nearly 30 […]
Namibia’s New Visa Regime: A Step Backward for Tourism and Economic Growth
The SADC Tourism Alliance has expressed deep concern over Namibia’s proposed restrictive visa regime, which could severely hamper the country’s tourism industry and economic growth. This policy shift appears to contradict Namibia Airports Company’s recently launched air access strategy, “Air Connect Namibia”, aimed at increasing international flights and connectivity. The implementation of stricter visa requirements […]
KAZA TFCA unveils bold new tourism destination brand – “Rivers Of Life”
The Kavango Zambezi (KAZA) Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA) today launched its transformative new destination brand, “Rivers of Life,” during a landmark event at the KAZA Heads of State Summit in Livingstone, Zambia. The unveiling of the new tourism destination brand marks a pivotal moment in the region’s journey towards promoting conservation, sustainable tourism, and community […]