The eSwatini Tourism team, Thandeka Simelane, Takhona Ndwandwe, Simphiwe Mkhonda, Chunky Dlamini, Sibongile Mwane and Bongani Madonsela, at the exhibition centre in Durban during Africa’s Travel Indaba. Picture: Doctor Ngcobo Independent Newspapers
Durban — Tourism investment opportunities worth at least R9.4 billion have the potential to create over 3 000 temporary jobs during construction and more than 3 000 permanent jobs.
Africa’s Travel Indaba from May 13 to 16 is an iconic African leisure trade show, owned by South African Tourism, with the specific objective of creating market access to a vast array of African leisure tourism products.
The opportunities were mentioned during the keynote address delivered on Tuesday by KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Health Nomagugu Simelane.
The address was delivered on behalf of MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA) Siboniso Duma.
Simelane referred to a portfolio of 15 catalytic tourism projects across KZN that would vastly improve the tourism potential.
These projects, along with other private developments such as the Club Med resort to be built at Tinley Manor on the province’s North Coast, the Babanango Game Reserve, and a new Ernie Els golf course at Zimbali Lakes, among others, indicated that private sector investors had considerable confidence in KZN.
“Eight – that’s more than half of our catalytic projects – are private sector-led and are mainly brown and greenfield developments. Another four projects are part of Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife’s commercialisation strategy which require private sector investment partners to develop, operate and manage on a 15- to 20-year public-private partnership concession,” Simelane said.
This will enrich and expand Ezemvelo’s ecotourism products to meet the ever-growing hunger for unique ecotourism experiences while enabling the entity to focus on its important conservation mandate.
Simelane said that the KZN North Coast is an enviable strip of coastline stretching from the Tongaat River at Zimbali all the way to Kosi Bay. Here they have another four projects in one of the province’s greatest tourism assets, the iSimangaliso Wetland Park.
“We are looking for private sector investment partners to develop, operate and manage government assets within this very special World Heritage Site because we know that investment is for the bold and brave and that our province needs to be easy to visit and easy to do business in. Business plans have been completed for each of these projects. The land has been secured and they have the support of the relevant municipalities,” she said.
Simelane said 26 African countries will showcase Africa’s best tourism products and experiences and demonstrate that they are all part of a unique pan-African experience. This unique experience is something all travellers, local and international, should experience.
“The Africa’s Travel Indaba gives us an opportunity to celebrate two very important things – transformation and investment, and I am going to explain to you why the two go hand in hand. Importantly for us, these projects will create over 3 000 temporary jobs during construction and over 3 000 permanent jobs,” Simelane said.
South Africa’s international tourist numbers are growing rapidly, boosting international visitors to KZN. Over the past year, 646 234 international visitors came to KZN, and projections from tourism insights are that the province will welcome more than 800 000 international visitors in the coming year.
Africa’s Travel Indaba is a three-day trade show preceded by a dedicated Business Opportunity Networking Day (BONDay) which seeks to create a platform for thought leadership, knowledge sharing and obtaining the latest in global trends and local insights. The BONDay programme is developed in close collaboration with the global tourism organisations, continental experts as well as industry associations.
The trade show exists to provide the ideal platform for African tourism exhibitors to showcase their offerings to international and local buyers, destination marketing companies and leisure tourism services partners.
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