Remember when you asked about South Africa? It turns out the questions haven’t stopped. Through TBCSA and TOMSA, we’re inviting the world to discover even more. #DontSayWeDidntTellYou #VisitSouthAfrica

Aviation trends do not only matter to airlines. Changes in passenger demand, capacity and connectivity influence which market destinations can reach, and how easily travellers can get there? As the TBCSA Tourism Leadership Conference 2026 gets underway tomorrow at Sun City Resort, Lee-Anne Bac, Advisory Partner: Tourism at BDO South Africa, will moderate the session, “Global Tourism Outlook: What Global Aviation Trends Tell Us About Travel”. She will be joined by Negar Rezvany, Economist and Industry Analysis Specialist at the International Air Transport Association, for a conversation on the aviation trends shaping international travel and what they could mean for South Africa and the wider African tourism market. Explore the full conference programme: tbcsa.travel/conference26/ #SouthAfrica #Tourism #Travel #TBCSA

It’s one day to go until the TBCSA Tourism Leadership Conference 2026 gets underway at Sun City Resort. Over two days, tourism leaders, businesses and stakeholders will come together to engage on the issues shaping the sector’s next phase of growth. Explore the full conference programme: tbcsa.travel/conference26/ #SouthAfrica #Tourism #Travel #TBCSA

Africa has no shortage of tourism assets. The bigger question is, how can the continent convert these strengths into a larger share of global travel and tourism activity? At the upcoming TBCSA Tourism Leadership Conference 2026, Najib Balala: Executive Vice President at the World Travel & Tourism Council, will examine where Africa sits within the changing global tourism trends and what could strengthen its competitive position? The discussion will look at the opportunities and constraints around investment, connectivity and destination competitiveness, and what African tourism businesses and destinations need to prioritise to capture more of the global tourism growth. Explore the full conference programme: tbcsa.travel/conference26/ #SouthAfrica #Tourism #Travel #TBCSA

For tourism transport operators, operating licences are not simply an administrative issue. They directly affect the ability of businesses to move visitors, operate efficiently and plan for growth. At the TBCSA Tourism Leadership Conference 2026, Mathabatha Mokonyama: Director-General of the National Department of Transport, will provide an update on efforts to reform the tourist transport operating licence system through the NPTR. The session will focus on practical progress: what has changed, what challenges remain, and what tourism transport operators should expect next? Explore the full conference programme: tbcsa.travel/conference26/ #SouthAfrica #Tourism #Travel #TBCSA

Tourism is experienced locally. Roads, public spaces, safety, transport, basic services and the general functionality of a destination all influence what visitors experience and the environment in which tourism businesses operate. At the upcoming TBCSA Tourism Leadership Conference 2026, the panel discussion, “Functional Cities, Thriving Tourism: Why Local Government Matters”, will bring together Ross Volk: Managing Director of MSC Cruises South Africa, Professor Busani Ngcaweni: University of Johannesburg, Sithole Mbanga: SALGA CEO, and Hlengiwe Dube: Senior Manager of Tourism Services at Durban Tourism. Moderated by Nozipho Tshabalala, the discussion will examine where municipal performance most directly affects tourism competitiveness and what stronger cooperation between local government and the tourism industry could look like. Explore the full conference programme: tbcsa.travel/conference26/ #SouthAfrica #Tourism #Travel #TBCSA

Some of the key conversations at the upcoming TBCSA Tourism Leadership Conference 2026 will be guided by conversation strategist, Nozipho Tshabalala. She will moderate the fireside chat, “Tourism by the Numbers: A View from Stats SA”, exploring what the latest official data tells us about the direction of the tourism sector and how those numbers should inform business and policy decisions. Nozipho will also moderate the panel discussion, “Functional Cities, Thriving Tourism: Why Local Government Matters”, examining how municipal performance affects destinations, tourism businesses and the visitor experience. Explore the full conference programme: tbcsa.travel/conference26/ #SouthAfrica #Tourism #Travel #TBCSA

With tourism identified as one of the growth drivers under Phase 3 of the Government-Business Partnership, investment, infrastructure, policy certainty and effective governance remain central to the environment in which tourism businesses operate and expand. South Africa’s broader growth outlook, therefore, matters directly to tourism. At the upcoming TBCSA Tourism Leadership Conference 2026, independent economist John Loos and political analyst Dr Mpumelelo Mkhabela will take part in the panel discussion, “Government, Politics and the Economy: Is South Africa Positioned for Growth?” The discussion will assess whether improvements in business and investor confidence are being matched by measurable economic progress, and whether reform is moving from commitment to implementation at the pace needed for stronger growth. Explore the full conference programme: tbcsa.travel/conference26/ #SouthAfrica #Tourism #Travel #TBCSA

See more of what’s coming with “Just Travel SA”, as Lungile Radu, Pearl Thusi and local guests travel across all nine provinces. Discovering destinations, experiences and the people behind them on three different budgets. Brought to audiences by the TBCSA in partnership with TOMSA, the nine-part series premieres on SABC1 on Monday, 26 October 2026 @18h00, with new episodes every Monday, repeats on SABC2 on Thursdays at 21h30, and availability on SABC Plus. Watch the latest teaser featuring Lungile Radu: youtu.be/8yOWFK1jMwU?si=V5sK… #SouthAfrica #Tourism #Travel #TBCSA

Get a glimpse of what’s coming soon to SABC1 with “Just Travel SA”, the new nine-part domestic tourism series brought to audiences by TBCSA in partnership with TOMSA. Hosted by Pearl Thusi and Lungile Radu, the series takes viewers across all nine provinces, showcasing South African travel at different budget levels. It premieres on SABC1 on Monday, 26 October 2026 at 18:00, with repeats on SABC2 on Thursdays at 21:30, and will also be available on SABC Plus. Watch the teaser featuring Pearl Thusi: youtu.be/5pES7xotE6w?si=CDFo… #SouthAfrica #Tourism #Travel #TBCSA

South Africa’s tourist accommodation sector recorded a 6.1% year-to-date increase in income from accommodation by July 2026. For accommodation providers, how is that broader picture showing up in your own establishments? In July, stay-unit nights sold increased by 7.4% year on year, while average income per stay-unit night sold declined slightly by 0.3%. Looking across the latest three-month period, from May to July, income from accommodation increased by 4.1% overall. Stats SA’s “other accommodation” category, which includes lodges, bed-and-breakfast establishments and self-catering establishments, led the increase. Guest-houses and guest-farms also recorded growth, while hotels registered more modest growth over the period. The figures offer a useful view of how accommodation activity is faring across different parts of the sector. Explore the latest Stats SA Tourist Accommodation release: statssa.gov.za/?page_id=1856… #SouthAfrica #Tourism #Travel #TBCSA

We are pleased to welcome Moses Kotane Local Municipality as one of the sponsors of the TBCSA Tourism Leadership Conference 2026, taking place from 27–28 October at Sun City Resort. As the municipality linked to major tourism assets such as Sun City and Pilanesberg, Moses Kotane occupies an important place in South Africa’s tourism landscape. The municipality describes its economy as being shaped in part by tourism, mining and agriculture, and positions an eco-tourism economy as part of its vision for local development. Its support is therefore well aligned with a conference that brings together tourism leaders to engage on the sector’s priorities, growth and wider economic contribution. As TBCSA marks 30 years in South Africa’s tourism sector, this year’s conference reflects on why tourism still matters and the partnerships that continue to help drive the industry forward. Explore the full conference programme: tbcsa.travel/conference26/ #SouthAfrica #Tourism #Travel #TBCSA

Getting visitors into a destination is only the first step. The economic value of that arrival depends partly on how easily they can move beyond the gateway and reach the places and experiences where tourism activity takes place. A recent Cape Chamber article, drawing on findings from Wesgro’s “Unlocking Tourism Growth Project”, highlights gaps in inter-town connectivity across parts of the Western Cape. The Cape Winelands and Garden Route are among the areas where limited shared transport can make it harder for visitors to move between established tourism nodes, while less-developed regions face additional challenges around infrastructure and accessible visitor experiences. The commercial consequence is that visitor spend can remain concentrated around established gateways, even where surrounding regions have tourism products capable of benefiting from that demand. Read more: capechamber.co.za/latest-new… For tourism businesses and destinations, where does the visitor journey most often break down after arrival? #SouthAfrica #Tourism #Travel #TBCSA

We are pleased to welcome Avis as one of the sponsors of the TBCSA Tourism Leadership Conference 2026, taking place from 27–28 October at Sun City Resort. In 2026, TBCSA marks 30 years in South Africa’s tourism sector, a milestone reflected in this year’s conference theme, “30 Years on: Why Tourism Still Matters”. The conference will bring together leaders from across business, government and the tourism sector to reflect on the industry’s progress and engage on the priorities that will shape its next phase. We appreciate Avis’s support of this year’s conference. Explore the full conference programme: tbcsa.travel/conference26/ #SouthAfrica #Tourism #Travel #TBCSA

A new domestic tourism series, “Just Travel SA”, is set to showcase how much South Africans can experience across all nine provinces at different budget levels. Brought to audiences by TBCSA in partnership with TOMSA, “Just Travel SA” premieres on SABC1 on Monday, 26 October 2026 at 18:00, with repeats on SABC2 on Thursdays at 21:30. The series will also be available on SABC Plus. Hosted by Pearl Thusi and Lungile Radu, the nine-part series takes viewers across all nine provinces, highlighting local travel experiences through smart budget, flexi budget and luxury budget options. Read more in the attached release. #SouthAfrica #Tourism #Travel #TBCSA

Are we looking closely enough at non-SADC African source markets when considering where South Africa’s next sources of inbound tourism growth could come from? Overseas source markets understandably attract significant attention because of their importance to visitor spend and length of stay. But as South Africa broadens its source-market mix, non-SADC African markets form another part of the inbound opportunity, distinct from the neighbouring cross-border travel patterns associated with SADC markets. South African Tourism recently facilitated the participation of 20 South African tourism businesses, including 14 MSMEs, at the Magical Kenya Travel Expo in Nairobi. The businesses engaged travel buyers and trade partners who package and sell South African tourism experiences to the East African market. The latest Stats SA figures show 36,497 tourists from Kenya between January and August 2026, up 7.7% year on year. Performance across non-SADC African markets remains uneven, with East and Central Africa growing 3.2%, North Africa up 2.3%, while West Africa dipped over the same period. That makes targeted market development important. Read more about South Africa’s participation at the Magical Kenya Travel Expo: southafrica.net/gl/en/trade/… #SouthAfrica #Tourism #Travel #TBCSA

The skills conversation in tourism is not only about how many people are studying for the sector, but how effectively education keeps pace with the capabilities businesses need. Speaking at the Mpumalanga Tourism Expo, SATSA National Chairperson, Oupa Pilane called for closer collaboration between tertiary institutions and tourism businesses when courses are developed, noting that employers can sometimes find themselves teaching foundational practical skills rather than simply orienting graduates to the workplace. Tourism spans a wide range of occupations and business functions, and the skills required continue to evolve with the sector. Closer exchange between educators and tourism businesses can help ensure that tourism qualifications remain connected to operational and commercial realities while giving graduates a stronger foundation for entering the workplace. Read more: insideeducation.co.za/touris… For tourism businesses, where do you see the biggest gaps between what tourism graduates learn and what is required when they enter the workplace? #SouthAfrica #Tourism #Travel #TBCSA

One of the key panel discussions at the TBCSA Tourism Leadership Conference 2026 will explore “South Africa’s Tourism Sector: Where Will Growth Come From Next?” The panel will bring together Ramasela Ganda, Group CEO of Zeda Limited; George Mothema, CEO of BARSA; Lidia de Olim, CEO of Bidvest Travel Holdings; and Wrenelle Stander, CEO of Wesgro, with perspectives spanning mobility, aviation and travel. The discussion will be moderated by TBCSA Deputy Chairperson Lindelwa Isabelle. Beyond visitor numbers, the focus will be on the practical conditions required for growth, including demand, investment, business expansion and the constraints that need to be addressed. Explore the full conference programme: tbcsa.travel/conference26/ #SouthAfrica #Tourism #Travel #TBCSA

Africa’s Travel Indaba 2026 recorded more than 23-thousand confirmed business meetings, while Meetings Africa facilitated more than 6,400. The scale of these platforms is clear, but an equally important question is what happens after those meetings take place? Following a recent briefing on both trade platforms, Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Tourism called for stronger measurement of whether buyer engagements and business leads convert into confirmed contracts, tourist arrivals, and sustained market access. It also wants future reporting to consider investment facilitated and the subsequent growth of participating businesses. Read Parliament’s full statement on strengthening South Africa’s premier tourism trade platforms: parliament.gov.za/press-rele… For exhibitors and tourism businesses, which follow-up strategies have proved most effective in turning trade-show meetings and leads into actual business? #SouthAfrica #Tourism #Travel #TBCSA

We are pleased to welcome Wesgro as one of the sponsors of the TBCSA Tourism Leadership Conference 2026, taking place from 27–28 October at Sun City Resort. As the official tourism, trade and investment promotion agency for Cape Town and the Western Cape, Wesgro’s mandate extends beyond destination promotion to include investment attraction, export growth, business events and strengthening the region’s economic competitiveness. That broader economic development role is particularly relevant to conversations around how tourism growth can translate into stronger businesses, investment and jobs. Explore the full conference programme: tbcsa.travel/conference26/ #SouthAfrica #Tourism #Travel #TBCSA

South Africa is performing strongly with family travellers, recording an overall sentiment score of 83.6 from more than 63,000 reviews analysed over the 12 months to 18 August 2026. One of the more interesting findings is the performance of short-term rentals, which scored 86.8 with families, slightly ahead of traditional hospitality at 84.3. The review analysis presented by South African Tourism highlights space, separate bedrooms and greater flexibility around meals among the features families value in this type of accommodation. Beyond where families stay, the analysis also shows strong sentiment to attractions and wildlife experiences that can be enjoyed across generations. Beaches, outdoor spaces, aquariums and safari experiences are among the products helping South Africa cater to both children and adults within the same trip. Read more: southafrica.net/gl/en/trade/… #SouthAfrica #Tourism #Travel #TBCSA