G20 Tourism Ministers Meeting: Driving investment in SA and sustainable tourism globally

Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille showed her international counterparts some of the best of what South Africa has to offer and reinforced her goal to realise concrete action when they gathered for the G20 Tourism Ministers' Meeting in Mpumalanga over the weekend.

As South Africa holds the Presidency of the G20 in 2025, South African Tourism, an agency of the Department of Tourism, hosted journalists from different media outlets on the sidelines of the G20 Tourism events and engagements.

The media itinerary included tourism experiences at key locations in Cape Town and Mpumalanga. Such as the South African Tourism Investment Summit in Cape Town last week, and the G20 Tourism Ministers’ Meeting scheduled for over the weekend.

The Tourism Investment Summit saw global leaders, policymakers, investors, and industry stakeholders convene to drive and develop a robust investment pipeline for South Africa's tourism industry.

De Lille highlighted eight “bankable projects” from both the public and private sector, which she said offered strong return on investment and high community impact.

“And this is just a fraction of what lies in our national pipeline, which is rich, diverse, and growing. We stand here not only as a nation of immense tourism potential, but also as a gateway to Africa.”

Projects are expected to include: Gods Window Skywalk - Jerry Mabena, Hole in the Wall Resort - Bossie Bosman, Eye of Menlyn - Nobesuthu Kubheka, Orpen Kruger Lodge - Marnus Nico Coetzee, Groote Schuur Restaurant - James Daniels, Water World Fun Park- Oyama Makalima, Skukuza Rest Camp, (KNP) - Hapiloe Sello, Tokai Manor - Table Mountain - James Daniels.

De Lille said collectively, all eight projects represent nearly R1 billion in investment-ready opportunities.

During the G20 Tourism Ministers Meeting in Mpumalanga on Friday, the ministers agreed to chart a new policy road map in the ministers’ declaration, which seeks to serve as policy input into the broader decisions global leaders will be asked to endorse during the summit in November.

UN Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “Climate change, inequality, poverty, hunger, technological changes and geopolitical instability. The theme of this Presidency - ‘Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability’ - reminds us the challenges faced by one nation affect us all.

“It’s time for cooperation and policy to drive change,” he said.

“The G20’s mission is clear: to make tourism investment not only abundant, but also inclusive, resilient, and sustainable. It means empowering Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) by improving access to finance and reducing credit gaps, supporting women and youth and financing climate-resilient infrastructure while guaranteeing that the benefits of tourism are shared across communities,” Pololikashvili said.

“Africa is home to 19% of the world’s population, with 70% of sub-Saharan Africa under the age of 30. The investment opportunities the continent offers in tourism are many, as we explored at the Tourism Investment Summit in Cape Town this week.

“Unlocking tourism investment is a core priority of the UN Tourism Agenda for Africa. Our Africa Investment Report and the Investment Guidelines for South Africa highlight the business opportunities our sector can create to foster sustainable and inclusive development.”

The ministers agreed to 36 points which sought to discuss and build consensus around policy priorities and concrete actions to advance a sustainable, inclusive and resilient tourism agenda that responds to the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement, as well as the UN Tourism Agenda for Africa – Tourism for Inclusive Growth.

They also welcomed the four tourism priority areas identified during South Africa’s G20 Presidency, namely: 1) Digital Innovation to enhance travel and tourism start-ups and MSMEs, 2) Tourism financing and investment to enhance equality and promote sustainable development, 3) Air connectivity for seamless travel, and 4) Enhanced resilience for inclusive sustainable tourism development.

The ministers also declared that they remain committed to advancing policies that foster a sustainable, inclusive and resilient tourism sector, while strengthening international and public-private cooperation.

“We recognise the value of the G20 Tourism Working Group in promoting good practices and standards, including through the G20 Tourism and SDG Dashboard established during the Indian Presidency and in setting ambitious objectives for its members, drawing on existing national and international policies and measures, with the support of relevant international organisations.

“We emphasise the need for continuous cross-sector collaboration to enhance tourism’s economic and social impact, recognising the value of uniting tourism policy with other areas,” the declaration states.

“We commend the South African G20 Presidency for taking the initiative to prioritise issues that, while primarily within the competence of other policy areas, significantly impact tourism and for reaching out to the respective work streams.

“We express our gratitude to the South African G20 Presidency for its efforts and leadership in 2025 and look forward to enhancing our cooperation for further progress under the United States of America’s G20 Presidency in 2026.”

theolin.tembo@inl.co.za

* This article follows a Hosted Media Programme by South African Tourism.