Africa's Travel Indaba 2025 Grows Attendance, Boosts Durban Economy

Over 2,000 jobs were created, primarily benefiting youth and local communities, and expected household income from these jobs surpasses R140m

Attendance and participation figures

The event drew nearly 10,000 attendees — a 7.7% increase from 2024 — and facilitated over 24,500 meetings. It hosted 1,348 exhibitors and 1,037 buyers, the highest numbers in four years, with participation from 27 African countries, including new entrants such as Chad, St Helena, and Burkina Faso.

Africa’s Travel Indaba 2025 opened with addresses by Deputy President Paul Mashatile and Minister of Tourism Patricia de Lille.

Growing engagement

Thembisile Sehloho, chief marketing officer of South African Tourism, said: "We delivered the continent’s main platform for tourism products and experiences. The increase in participating African countries demonstrates growing engagement. This reflects the growth and potential of the African tourism sector under ‘Unlimited Africa."

Winile Mntungwa, deputy head of Durban Tourism, noted: "The event’s economic effects extended beyond the city centre, benefiting township and rural tourism enterprises — formal and informal — including hospitality businesses involved in pre- and post-tours and local services."

Sibusiso Gumbi, acting CEO of KwaZulu-Natal Tourism & Film Authority, added: “KwaZulu-Natal hosted Africa’s Travel Indaba with record attendance from delegates, buyers, and airlines. We supported 26 emerging tourism businesses who had opportunities to network with buyers across Africa.”

Gumbi also mentions new partnerships with eSwatini Tourism and the Maloti-Drakensberg Transfrontier Conservation Area Joint Marketing Agreement as part of growing the African market for KwaZulu-Natal.

Sandile Makhanya, acting marketing and communications executive at Durban ICC, said: “As the ICC, we continue to ensure the event showcases Africa and contributes to the local economy. We involved students from Durban University of Technology and local culinary talents for hands-on experience.”

Source: Supplied

Support for small businesses, sustainability efforts

The Department of Tourism and provincial authorities supported roughly 400 small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) to attend, providing access to buyers. South African Tourism offered free exhibition space for small businesses promoting arts and crafts through a sustainability village.

Minister Patricia de Lille outlined the Department’s targets for the next five years, including increasing tourism employment from about 1.84 million to 2.5 million jobs, growing domestic spend by 25%, raising tourism’s GDP contribution from 8.8% to 10%, and adding one million international air arrivals annually. She also introduced the new global brand campaign: “South Africa awaits – Come Find Your Joy!”

Deputy President Paul Mashatile said: "Travel and tourism contributed 6.8% to Africa’s GDP in 2023, projected to rise to 10.4% by 2030. In South Africa, tourism accounts for 8.9% of GDP and supports 1.68 million jobs, with plans to increase that to 2.2 million jobs by 2030."