Tag: tourism

South Africa's hospitality sector needs nearly two million workers by 2032. The talent exists, but the pipeline needs work. The hospitality industry has a habit of describing its talent problem in passive terms. The gap exists. Standards have slipped. Graduates are arriving underprepared. It is as though the situation is weather. It is something that happens to the industry rather than something the industry has, in part, created.

For hospitality businesses, a reservation is much more than a booking. It represents a prepared room, a reserved table, an allocated guide or a carefully planned experience. When guests fail to arrive, businesses lose the opportunity to generate revenue from that space. Ultimately, the cost of an empty seat extends well beyond the booking itself.

Short-term rentals have become a topical and sometimes contentious issue, particularly in the City of Cape Town. Recent media reports show that listings in Cape Town exceed many international cities, including San Francisco and Sydney. Inside Airbnb, a non-profit data project, reported approximately 26,304 active listings in Cape Town as of 25 June 2025.

To celebrate 65 years of providing trusted insights, we have released a new study that uncovers what truly influences the choices South Africans make when they spend their money. The South African consumer unveiled reflects a shift in behaviour that goes beyond price and focuses on emotion and trust.

The numbers tell a sobering story. South Africa welcomed 5.85 million international tourists from January to July 2025. This marks a 14% increase over 2024. Yet, we remain frustratingly close and still far from our pre-pandemic peak. We are just 33,000 visitors short of 2019 levels, a mere 1%.

Sol Kerzner, the controversial and charismatic business tycoon, once dominated the Southern African tourism landscape. He left an indelible mark by developing dream destinations like Sun City and The Palace. Furthermore, he created the Atlantis developments in the Bahamas and Dubai.

The standardisation of port-of-entry visa requirements heralds positive change at Home Affairs. We encouraged by the work being done by Minister Leon Schreiber and his team at the Department of Home Affairs (DHA). This includes the launch of the remote working visa scheme (officially gazetted on 9 October) and the new immigration directives. These changes bring welcome reforms to the country's immigration policy.

South Africa's hospitality industry is seeing a shift from traditional leisure-based tourism to experience-based tourism, focused on providing tourists with unique, authentic life-enriching experiences.

The integration of finance and technology, known as fintech, has revolutionised traditional banking and payment systems, transforming how we live, work and travel. Similarly, travel technology, or traveltech, has empowered travellers with convenient booking platforms and personalised experiences.

Tourism is a multi-sensory experience and South Africa, with its abundant wonders, exemplifies this perfectly. But in reality, more than 60,000 South African citizens grapple with hearing impairments and are unable to experience our country through all five senses.