At the recent SATSA Conference, industry leaders warned that South Africa’s over-reliance on Cape Town and the Kruger National Park is limiting growth and leaving other regions underutilised. However, they pointed to collaborative models making inroads in the Western Cape.
SATSA CEO David Frost noted, while Cape Town and Kruger are operating at capacity, overall national recovery sits at 82%. “If we insist on putting Cape Town in every single itinerary, we can’t grow as a destination. That means we’re a 2.1 million destination,” he cautioned.
Helen Bolton, Head of Sales at New Frontiers Tours, highlighted sharp declines in key regions. “Our Eastern Cape business is falling by 33% and our KwaZulu-Natal business by nearly 50%. Correlating with that, self-drive is nearly 40% down,” she said. Access challenges exacerbate the problem. Bolton referred to Mkuze Airport, which opened two years ago but is still unable to land commercial flights due to compliance issues.
The industry has also become overly dependent on the US market, she warned. “It was the first to come back strongly after COVID but we’ve neglected traditional UK and European markets. There’s a danger in that,” Bolton said.
David Ryan, Founder and CEO of Rhino Africa, said knowledge gaps among sellers are hindering diversification. “Our industry is built on selling what you know. Knowledge doesn’t scale very well and that becomes a distribution gap,” he explained.
Ryan argued that technology could help shift demand. “If we build density indexes, we can push travellers out of high-density into lower-density areas. AI also gives us the chance to connect client interests whether hiking, wellness or conservation to less-developed routes. The last thing we need is more marketing. What we need is more intelligence,” he said.
Operators also flagged lack of provincial promotion. One delegate said: “When I look at Gauteng, North West and Limpopo, that’s where we have major issues. It’s not that there’s no interest but lack of knowledge and effort. I’ve never seen a Limpopo fam trip. The Free State? Nothing.”
Safety and supply chain challenges were raised repeatedly. “I come from the Wild Coast, which is incredibly beautiful but underserved. Safety on the roads is a real issue,” said one participant. Others pointed to compliance and health-and-safety barriers that keep small products from entering international supply chains.
Delegates called for collaboration, supplier education and a rethink of outdated commission structures. “We’re trying to sell 2005 commission structures in 2025. STOs won’t exist in five years’ time,” Ryan said. “If we don’t evolve and get our knowledge into the machine, we’ll be like airline agents in the early 2000s. We won’t be here.”
Best practice in the Western Cape
While the challenges were laid bare, the Western Cape session showcased how partnership models can help. Julia Louw, Wesgro’s Head: Leisure Tourism, said the province convenes quarterly regional tourism forums where all six regions share insights and align strategies. “It’s not just about strategy; it’s about building trust together and moving together,” she said.
George Tourism Manager Joan Shaw described how collaboration has enabled small towns to share resources. “I can’t sell my destination if I’m not selling every single wonderful activity around it. Tourists don’t see borders,” she said, pointing to joint initiatives in golf tourism and events.
Mossel Bay Tourism COO Lieschke Steven-Jennings said the town’s “Iconic Mossel Bay” brand was built by starting with the community. “Partnerships and relationships are essential. We might not always like each other but we have to stand united and work together,” she said.
Jacques Stoltz, Director of Tourism for the Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism, said the province supports regions with targeted interventions – from funding micro-enterprise projects to skills training. Cruise tourism has been one area of success with ships now docking in Saldanha and Hermanus spreading economic impact to smaller communities.
The session also highlighted the role of events and air access. Shaw credited new direct flights into Cape Town with opening George to the US market for the first time. “In 22 years, I’d never seen an American group. Now it’s our third-highest international source,” she said.
Frost closed by stressing that solutions need not wait for government. “We don’t have to wait for SA Tourism or provincial government. We can get off our butts and do it,” he said.
