South African tourism businesses are applying for independent sustainability certification in greater numbers as operators race to get ahead of European Union (EU) rules against unsubstantiated environmental claims due to take effect later this month.
Fair Trade Tourism (FTT) has been building its certified portfolio steadily in recent years from a handful of accommodation and activity providers in South Africa, Mozambique and Zambia to a network that now stretches across eight African countries and includes Uganda, Madagascar, Zimbabwe and mutual recognition partners in Namibia, Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania and the Seychelles.
FTT General Manager Lisa Scriven cites global operators as one of the factors driving African suppliers towards certification. Touristik Union International, for example, requires contracted accommodation providers to hold certification recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council.
EarthCheck is seeing that pressure play out directly in South African enquiries. EarthCheck CEO and Founder Stewart Moore has noted increased interest from South African operators over the past six to 12 months, particularly businesses connected to international source markets and global brands with local properties.
“South Africa is not a new market for us. We have engaged with it for many years and reached out to a wide range of sectors there from stadiums and convention centres to attractions, wineries, accommodation providers and some destinations,” Moore says.
“It's been a hard market to build traction in so the recent lift in interest is notable even if it’s early rather than a wholesale surge in applications. The direction is clear and the EU’s Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive is part of the conversation.”
The directive, which comes into force across the EU from September 27, 2026, bans vague or unsubstantiated environmental claims and requires sustainability labels to be supported by independent, third-party verification. It sits alongside the EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, which is drawing European tour operators and agents into reporting on the social and environmental performance of their entire supply chains, including African suppliers.
Moore says South Africa’s reliance on long-haul European arrivals leaves it particularly exposed. According to SA Tourism, Europe remains the country’s largest overseas source region with approximately 1.26 million arrivals in 2024 and European demand kept growing through 2025.
“These new rules govern how sustainability claims are presented to consumers in the EU and that can reach a South African business two ways,” explains Moore. “Directly, if it markets or sells to European consumers, and through the chain where the European tour operators, booking platforms and brand partners it sells through are covered and will expect the claims they carry to hold up.”
Moore expects the directive to meaningfully lift demand for verified certification. "It raises the bar on both sides with greater transparency expected of the businesses making these claims and of the organisations verifying them. For South Africa, that is a real opportunity to raise standards.”
His advice to operators still relying on self-created or unverified claims is to get specific, and get verified. “Broad terms such as ‘green’ or ‘eco-friendly’ carry more risk under the new rules unless they are backed by evidence. Independent certification helps by giving you a credible, recognised basis for the claims you make.”
This is general guidance, not legal advice, stresses Moore. He urges businesses to confirm their position with the markets and partners they sell into.
Industry sustainability experts echo the urgency. Melissa Foley of Africa’s Eden warns that many local operators remain “not at all ready” for the changes, describing a fragmented certification landscape of nearly 40 schemes across Africa.
Moore is more optimistic about South Africa's underlying readiness: “South Africa has strong grassroots sustainability initiatives and people who understand what credible sustainability looks like on the ground. The opportunity now is to raise standards together.”
