Mpumalanga MEC for Tourism discusses safety and Panorama Route conditions at budget speech
The safety of tourists on provincial roads and at attractions remains a top priority.
Tourism remains a growing sector in the province, the MEC for economic development and tourism, Jesta Sidell, said during her 2025/26 budget speech on July 22.
Sidell said Mpumalanga ranked second in the country for international tourist arrivals in 2024, accounting for 23.8% of South Africa’s total.
“The province received 2.1 million international tourists, an increase of 15.6% compared to 2023, but international tourist spend remains low at R7.5b, partly due to limited or outdated tourism product offerings. The province ranks fifth nationally for domestic tourism, having received 3.2 million domestic visitors.”
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According to Sidell, the department acknowledges concerns raised by tourism industry stakeholders about the poor condition of attractions, particularly on the Panorama Route, which draws a high volume of tourists.
On July 15, Oupa Pilane, special attaché of the Kruger Lowveld Chamber of Business and Tourism, took the media and various tourism stakeholders on a tour of the Panorama Route, which has suffered years of neglect.
Pilane initially invited the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) to participate in an oversight tour of the sites along the iconic route, but the agency declined, saying they would prefer to meet at their offices.
Sidell said: “The MTPA has started to fix some of those amenities to restore their functionality and appearance, while planning to increase the capacity of existing capital assets in the medium term. The agency has also undertaken the upgrade of ageing infrastructure in its nature reserves.”
She added that the safety of tourists on provincial roads and at attractions remains a top priority, noting that the MTPA is in continuous talks with industry stakeholders to discuss and improve tourism safety strategies.
Turning to economic performance and employment, Sidell said that neither the country nor the province performed well in the first quarter of 2025. Key industries – including mining, manufacturing, electricity, construction and community services – recorded negative growth between January and March.
Mpumalanga recorded net job losses of around 43 000 in the first quarter, with most occurring in the informal sector.
“To reduce unemployment to 25% by 2030, the province must create at least 60 000 new and sustainable jobs annually,” said Sidell.
She added: “On a positive note, agriculture, transport and the communication industry performed exceptionally well.”
The MEC concluded by requesting the house to consider and appropriate the total allocation of R1.324b to fund the department’s operations for the financial year.
