Hundreds of people gathered at Masibekela Park to celebrate Provincial Tourism Awareness Day on September 14.

The MEC for economic development and tourism, Makhosazane Masilela, told the audience that the department had recorded a great number of international tourists coming into Mpumalanga in the past financial year. Masilela hailed this as a step in the right direction. In the same breath, she also expressed her concern with regards to domestic tourist numbers.

“From January to March 2024, the international tourist arrivals in South Africa reached a total of 2.4m. This represents an increase of 15.4% on quarter one of 2023. I am, however, deeply concerned about our provincial performance in domestic tourist arrivals, having recorded 700 000 visitors in the first quarter of 2024. Notably, domestic tourism contributed R3.2b to the economy of the province during the first quarter of the 2024,” said Masilela.

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She further encouraged the audience to normalise taking regular rests from everyday life and exploring the province of Mpumalanga in order to also grow the sector and create jobs. “We should bear in mind that when we travel, we create jobs, and this highlights the tourism sector’s unique ability to create more and better jobs as we strive to build a better future for millions of people in our province, South Africa in general and the world. Nkomazi remains a basket of tourism activities and experiences. It is here in Mbuzini where the most decorated first president of Mozambique after the country’s independence, Samora Machel, had his last breath on October 19, 1986. The strategic location of this municipality to Mozambique and the Kingdom of eSwatini presents an opportunity for visitors to experience three countries in one day.”

According to the MEC, the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) has signed a groundbreaking partnership agreement with the South African Township and Village Tourism Association (Satovito) in support of provincial tourism enterprises operating in the townships and villages.

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“We are delighted to announce that the leadership of Satovito has decided to bring the 2024 third annual national Satovito Intratrade Conference Expo to Mpumalanga, particularly the Nkomazi area, in November. This expo seeks to create a platform to promote township and village tourism as an essential part South Africa’s travel offering. Nkomazi Local Municipality commissioned a feasibility study with the view to redefining and redirecting the development of tourism to the marginalised areas of the municipality, including the villages of Mbuzini, Masibekela and Mananga in the rural south. I want to assure the people of Nkomazi that my department, together with the MTPA, will support this initiative, because it speaks directly to what we are advocating for in promoting township economy,” she concluded.