September is tourism month in South Africa and every year; the department promotes travel and highlights the country’s diverse tourism offerings.
This year’s theme is “Growing South Africa’s Tourism Sector in the Digital Era”, the 2026 campaign emphasizes digital innovation, artificial intelligence and online discovery as key drivers of tourism growth.
Speaking at the launch of Tourism Month recently, Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille said tourism begins at home.
“We are a region of many nations, many cultures and many experiences connected by history, geography, family, trade and increasingly, by travel. Before we ask the world to discover South Africa, we must continue encouraging South Africans to discover their own country,” she said.
De Lille said every time a South African travel in South Africa, something happens in the country’s economy.
“Before we speak about millions of international arrivals, we must also speak about the South African family that takes a weekend away; the group of friends who decides to explore another province, the young person who discovers a part of the country they have only ever seen online and the traveller who chooses to spend their tourism Rand here at home.”
“In the first half of this year, South Africans took 21.2 million overnight trips, but by 4% from last year’s 20.4 million in the same period. While spend remains down when compared to last year, South Africans took 5.2 million holiday trips, up 36% when compared to the same period last year,” De Lille said.
De Lille also added that domestic tourism matters.
“It is not a secondary part of our tourism economy. It is one of the foundations of a resilient tourism economy. And this Tourism Month, we want to see even more South Africans experiencing their country,” she said.
“Growing domestic tourism is not the responsibility of government alone. It requires all of us. Government must create an enabling environment. The private sector must continue developing compelling, competitive and affordable tourism products. Provinces and cities must develop and promote experiences beyond our traditional tourism routes.”
“Technology platforms must help tourism businesses become more visible and discoverable. The media and content creators can help introduce South Africans to places and experiences they may never have considered. Our tourism businesses must continue innovating,” she said.
“This is what Tourism Month should achieve — mobilising all of us behind the growth of tourism. This is important because tourism is not simply about travelling from one place to another. It is about creating jobs, supporting entrepreneurs, preserving our heritage, strengthening communities and building national pride.”
De Lille said tourism businesses must continue innovating.
“This is important because tourism is not simply about travelling from one place to another. It is about creating jobs, supporting entrepreneurs, preserving our heritage, strengthening communities and building national pride. Every journey has the potential to contribute to a stronger economy and a more inclusive South Africa,” she said.
