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# [SOUTH AFRICA / AFRICA] Tourism: Pretoria seals a public partnership to turn $22.6B into bankable projects
- URL: https://businessoi.media/en/afrique-du-sud-afrique-tourisme-pretoria-scelle-un-partenariat-public-pour-transformer-22-6-mds-en-projets-bancables-en/
- Published: 2026-08-28T08:45:24.000Z
- Updated: 2026-08-28T08:45:24.000Z
- Description: On August 25, 2026, Pretoria signed a 3-year public partnership to structure its tourism projects. With 10.5 million visitors in 2025 (+17.7%) and $22.6B in revenues, the potential is there — bankable projects are what's missing.
- Author: Emmanuel TAOCHY
- Tags: Afrique, tourisme, Investissement, Flash de mi-journée, #en

On August 25, 2026, South Africa took a decisive step in its tourism investment strategy. The Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Public Works and Infrastructure signed a three-year memorandum of understanding, backed by Infrastructure South Africa. The goal: to turn the country's tourism potential into concrete, structured projects that can attract private capital.

## A record year demanding action

South Africa welcomed 10.5 million international tourists in 2025 — a 17.7% year-on-year increase. The sector already generates $22.6 billion annually and accounts for 4.9% of national GDP. Yet these figures mask a persistent reality: without "bankable" projects, private investors remain hesitant to commit at scale.

"We must transform tourism potential into bankable projects, investments, and ultimately, jobs," said Minister Patricia de Lille at the signing ceremony.

## Transaction advisory and capacity building

The partnership provides specialised expertise in investment structuring and transaction advisory services. The dual aim is to build a portfolio of investor-ready tourism projects, and to durably strengthen the Tourism Ministry's internal capacity through a structured knowledge-transfer component.

A first milestone is already on the calendar: the Tourism Infrastructure Investment Summit will be held in Gauteng on September 30 – October 1, 2026, designed to connect public project promoters with international private capital.

## Why it matters

For the continent as a whole, South Africa's approach sets a template: African tourism does not lack assets — it lacks structured projects that speak investors' language. If Pretoria successfully bridges that gap, the ripple effect could benefit the entire Indian Ocean region — Mauritius, Réunion, Seychelles, and Madagascar among the first to gain. One to watch closely at the Gauteng summit in September.

*Sources: Agence Ecofin, 27 August 2026*