The Middle East conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran is opening a window for South Africa’s tourism sector, as conferences and travellers seek alternative destinations, said Busi Mavuso, CEO of the Business Leadership SA (BLSA).
“Dubai and Qatar have built themselves as tourism, conference and business destinations, but the Iran war has disrupted that. Expatriate workers are being evacuated, conferences are being cancelled, and tourists are looking for alternatives.
“We share their time zone. We have comparable infrastructure in Cape Town and Johannesburg. The global conference and events industry needs reliable destinations unaffected by air travel disruptions and security concerns,” Mavuso said in her weekly newsletter on Monday.
Business Day reported in February that Cape Town International Airport, the nerve centre of South Africa’s tourism and business travel, was dealt a blow when a fire diverted international flights and delayed dozens of domestic flights.
The tourism sector recorded 10.5-million visitors in 2025, contributing 9% of GDP and nearly 1-million jobs, with government targeting 11-million visitors in 2026 and an additional 1-million jobs by 2030.
Mavuso said business tourism was particularly high-value as visitors spent more, stayed longer, and often returned for leisure, but warned “this window won’t stay open indefinitely. Other destinations are positioning themselves aggressively”.
“We need targeted marketing to conference organisers now, expedited visa processing for displaced workers, and direct engagement with multinationals relocating staff. Our success in securing business events shows we can compete. We should prioritise capturing this displaced demand while it’s available,” she said.
Constraints such as airport capacity at OR Tambo International Airport needed to be addressed as they created bottlenecks during peak periods, and while visa processing has improved, “it remains slower and more cumbersome than competitor destinations”.
“Crime perceptions continue to deter some potential visitors, even when they do not reflect reality. Skills gaps in hospitality mean service quality can be inconsistent. Infrastructure in some high-potential areas remains inadequate – spectacular destinations that lack the roads, accommodation or facilities to absorb visitors at scale,” said Mavuso.
She noted, however, these were not huge obstacles, but they required sustained focus. “The public-private partnership model is how we address these constraints while capturing new opportunities. Cabinet is in the process of approving the Tourism Growth Partnership Plan, a public-private sector initiative, with a focus on developing new tourism infrastructure and products,” she said.
“The private sector has invested R50m in supporting regulatory reform, including a dedicated project manager to accelerate changes in government processes. Public-private collaboration is also clear in safety and security, with apps to help keep high-traffic sites like Table Mountain safe and support services for anyone who unfortunately falls victim to crime.
“What we’ve achieved on visa reform and safety partnerships shows this model works. We need to replicate it across infrastructure development, skills training and destination marketing.”
Mavuso described tourism as an import job creator given its “relatively high youth absorption rate, high proportion of women and provision of high-quality jobs in rural areas”.
“It also enables many small businesses, including black-owned ones, as well as substantial investments such as that by international hotel groups like Club Med. It can be a highly sustainable industry that does not rely on natural resource extraction. It can fund conservation on a large scale,” she said.
“In the face of sinking economic growth forecasts across the world, the sector can lean against the trend.”
Business Day
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