Speech by the Minister of Tourism, Patricia De Lille, Selectour Congress, Cape Town ICC
Presidents of Selectour, Laurent Abitol and Natale Scaglia
Managing Director, Jean-Noël Lefeuvre
His Excellency, Ambassador David Martinon
Acting CEO of South African Tourism, Mr. Darryl Erasmus
Distinguished partners, industry colleagues, friends from France and across Europe
Bonjour, Good morning, Goeie môre, Molweni, Sanibonani
It is truly a pleasure and a great honour to address you this morning, just days after South Africa successfully hosted the G20 World Leaders Summit. With 42 countries represented in Nasrec, Johannesburg, our country stood proudly on the world stage: united, efficient, secure, and ready to do business. The world witnessed what we already know: South Africa has the capacity, the capability, and the character to host major global events with excellence.
Ask President Emmanuel Macron, and he will attest to that. Today, with this Selectour Congress, we continue that momentum. We are delighted that South Africa, through the work of our South African National Convention Bureau, won the bid to host this prestigious Selectour Congress, the largest network of travel agencies in France.
Your presence here is not only a vote of confidence in our country; it is a powerful affirmation that South Africa is a premium tourism destination, competitive, attractive, and full of possibilities. This year, South Africa secured dozens of international bids for future business events, representing over 16,000 delegates in confirmed events and more than 20 million Euros (R415 million) in immediate economic impact.
There are additional bids in progress that could deliver over 55 million Euros (R1.1 billion) in future economic value and attract more than 40,000 delegates through 2031. These figures illustrate the importance of business events to South Africa’s prosperity and underline why gatherings like this one matter so deeply. So, thank you for choosing us to celebrate 50 years of Selectour. Thank you for choosing Cape Town, one of the most breathtaking cities in the world.
It is renowned for its mountains, beaches, culture, cuisine, and award-winning hospitality. I had the honour and privilege to lead this city as Mayor for almost 8 years and it will always remain close to my heart. I always tell people who visit. Stay longer. Explore our township experiences, art galleries, culinary journeys, wine routes, eco-lodges, and community projects that offer a deeper connection to the soul of our country. These are part of our tourism offerings to the world.
This week, Statistics South Africa released the latest tourism arrival figures. October 2025 recorded 927,426 international arrivals - a remarkable 32% increase compared to October 2024. That’s nearly a million arrivals in just one month. This has pushed our year-to-date arrivals to 8.56 million, far exceeding the 7.23 million recorded over the same period last year. During the same period, we welcomed over 110 000 visitors from France, which remains in our top 5 overseas source markets.
Through the Government of National Unity, we are introducing the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system. Citizens from India, China, Mexico and Indonesia will be among the first, early next year, to experience the ability to apply for a visa from the comfort of their homes and get confirmation within 72 hours.
The G20 Leaders’ Summit delegates from these four countries secured their visas through the ETA, which is in its first phase of roll-out. Also, next year, the world will witness yet another milestone: The opening of the first Club Med in Southern Africa, located in KwaZulu-Natal along our Indian Ocean shoreline -a French luxury hospitality brand that you need no introduction to. This premium, all-inclusive resort will elevate our luxury offering and expand the choices available to European and French travellers.
We are proud of this investment because it signals confidence, partnership, and belief in South Africa’s future as a high-value destination. South Africa is a premium destination not because of any single attraction, but because of the sheer diversity of experiences across our nine beautiful provinces. As key players in the French travel and business events industry, I extend a personal invitation to all of you: Join us at Meetings Africa from 24–26 February 2026 in Johannesburg.
This is our flagship business events trade show where African destinations meet global buyers and decision-makers. And in May 2026, join us again at Africa’s Travel Indaba in Durban, one of the largest tourism marketing platforms on the African continent. These platforms will give you unrivalled access to our products, our partners, and our continent’s stories.
Colleagues, you have come to South Africa at a time when our tourism sector is full of energy, full of confidence, and full of growth. While winter settles across Europe, South Africa welcomes you with sunshine, long summer days, warm oceans, safaris, wine routes, and some of the most extraordinary cuisine on the continent. Travel beyond the Western Cape.
Go to KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, the North West, Northern Cape and the Free State where we launched this year, the KgoDumo-Dumo Dinosaur interpretation centre. That’s where the world’s oldest dinosaur embryo was discovered. Don’t tell me about Jurassic Park. We have the real deal.
The G20 success demonstrated that we can stand with the world’s best. 4The October arrivals prove that we are rising stronger than ever. The ETA expansion shows that we are making it easier to visit. And the arrival of Club Med confirms that global investors believe in our country. Before, I stand down, let me tell you about our focus on Sports Tourism.
Today in Johannesburg, the Minister of Sport, Art and Culture will announce the LIV Golf sponsorship. It’s another first for Africa. For the golf enthusiast, LIV Golf will take place at Steyn City in Johannesburg. Tickets are on sale. And in 2027, we’ll host the Cricket World Cup. So please promote South Africa in your clients’ itineraries. Once again, we are honoured that Selectour has chosen to be part of our Tourism journey, and we wish you all the best with the congress.
I thank you. Merci beaucoup.
Media Enqueries:
Aldrin Sampear
Spokesperson for the Minister of Tourism
Email: asampear@tourism.gov.za
Cell: +27 67 138 3487
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