Month: July 2023

Tourism on the rise as more than 4 million tourists visit South Africa in the first half of 2023

South Africa’s tourism sector continues to exhibit strong recovery with the first half of 2023 recording more than 4 million tourist arrivals, according to the latest data from Statistics South Africa. This is a significant increase from the 2,3 million tourist arrivals between January and June 2022.

The total number of tourist arrivals to South Africa between January and June 2023 showed a sizable 78.2% surge in the first half of 2023 when compared to the same period in 2022.

There has also been a substantial increase across all regions in the same period. Although the current growth demonstrates signs of recovery, we are still operating at 80% of our pre-pandemic capacity. In 2019 South Africa welcomed more than 5 million tourists between January and June.

The Africa region continues to bring the largest share of tourist arrivals to the country. A total of 3 083 583 tourists that arrived in South Africa between January and June 2023 came from the rest of the African continent. This is a 79.9% increase when compared to the same period last year when South Africa welcomed 1 714 501 visitors from this region.

Africa land arrivals increased by a significant 81.6% while Africa air recorded a growth of 44.5% between January to June this year when compared to the same period last year.

We are pleased with the number of visitors that our country continues to receive from the rest of the African continent. This is a testament to the marketing efforts that we have implemented to attract tourists from this region. Africa remains a key source market for us, and we are committed to collaborating as a tourism sector to make sure we welcome visitors from this region and that we cater for their needs and preferences.

Beyond the African continent, South Africa has welcomed more visitors from other regions too. Between January and June 2023, the Australasia region (mainly comprised of Australia and New Zealand) recorded an increase of 141 % with 50 882 visitors coming from this region compared to 21 108 arrivals in the same period last year.

The Asia region almost doubled its figures with a 99.5% growth, from 47 912 to 95 596 visitors.

Europe, the largest source of visitors outside Africa, also experienced solid growth of 66,8.1%, from 356 352 to 594 388 visitors when compared to the same period in 2022.

North America, Central & South America, and the Middle East also demonstrated strong growth trends with rates of 70.6%, 74.4%, and 75.8% respectively.

These robust figures showcase South Africa’s charm and attractiveness as well as the work that we are doing in marketing South Africa as a tourist destination of choice. The substantial increase, particularly from Australasia and Asia, underlines and reflects the global trend towards post-pandemic travel recovery. This is all hugely welcomed because our sector contributes significantly to our country’s economy.

Through various tourism marketing strategies, South Africa continues to invite travellers worldwide to explore our diverse landscapes, rich cultural heritage, and unique wildlife and wide open spaces. These exceptional numbers illustrate South Africa’s undeniable allure and the enduring impact it has on travellers.

The latest statistics by Stats SA is evidence that the implementation of the Tourism Sector Recovery Plan has gained traction and is contributing to sustained, accelerated economic growth.

We are growing stronger each day and we are determined to pass pre-COVID-19 arrival numbers. South Africa is open for tourism, and we are ready to welcome more tourists from across Africa and the globe to experience our diverse cultures and heritage.

South Africa was recently honoured by readers of the UK’s Telegraph Travel publication, with the prestigious title of “Best Country,” while its iconic city, Cape Town, claimed the coveted title of “Best City in the World.”

I wish to express my deepest gratitude to all travellers who chose to explore our country and contributed to the tourism sector’s growth and to our economy. The support of travellers, both domestic and international, has played a crucial role in revitalizing our economy and restoring the vibrancy to our tourism sector. I also wish to thank the tourism private sector across the country for all your hard work to grow our tourism offering, promote South Africa as a must-see destination and for your amazing hospitality in welcoming and hosting our visitors.

Enquiries:

Zara Nicholson

Media Liaison Officer

Cell: 079 416 5996

E-mail: [email protected]

Source: Government of South Africa

The 2nd Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Summit opened in St. Petersburg on Thursday with Russia seeking to diversify its cooperation in terms of long-term development with Nigeria, Africa.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event taking place at Expoforum was declared open by the Russian President Vladimir Putin, with many African leaders in attendance.

The forum which has NAN as one of its media partners is featuring 30 panel sessions and thematic events on the most important issues to promote cooperation between Russia and African countries.

According to the Roscongress Foundation, organisers of the event, it aims at bringing about a fundamentally new level of mutually beneficial partnership to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

“The goal of the event is to promote efforts to strengthen comprehensive and equal cooperation between Russia and African nations across all areas of society including politics, security, economic relations, science and technology, and the cultural and humanitarian spheres.

“The forum, which is being held as part of the Second Russia–Africa Summit, is a unique event in Russian-African relations.

“The event is set to diversify the scope and nature of Russian-African cooperation, in turn setting the course of its long-term development.

“Public discussions taking place as part of the event will deal with the most pressing issues on the Russian-African agenda.

“This is taking into account the full extent of cooperation between Russia and the African nations, which extends beyond economic activity, a decision was taken to expand the 2023 edition of the Forum with a significant humanitarian element,” the foundation said.

Nigeria is being represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima.

NAN also reports that the event will also feature a large-scale exhibition and a platform for business meetings.

It would be recalled that the first Russia-Africa Summit was held in the resort city of Sochi in October 2019, with the theme: “Peace, Security and Development”.

The first summit was co-chaired by President Putin and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who was the then Chairperson of the African Union (AU).

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Russian President, Vladimir Putin, says Russia will supply 50,000 tons of grains to some African countries in the next three months in its bid to ensure food security.

Putin said this on Thursday while declaring the Second Russia–Africa Summit and Economic and Humanitarian Forum 2023 open in St. Petersburg, Russia.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the main theme of this year’s Forum is ‘Technology and Security for Sovereign Development that Benefits People.’

About 17 African countries participating in the summit are represented at the level of head of states with NAN among the media partners of the Summit.

Putin said Russia would provide the products freely to consumers, adding that with its harvest records it was ready to replace Ukrainian grain exports to Africa on both commercial and aid basis.

“Russia holds a 20 per cent share of the global wheat market. In the first six months of 2023, it has already exported 10 million tons of grain to Africa.

“Russia is ready to provide Zimbabwe, Burkina Faso, Somalia, and Eritrea with 25-50 thousand tons of grain each in the next three to four months and ensure its free delivery to consumers,” he said.

Putin said Russia-Africa trade turnover reached 18 billion dollars in 2023, while trade in in agricultural products between Russia and Africa grew by 60 per cent.

Putin also announced the preparation of approximately 30 energy projects involving Russia in Africa, with a total capacity of around 3.7 gigawatts across 16 African countries.

He said Russian oil and gas exports to Africa had increased by 2.6 times, adding that Russia could provide Africa with unique non-energy applications of nuclear technology, including medicine.

“A Russian industrial zone near the Suez Canal in Egypt will soon launch, and its products will be exported throughout Africa.

“Russia is ready to develop Africa’s financial infrastructure and connect them to the Russian payment system.

“Russia promotes the establishment of relations between the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and Africa and will share integration experience of the Union State of Russia and Belarus,” he said.

EAEU is a free trade agreement that came into being in 2015 to increase economic cooperation and raise the standard of living of its members.

Member countries include Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.

He, however, suggested the establishment of intergovernmental commissions with all interested countries.

He further said nearly 35,000 African students were studying in Russia, and the number was constantly growing.

“The quota has increased by 2.5 times and will exceed 4,700 persons in 2024,” he added.

He also said Russia would supply 10 mobile laboratories and train hundreds of specialists as part of a joint programme to combat infections with 2.1 billion rubles allocated for it.

Russia proposes to intensify cooperation in sport and invites African youth to participate in Russian sport events.

“Work is underway to open TASS, Russia Today, RG, and VGTRK media offices in Africa,” he said.

NAN Managing Director, Mr Buki Ponle, is also attending the event.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Mr Aderemi Ajibewa, a former top official of the ECOWAS Commission has urged member states to implement the bloc’s protocols of sustainable peace, democracy, and good governance in the sub-region.

Ajibewa, a former director of political affairs at the commission, gave the advice in Monrovia on Tuesday while delivering a paper at the Delocalised meeting of the Joint Committees of the ECOWAS Parliament on Political Affairs, Peace, Security and the African Peer Review Mechanism, Judicial Affairs and Human rights, Social Affairs, Gender and Women Empowerment.

The paper had the theme “Assessment of the Impact of the Relevant Provisions of the ECOWAS Protocol of Democracy and Good on Improving Governance and Crises Prevention in Member States”.

Ajibewa said community protocols and instruments already captured the mechanisms on constitutional political governance principles that addressed governance challenges.

He observed that the implementation of the relevant protocols by member countries would mitigate the level of conflict and bad leadership in the sub-region.

Ajibewa identified over-centralisation of power, weak institutions and structures, bad leadership, military interventions and interruptions of democratic governance as some of the challenges to the implementation of some ECOWAS protocols.

“The position of governance in the ECOWAS sub-region is hinged on constitutional political governance principles that address governance challenges and guidelines for member states.

“The Supplementary Protocol (2021) provides for democratic control of the armed forces and zero tolerance for military coup d’etats and any form of unconstitutional change of power.

“The linkages between good governance and economic development is evident in good management of resources across a country’s various sectors impacts the country’s economic growth and development.

“The efficient operationalisation of the provisions of the ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance would provide long-lasting solutions to the challenges faced by the West African Region,” Ajibewa said.

To address some of the challenges, Ajibewa urged the ECOWAS Commission to increase engagement and partnership with civil society organisations.

He also urged the ECOWAS Commission to sensitise the military to the ECOWAS Supplementary Protocols on Democracy and Good Governance, and build the capacity of government officials.

Speaking, Hon, Ladi Ayamba, Member of Parliament from Ghana expressed regret over the the factors militating against the implementation of policies at the country level.

“We have these laws and protocols guiding us but it is sad that implementation is a problem,” Ayamba said.

Hon. Fatimatou Njai, a parliamentarian from the Gambia also said that it is time for ECOWAS to learn lessons from mistakes that have brought down some countries in other to move forward.

Njai recommended that ECOWAS bodies and institutions need to be firm on laws that retrogrades the sub-region.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Ms Mawine Diggs, Liberia’s Minister of Commerce and Industry, has advised that countries should not be allowed to burn after general elections.

Diggs also called for inclusion and collaboration between winners and losers of elections in ECOWAS Member countries to preserve peace and democratic rule in the sub-region.

She made the appeal while presenting a paper titled: “Mechanism for collaboration between political majorities and opposition as a crisis prevention mechanism”, at a delocalised joint committee meeting of the ECOWAS Parliament on Thursday in Monrovia.

Diggs said the majority as the winner and the minority as the loser have a duty to keep the country safe, peaceful, stable and prosperous through inclusion and collaboration.

She noted that as always in a democracy, there would be a political majority elected by the people through the ballot box and a minority who does not get elected, stressing that collaboration between political majorities and opposition is sure means of crisis prevention.

“Like we say in Liberia, after all the political processes, ‘the country will not burn’. So it is with all countries in the ECOWAS community. After elections, our countries must not and should not burn,” Diggs said.

She admitted that in a democratic system of government, the majority wins but has a responsibility to protect the minority, insisting that the responsibility of protection encapsulates the respect for the rights of all, irrespective of the gender, ethnic or political affiliation of the individual.

“The governing majority is required to build strong and vibrant institutions including an independent judiciary and a free press.

“The governing majority is charged to ensure that the fundamental rights, including healthcare and education are available and affordable for all,” said the minister.

On the part of the minority, Diggs said that whilst the governing majority has a duty to govern, the minority has a charge to subscribe to the rule of law.

“The right to protest and hold government accountable or ‘hold their feet to the fire’, which is fundamental, must be exercised in a peaceful manner consistent with the constitution.

“Besides criticism, the minority is required to provide alternatives on what the governing majority could do in the best interest of the citizens.”

She explained that the first step to govern is the creation of the space and atmosphere for governance, and this is attainable only by collaboration, insisting that both the majority and minority must collaborate at all times regardless of the disagreements and divergence of views.

“Both sides must respect democratic principles and values. Whilst the majority focuses more on the delivery of its programmes, it must also create an enabling environment for everyone to co-exist.

“The threat of conflict is greatly minimised by a healthy collaboration between both the government, opposition and those of no position.”

Diggs also noted that in parliament, it is often said that “the minority has its say but the majority have the will,” stressing that: “This assertion finds its true meaning in the responsibility the majority has to all. To demonstrate will means to do the right thing, create the space required for all to participate as they so wish.

“For the minority, having say, is meant to insist on holding the government accountable and serviceable while also respecting the rule of law.

“The majority and minority must collaborate and build synergies on their commonalities in areas of gender parity, a free press, an independent judiciary, and an open budget which puts the people first and above all, upholds the constitution.”

Source: News Agency of Nigeria