Pretoria: Through a formalized strategic partnership between the Departments of Tourism and Public Works and Infrastructure, the South African government is set to unlock investment in tourism infrastructure and drive economic growth. "If we want tourism to make an even greater contribution to economic growth and job creation, we must build the infrastructure that makes investment and new tourism experiences possible," Minister of Tourism Patricia de Lille stated on Tuesday.
According to South African Government News Agency, De Lille and Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson have formalized a strategic partnership through a Memorandum of Agreement aimed at strengthening the preparation of priority tourism infrastructure projects. This initiative is expected to unlock greater private-sector investment in South Africa's tourism economy. Under the three-year agreement, the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure will support the Department of Tourism with specialist resources, including investment expertise and transaction advisory services. These resources are intended to enhance the project pipeline and improve the readiness of projects for investment.
"This partnership will also facilitate the transfer of skills, knowledge, and technical competencies to strengthen the Department of Tourism's long-term capacity to prepare and facilitate tourism infrastructure investment. We must turn tourism potential into bankable projects, investment, and ultimately jobs," De Lille emphasized. The agreement follows closely after President Cyril Ramaphosa launched Phase Three of the Government-Business Partnership, identifying tourism as a key sector capable of accelerating inclusive economic growth and employment.
The Department of Tourism will maintain overall accountability and ownership of its Investment Facilitation Service, while Infrastructure South Africa will provide the necessary specialist technical and transaction support under the agreement. Infrastructure South Africa, a programme within the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, offers infrastructure planning, management, and delivery services. "Through this partnership, we can help move priority tourism infrastructure projects from plans on paper to shovels in the ground, while crowding in private-sector investment and creating new economic opportunities across the country. This is another practical step towards our goal of turning South Africa into a construction site and using infrastructure as a catalyst for economic growth and job creation," Macpherson noted.
The partnership is timely as the Department of Tourism prepares to host the second Tourism Infrastructure Investment Summit in Gauteng from 30 September to 1 October 2026. The summit builds on the inaugural event held in 2025, which served as a dedicated platform to connect tourism infrastructure projects with potential investors and financiers. The second installment will continue to develop a pipeline of credible, bankable tourism projects from both the public and private sectors.