Challenges that face intra continental trade in Africa today can easily be overcome by the continent through a different and revolutionary approach to uprooting some of long-standing barriers. These barriers have long been identified at various trade and inaction has sustained them for years.
This message came out clearly at the Africa’s Travel Indaba this week in Durban South Africa, prompting a bold resolve that pointed to borders and air access as the major barriers for tourism growth in the continent. These glaring challenges have over the years made travel within Africa difficult, while easier to travel outside the continent.
In his opening address of this year’s Indaba, South Africa’s Deputy President Paul Mashatile made a clarion call that Africa has a potential to grow exponentially in various sectors of the economy, highlighting the importance of breaking the old stereotypes that sought to keep the continent down.
The African story, cultural heritage – its natural resources and the food all make up a continental product that can no longer be marketed at individual country or region level in the continent. Collaborations between countries in selling the African product offerings are key in growing realising the trade potential in the continent.
The deputy President also acknowledged that tourism remains an important engine of growth, adding that the sector contributed significantly to Africa’s GDP previously. In 2023 the travel sector contributed 6.8% to the continent’s GDP, while projections indicate a rise to 10.4 percent in 2030.
This year’s Indaba was held under the them: Unlimited Africa, which Mashatile said was a clear message to the world that the country cannot be held back any longer, but was ready for business due to its endless opportunities.
The Africa’s Travel Indaba 2025 got off on Monday morning at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in Durban -with the Business Opportunity Networking Day (BONday).
Held annually and a product of South African Tourism, the trade this year attracted more than 1300 exhibitors and 27 African countries (Botswana included) represented. The show registered 1000 hosted buyers.
While the Show provides a platform for international and local market access of the continent’s diverse tourism product offering, the BONday, provided a platform for in-depth engagements between various tourism players and stakeholders.
Following the BONday, the trade floor was officially opened on Tuesday by Mashatile and South African tourism minister Patricia De Lille signaling the start of back-to-back business meetings between exhibitors and buyers for the three days that followed until the end of the show yesterday afternoon.
Following the official opening of the trade floor, a panel of African tourism ministers attending Indaba were vocal about the need for Africa to act towards Visa free travel in Africa and opening up the skies. The answer to Africa’s tourism growth lies action to address these hinderances.
The ministers reiterated that air access and rigid Visas regimes remain a major hinderance to tourism growth in the continent.
In a roundtable discussion in the presence of the media attending the ongoing Africa’s Travel Indaba this afternoon, the ministers from host South Africa, Zambia, Eswatini, Mozambique and Angola underscored the urgent need to address these issues.
While some countries that include South Africa, Mozambique, Kenya and Rwanda among others have made significant strides in easing their visa Regimes, Africa as a whole remains hamstrung by the colonial borders – which has also restricted travel within the continent.
To emphasise on the strides South Africa has made in the Visa space, minister Patricia De Lille revealed at the media conference that her country will soon announce a paperless e-visa system, the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) that will improve efficacy in visa processing.
Further South Africa is looking to exhaust technology in the processing of visas, and to this DeLille revealed they are going to use Artificial Intelligence in the verification of visa applications.
Zambian minister of tourism Rodney Sikumba opined that so long as governments are in the business of air transport in the name of national airlines, air access in Africa will remain a challenge. Sikumba decried that egos stood in the way of opening up the skies in Africa. ‘Governments have no business in business,’ he said adding that they instead have to facilitate for private sector led economies.
Unfortunately for the ministers, the two issues hindering tourism growth were under the portfolios of different ministries, who may not see the urgency in addressing them.
However, the status quo may be a thing of the past post July when the government of Angola will host Second United Nations World Tourism Organisation and International Civil Aviation Organisation Ministerial Conference on Tourism and Air Transport in Africa.
This was revealed by Angolan minister of tourism Marcio de Jesus Lopes Daniel, adamant that the Luanda conference will come up with solutions that will aid the continent towards the much desire air connectivity.
Meanwhile Botswana’s travel industry had very a strong presence at the trade show. Besides the many operators attending through own arrangements, the Botswana tourism organisation facilitated 29 exhibitors who attended and were housed at the authority’s stand.
