Tourism supports 954,000 jobs as sector emerges as key employment driver, says De Lille

Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille highlights tourism’s role in supporting 954 000 jobs and positioning the sector as a key driver of employment and economic growth in South Africa.

South Africa’s tourism sector has cemented its status as one of the country’s most powerful employment engines, supporting 954,000 direct jobs and driving the government’s ambitions to expand the industry to 1 million direct jobs by 2030, Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille said on Tuesday.

Tabling Budget Vote 38 in the Good Hope Chamber, De Lille told Parliament that tourism is no longer a supplementary sector but a central pillar of economic policy, job creation and inclusive growth.

“Tourism is not only about travel. Tourism is about jobs. Tourism is about small businesses. Tourism is about dignity. Tourism is about economic inclusion. Tourism is about putting food on the table,” she said.

She said the sector’s contribution to employment has reached a critical scale, with Statistics South Africa data showing that tourism supported 954 000 direct jobs in 202*, equivalent to “1 in every 18 jobs in South Africa.”