South Africa tourism leaders are calling for closer collaboration between the country’s tourism and sports sectors to attract major international events, increase visitor spending and strengthen the country’s position as a destination for sports tourism.
The call was made at the Sport Business Forum 2026 in Johannesburg on 14 October, during a panel discussion titled “Host, Attract, Grow: Can Sport Become One of Africa’s Great Tourism Engines?” Participants argued that sporting events should be treated as part of a broader destination strategy rather than as isolated competitions.
Sithembile Ndaba, Chief Marketing Officer of South African Tourism, said stronger cooperation between tourism and sports stakeholders was needed to maximise the economic opportunities created by sports tourism.
Jerry Mabena, Chair of the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA), also highlighted the need for a more unified approach within the sports industry. He argued that a single representative industry body bringing together stakeholders across the sports ecosystem could strengthen the sector’s influence and ability to work with tourism partners.
The discussion explored how major sporting events could deliver benefits beyond the competition itself. With coordinated planning and marketing, events can encourage international visitors to extend their stays, distribute spending across multiple destinations and introduce South Africa to audiences in new markets.
Sgwili Gumede, Convenor of Sport Business Forum 2026, described major sporting events as powerful tourism marketing opportunities. He argued that collaboration should begin during the bidding process and continue throughout the visitor journey, from travel arrangements to the experience of attending an event and returning home.
The forum’s wider programme examined several issues shaping the future of the sports industry in Africa, including investment, commercial partnerships, women’s sport, public health, digital innovation and grassroots development.
Discussions on investment focused on what is needed to make African sport more attractive to investors. Speakers also examined how partnerships could move beyond logo placement and sponsorship visibility to create lasting value for the organisations involved.
Women’s sport featured among the programme’s priorities, with attention on the investment required to turn growing interest into sustainable commercial opportunities. Other sessions explored the potential of data, artificial intelligence and technology to broaden access and transform the sports industry, alongside questions about governance and the role of education in building stronger sporting systems.
Grassroots sport was another central theme, with the programme highlighting the importance of schools and local communities in developing future athletes and supporting the wider sports ecosystem.
The forum closed with a preview of South African athletes preparing for the road to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. Olympic silver medallist Bayanda Walaza, Commonwealth champion Sinesipho Dambile and Diamond League winner Gift Leotlela appeared at the event, bringing attention to the athletes representing the country’s ambitions on the international stage.
The discussions placed sports tourism within a wider conversation about how South Africa can connect its sporting talent, tourism industry and commercial partnerships. For the sector’s leaders, closer coordination between those involved in bidding for events, promoting destinations and delivering visitor experiences is central to capturing more of the value that major competitions can generate.
