Tourism Month: Lekalake backs AI to drive tourism, jobs and economic growth

Tourism Month in South Africa is focusing on how the industry can grow, create jobs, and ensure tourism profits benefit businesses, workers, and communities. Kele Lekalake, Managing Director of Harvey World Travel Southern Africa, emphasizes that tourism is more than just holidays; it is a powerful economic enabler that generates jobs, foreign exchange, supports small businesses, and stimulates growth across various sectors.

Lekalake highlights the role of artificial intelligence in reshaping the travel experience, making it more personalized, efficient, and accessible. She believes AI presents an opportunity for African tourism to leapfrog traditional barriers, compete globally, and create new avenues for innovation and skills development. However, connectivity, visa accessibility, infrastructure, and destination competitiveness still pose challenges to tourism growth.

Lekalake stresses the importance of stronger collaboration between government and the private sector, advocating for improved air access, simplified visa processes, and regional partnerships. The 2026 AESATA Travel Agents’ Conference in Livingstone, Zambia, echoed this sentiment, with the theme "Africa in Motion" focusing on connectivity, innovation, intra-African travel, and digital transformation.

Lekalake envisions a Pan-African travel network that links independent businesses across the continent, fostering collective success. Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille encourages South Africans to explore destinations within the country, reinforcing the sector's contribution to the economy. She notes that domestic tourism provides a crucial foundation, with every South African who travels within the country creating an economic ripple effect.

In the first half of the year, South Africans took 21.2 million overnight trips, a 36% increase compared to the same period last year, indicating a growing appetite for domestic travel.