It gives me great pleasure to join you this morning, during Tourism Month. When I saw the theme of today's dialogue, “Gauteng's Next Growth Phase: Capital, Connectivity, Confidence”, I was immediately struck by how closely it mirrors the economic conversation taking place in our country.

Waterberg, Limpopo - South Africa marked World Tourism Day 2026 at Legend Golf & Safari Resort in the Waterberg, with Minister of Tourism Patricia de Lille calling for technology and innovation to help convert South Africa’s tourism appeal into more travel, investment, jobs and opportunities for communities. The celebration was held under the theme: “Growing South Africa’s Tourism Sector in the Digital Era.”