Latest news with #PatriciaDeLille
The Herald
05-07-2025
- Business
- The Herald
Gold, PGMs and citrus drive R21.7bn trade surplus
Compared to May 2024 both exports and imports dipped. 'On a year-on-year basis, export flows for May 2025 (R175.7bn) were 2.7% lower compared to R180.6bn recorded in May 2024. Import flows were lower by 2.5%, having decreased from R158.1bn in May 2024 to R1541-bn in the current period,' said Sars. On a month-to-month basis, however, there was a positive shift. 'Exports increased by R10.5bn (6.3%) from R165.3bn to R175.7bn between April and May, while imports increased by R1.8bn (1.2%) from R152.3bn to R154.1bn,' said Sars. South Africa's trade with the rest of the world excluding BELN countries reflected a R10bn surplus, with exports of R158.5bn and imports of R148.5bn. Trade with BELN countries alone accounted for R11.7bn of the May surplus. Tourism is also playing a key role in boosting the economy. Speaking at Africa's Travel Indaba in May, tourism minister Patricia de Lille said: 'In the first quarter of 2025, South Africa welcomed close to 2.6-million tourists, reflecting a 5.7% growth compared to the same period in 2024.'
Zawya
04-07-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Dates announced for Meetings Africa 2026 and Africa's Travel Indaba 2026
The Minister of Tourism, Patricia de Lille, together with the South African Tourism Board, has officially announced the 2026 dates for the country's two flagship tourism trade shows — Meetings Africa and Africa's Travel Indaba. Meetings Africa 2026 will take place from 23 to 25 February 2026, with the Business Opportunity Networking Day (BONDay) set for 22 February. Africa's Travel Indaba 2026 will be held from 11 to 14 May 2026, with its BONDay scheduled for 10 May. 'These are not just dates, they are important milestones in our continent's tourism and business events calendar,' said Minister De Lille. 'They are South African Tourism's commitment to partnering and working with the global tourism and business events sector, to facilitate valuable connections with various partners from across the globe. "With this announcement, we are affirming South Africa's position as a leading host of world-class business events.' Source: Supplied Showcasing African business and leisure tourism Meetings Africa remains one of the continent's leading business events trade show, collaborating with the African continent to position Africa as a capable, creative, and competitive destination for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE). Africa's Travel Indaba continues to be one of the world's top leisure tourism marketing events, showcasing African tourism products, services and stories to the global market. Both shows play a vital role in promoting market access, creating economic impact, and contributing to job creation and long-term sustainability for the sector, particularly supporting small tourism enterprises. South African Tourism has confirmed that a competitive bidding process is underway to appoint host cities for both events from 2026 for the next five years, providing an opportunity to evolve, innovate and maximise the events' impact for all stakeholders.
eNCA
28-06-2025
- eNCA
Over 40,000 people expected to descend on Nqweba, Eastern Cape
NQWEBA - Tourism Minister Patricia De Lille expressed her excitement about rural tourism. WATCH | Documentary debuts at encounters international festival She was speaking at the official opening of the Kirkwood Spar Wildsfees Festival in Nqweba - formerly known as Kirkwood in the Eastern Cape. The festival draws over 40,000 visitors from across the globe over three days. eNCA reporter Nceba Ntlanganiso filed this report.
eNCA
27-06-2025
- eNCA
Tourism minister officially opens Kirkwood Spar Wildsfees
NQWEBA, EASTERN CAPE - Tourism Minister Patricia De Lille expressed her excitement about rural tourism. She was speaking at the official opening of the Kirkwood Spar Wildsfees Festival in Nqweba - formerly known as Kirkwood in the Eastern Cape. The festival draws over 40,000 visitors from across the globe over three days. The festival was established in 2002 with around two thousand visitors, but it now those visitor have increased exponentially.
The South African
14-06-2025
- The South African
In the footsteps of giants: SA's new dinosaur centre to open
The Kgodumodumo Dinosaur Interpretation Centre in the Free State will officially open next week. The interactive visitor centre, which is in the Golden Gate Highlands National Park, hosts exhibitions about the paleontological, scientific and cultural significance of the area. The centre will particularly highlight the dinosaur relics found in the area, including the discovery of the world's oldest dinosaur embryos. SANParks, which manages the Golden Gate Highlands National Park, hopes the new facility will boost visitor numbers. Tourism Minister Patricia De Lille and Dion George, Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, will officially open the attraction next week on 22 June. The Kgodumodumo Dinosaur Interpretation Centre is a joint development by the Departments of Tourism and Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment. R120 million in funding came from the European Union through an application submitted by National Treasure. The Department of Tourism believes that the Kgodumodumo Dinosaur Interpretation Centre will boost tourism in the Free State and thereby create more jobs in the sector. Part of the project included the training of a new cohort of local guides. Minister De Lille welcomed the milestone launch in a statement, calling on tourists to visit the facility: 'Whether your joy is sparked by science, nature, culture, or connection, the Kgodumodumo Dinosaur Interpretation Centre is an experience that brings it all together in a way that is locally rooted and globally inspiring.' Palaeontology is often considered a Western science, but the new dinosaur interpretation centre also honours the contributions of local communities. For hundreds of years, BaSotho people in the Golden Gate came across fossils and footprints of long-gone creatures. Therefore, the BaSotho felt these relics could only belong to a mythical beast, whom they called 'Kgodumodomo', and the creature features in BaSotho mythology. The new tourist centre's name, therefore, pays tribute to the local community. Let us know by leaving a comment below or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
