Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille described the “absolute chaos” at O.R. Tambo International Airport, where flights were delayed due to aircraft refuelling problems during South Africa’s peak tourism season, as both very disappointing and worrying. In an interview with BizNews, De Lille criticised the Airports Company of South Africa for failing to ensure adequate preparedness for the peak tourism season. She has called for a meeting with the Transport Minister to convene all stakeholders and establish a robust contingency plan. The minister, who has just returned from a trip to India, highlighted significant progress in unlocking the vast potential of the Indian market for South Africa. This includes visa reforms for India and China, set to commence in January next year, as well as ongoing negotiations to re-establish direct flights between India and South Africa.
Reflecting on tensions within the Government of National Unity—particularly around controversial policies such as the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill and the National Health Insurance (NHI) plan—De Lille expressed optimism about achieving “sufficient consensus,” a principle that underpinned South Africa’s democratic transition.
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Extended transcript of the interview
Linda van Tilburg (01:33.937)
South African Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille has just returned from a trip to India to strengthen tourism ties with her Indian counterpart. She was also caught up in the delays at O.R. Tambo Airport following a refuelling problem.
Well, before we discuss your trip to India, what happened? Were you also caught waiting at the airport because of this refuelling problem?
Patricia de Lille (02:08.883)
Yes, I was stuck in a plane for two hours. First, the pilot announced that we were waiting for a parking bay before we could land. And after about 20 minutes, we finally got a parking bay. Then the pilot announced that we were in a queue waiting for staircases and buses. That took another hour. Then, when the staircase finally came, people still had to wait for buses to get off the plane. It was really worrying because the flight was full of tourists and businesspeople. And it had a big knock-on effect because people missed their connecting flights. Some of them were just ordinary South Africans who saved all year for their trips during this festive season.
I was very disappointed and concerned. It was clear to me that the Airports Company didn’t ensure readiness for the peak season. And before a peak season, you check your maintenance, and you ensure contingency plans. But it was absolute chaos. When I got to the arrivals hall, there were eight buses standing there. And passengers were sitting in these buses like they didn’t know where to go. So, I’ve called for a meeting with the Minister of Transport, Barbara Creecy. She’s also very concerned. I’m waiting for her office to confirm the meeting. Because my concern is that there’s no guarantee that this won’t happen again. And that’s why I want to meet with the Minister.
Linda van Tilburg (04:15.223)
So ,what measures do you want them to take?
Patricia de Lille (04:19.612)
The measures that I want them to take are to get all stakeholders together to ensure there’s a plan in place and that there are contingency measures in case it happens again. But this is not the first time this has happened.
It started back in 2022. I looked up a parliamentary question answered by the then Minister of Transport. The reasons and excuses given back then included infrastructure and maintenance. So, I hope we can get our act together because we’re expecting a bumper season this year.
Linda van Tilburg (05:07.841)
Well, before we get to India, can I ask you about how tourism has picked up in South Africa since COVID?
Patricia de Lille (05:15.641)
Our domestic tourism, which is the bedrock of our tourism industry, has now surpassed 2019 figures. I always say that people are doing what I call “revenge travel.” After being locked up during the pandemic, they want to get out. They want to visit the hidden gems in our country because you never know when the next pandemic will strike. So, our domestic tourism brought in R123 billion last year. International travel brought in R95 billion. For 2023, we have now received 8.5 million international tourists. And I want to see those numbers increase for 2024.
December is the time when most South Africans travel. Some go to visit family, and some go to explore our beautiful country. I’ve also sent a message to our hospitality workers, from the receptionist at the hotel to the person that’s cleaning the rooms, saying: “Thank you for working during this festive season to make us all comfortable.”
I hope there are no further glitches while we go through December and into 2025.
Linda van Tilburg (07:10.5)
For international tourists—two lucrative markets are India and China. You’ve just been to India. What was the purpose of that visit?
Patricia de Lille (07:22.18)
I’ve been pushing for almost two years for us to align our visa dispensation for India and China with Brazil and Russia, as part of the BRICS family. And it took about 18 months. Finally, in October this year, the president set a deadline for us to resolve this. Now, we’ve introduced what we call the Trusted Tour Operators scheme. Twenty-three Indian companies have applied. Indians and Chinese people often travel in groups. And now, tour operators will handle the visa applications for the groups. So, people don’t have to apply individually anymore. From the 20th of January, we’ll start the new system. And we’ll test it first with Home Affairs and State Security. In February, we’ll launch the second phase.
We’ve also introduced what’s called the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA). We are phasing out the old e-Visa system, which was a disaster. The ETA is for business travelers. For example, they’ll now be able to get a five-year, multiple-entry visa. Travelers can apply for visas from the comfort of their homes.
And we’ve also streamlined the criteria for applications. Over the years, things like divorce certificates were added as requirements. So now, we’ve sent instructions to all missions abroad to only use the legal criteria. We’re also working on route development between India and South Africa.
Since 2014, when the Guptas took over the route, we’ve had no direct flights. I met with three Indian airlines—Air India, Indigo Airlines, and SpiceJet. Air India said they would resume flights once their aircraft shortage is resolved. Indigo Airlines is negotiating a code-share agreement with SAA. SpiceJet, which is in business rescue, said they will look at South Africa once their problems are sorted out.
Patricia de Lille (12:25.243)
On the trade side, South African businesses signed four MOUs during the trip. For instance, Gender Mark signed with Tech Mahindra. Another agreement was signed for distributing organic pet food.
On cultural tourism, I visited the Akshardham Temple in Delhi. They’re building a similar temple in Johannesburg, which will open in January 2025. We also spoke about sports tourism, with the Cricket World Cup coming to South Africa in 2027. And we’re working with the MICE sector to bring more conferences and events to South Africa.
Linda van Tilburg (17:49.639)
It sounds like a successful trip. But as a minister in the Government of National Unity, how are things going?
Patricia de Lille (18:01.6520
In cabinet meetings, the GNU ministers are bringing fresh ideas. We’ve buried our past differences, and we’re working well together. The difficulty is finding consensus on some policies, like the BELA Bill and NHI. But the president’s clearinghouse is an excellent platform to find solutions. It acknowledges our differences but encourages unity. I’m hopeful we can get sufficient consensus. That’s what we’ve done since the transition to democracy.
Linda van Tilburg (20:54.566)
And you’re confident BELA and the NHI won’t tear it apart?
Patricia de Lille (20:57.315)
I hope not. What the GNU must focus on is growing the economy inclusively, creating jobs, and addressing unemployment. If we don’t do that, we’ll all face the consequences.
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