Tourism identified as key sector in SONA

By Simon Nare

President Cyril Ramaphosa has committed the government to growing the tourism industry, which he identified as one of the most rapidly growing sectors and contributing to the economy with an increasing number of visitors.

In his State of the Nation Address, Ramaphosa said the government would grow the sector by marketing it and making it a more attractive tourist destination with visa reforms and increasing number of flights to key destinations.

The president said the services sector was now the largest part of the economy, ranging from financial services and retail, to hospitality, tourism and the burgeoning creative industry. 

“The tourism sector is growing rapidly, with close to nine million tourists having visited our country last year. One of our attractive sites in our country which we want to grow is Robben Island.

“I visited Robben Island on the 8th of January (2025) and I got to