Tuesday, July 15, 2025
Stories of corruption and cronyism are once again shrouding South Africa’s tourism sector after R100 million tender was awarded to SA Tourism amid allegations of “tender irregularities”. The tender was intended to stage two major tourism events, Meetings Africa 2025 and Africa’s Travel Indaba 2025, both vital in showcasing South Africa’s business and leisure tourism. But the tender has been the centre of controversy regarding transparency, governance and the credibility of the procurement process in the tourism industry.
The DA has spoken out against the tender award, and demanded an independent forensic investigation into alleged irregularities. The allegations raise questions over whether the company which won the tender, Pomme Express, used faked documents and lied to clinch the lucrative deal. The spat has raised serious questions about governance at SA Tourism, and whether procurement laws are being obeyed. The political fallout from this scandal may reach well beyond the hospitality industry and decimate the reputation of public institutions in South Africa.
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Fabricated Work Experience and Regulatory Infractions
Central to the dispute is Pomme Express, which has been accused of giving misleading information on its experience and capacity of dealing with mass tourism events. According to reports, The company failed to provide satisfactory evidence of experience in handling events such as these such as submitting falsified evidence of its past projects, including a connection with another company, Pure Grit Project Exhibitions Management, that had been wound up for liquidation.
Despite these flagrant contraventions of procurement procedures, Pomme Express was recommended for awarding of the R100 million tender. The Bid Adjudication Committee (BAC) identified major concerns regarding the company’s compliance with tender regulations, however, inside sources said Pomme Express was still favoured because it seemed to have an inside track to senior members of the company’s board and to top officials in SA Tourism. This suspected cronyism during the tender process has infuriated and is part of a political and legal battle that has brought the country’s tourism sector into the spotlight.
DA spokesperson on tourism Haseena Ismail has called on Minister Patricia de Lille and Director-General of SA Tourism to be fully transparent. Ismail demanded a neutral inquiry into the reported irregularities and punishment to individuals proven guilty of wrongdoing. “The findings of that investigation must be brought into public domain, and whoever that is found guilty of any wrongdoing should be dealt with decisively in terms of the law,” Ismail said. The DA’s demand for accountability is being made against a backdrop of increasing frustration with corruption within South Africa’s public sector, which is a key driver of industries such as tourism.
Effect on the South African tourism image
Tourism is one of South Africa’s key sources of revenue. It is major in the area of employment generation, foreign exchange earning, cultural interaction. Events such as Meetings Africa, and Africa’s Travel Indaba are important for marketing South Africa as a tourism destination to not only promote destination appeal, and attract visitors, but also the country’s ability and capacity to host world class business events. Due to the critical nature of these events, any loss of credibility will prove catastrophic not only for the key stakeholders but also for the overall tourism community.
R100m tender fraud SA Tourism SA Tourism has been dragged into the controversy over the R100 million dodge tender, and this could lead to further credibility problems for the country’s tourism body. The non-transparent and non-accountable procedures,processes and mechanisms cast doubts on the best value delivery, transparency and integrity of the procurement of projects. If the accusations turn out to be true it might discourage prospective global partners and investors from doing business with a tourism industry stained with corruption.
Domestic tourism might be significantly affected as well. With the growing trend towards domestic tourism in South Africa, any tourism sector which is perceived to be corrupt may have a negative impact in terms of supporting local tourism initiatives. A drop in public trust could lead to decreased interest in tourism initiatives, less of a focus on local travel, and further delay in the revival of an industry still reeling from the effects of the COVID-19 crisis.
Political Ramifications and SA Tourism’s Role
This scandal is very politically significant. If this probe substantiates the DA’s allegations of favouritism and regulations violations, it will again raise serious questions over the governance of SA Tourism and the overarching integrity of the South African public sector. Like eTourism, the tourism sector is one of South Africa’s important economic contributors and government’s ability to effectively play this hand is important in the country’s emergence from the dire straits that it has found itself in.
There is growing pressure on Minister Patricia de Lille to ensure the arms-length conduct of business on the SA Tourism issue. De Lille will also be under scrutiny over this latest scandal, which could affect both her political trajectory, and the future of South Africa’s tourism industry. The DA has already expressly demanded from her that there will be consequences to any acts of wrongdoing, the outcome of the investigation will be released and there will be full accountability.
An underlying cause of the problem is a culture of nepotism, and a failure to enact and enforce procurement laws. Corruption allegations levelled at South Africa’s public sector are not new, however the tourism sector is uniquely at risk given the broad international and domestic attraction it has accrued. The perception of corruption in this strategic industry will have lasting implications for South Africa’s reputation as a whole.
The Cry for Reformation And Transparency In South-Africa’s Tourism Industry
The latest scandal serves as a reminder of why South Africa’s tourism procurement system still needs work. There is a pressing need for transparency and tougher criteria on how contracts are awarded, and for better oversight to bar the way to conflict of interest and cronyism. The tourist sector is a very competitive one both within South Africa and abroad, and the country’s capacity to bring tourists in and keep them here is only as strong as its institutions.
For South Africa to continue to be accepted of anone of the most popular tourism destinations in Africa, we require a reintroduction of honesty, efficiency, and fairness in the management of tourism events and the distribution of resources. You should protect these principles, if not for the sake of the country’s reputation, then at least for the sake of future years of tourism driven economic growth and job creation.
The Vision — A Time of Integrity and Acountability
The mutual hope is that the tender saga will prove to be a watershed for South Africa’s tourism sector as the probe into the tender scandal continues to unfold. The teachable moment of this episode should result in better accountability systems and good governance within official establishments. The boom in tourism should not be stunted by corruption, but driven by a collective desire to do business openly and fairly, and sustainably.
South African citizens and businesses, international visitors and the tourism industry as a whole deserve a sector that is legitimate and that operates with integrity and excellence. It may be a long road to recovery but with good leadership and reforms South Africa’s tourism industry can actually emerge stronger and more robustly resilient than it was before.
References: South African Department of Tourism, National Tourism Performance Review, South African Government, Procurement Regulations and Tender Laws, Press Release on Alleged Corruption in SA Tourism Tender, 2025.
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Tags: Africa’s Travel Indaba, Cape Town, DA statement, Democratic Alliance, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, Meetings Africa, Minister Patricia de Lille, Pomme Express, SA Tourism, South Africa, south africa tourism, south african tourism, tender corruption
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