South Africa’s Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille will visit Jaipur on August 21 and 22 to represent the country at the BRICS Tourism Ministers Meeting hosted by India under its 2026 BRICS Chairship. South African Tourism COO Ismail Dockrat will accompany her as part of the delegation. The visit is expected to strengthen tourism cooperation between India and South Africa, with both countries seeking deeper engagement across trade, culture, investment and people-to-people ties. Minister de Lille said India is a “valued and strategic partner” and highlighted tourism as an important avenue for strengthening bilateral connections.
India is an important and growing source market for South Africa, with Indian travellers attracted to its wildlife and safari experiences, adventure, culture, gastronomy, luxury and business events. South Africa is also expanding travel facilitation through initiatives including the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS) and Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA).Kolkata is significant as South Africa seeks to deepen its engagement with Indian travellers. The city and wider eastern Indian market offer potential for greater awareness of South Africa’s leisure, experiential, business-events and sports tourism offerings, particularly as travel facilitation improves.
The ICC Cricket World Cup 2027, to be hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, is expected to provide another major platform for sports tourism and encourage Indian visitors to explore South Africa beyond cricket.