South Africa eyes faster visas, direct flights to unlock India's full tourism potential: Patricia de Lille

In a focused conversation with Travel Trends Today (T3), South Africa’s Tourism Minister, Patricia de Lille outlined the roadmap to boost arrivals from India, signalling that visa reforms, direct air connectivity, and deeper penetration into secondary Indian cities will shape the next phase of South Africa’s India strategy.

Tourism is a vital pillar of South Africa's economy. In 2024, 8.9 million international tourists generated R91.6 billion in direct spending and supported 1.6 million jobs. The first quarter of 2025 saw 2.6 million international arrivals, marking a 5.7% year-on-year increase. Indian tourist numbers in 2024 reached nearly 80% of pre-COVID levels. And even though the arrivals from India have shown growth overall, the recent dip has raised eyebrows.

As shared by South Africa’s Tourism Minister, Patricia de Lille, the latest monthly data shows a dip in Indian arrivals. “We have seen growth overall, but the last month’s figures showed a drop. We need to see why and ensure continuous growth,” she said. Despite this, she remains optimistic about new initiatives sparking a stronger, more stable tourism curve from India.

Direct Flights: The Missing Link

In a focused conversation with Travel Trends Today (T3), the Minister outlined the roadmap to boost arrivals from India, signalling that visa reforms, direct air connectivity, and deeper penetration into secondary Indian cities will shape the next phase of South Africa’s India strategy.

Speaking on the sidelines a recent global tourism fair, Lille acknowledged that the biggest bottleneck has been the air connectivity. “When I was in India, I met with Air India and IndiGo. There is a shortage of aircraft all over the world, everyone is waiting, including South African Airways,” she said, asserting that resolving this gap remains a national priority:

“Once we sort out direct flights and visas it will become so much easier for Indians to visit South Africa.” She also emphasised that direct flights must be supported with joint marketing, ensuring two-way tourism between the countries.

E-Visa out, ETA in

Another highlight of the discussion was South Africa’s transition to an AI-enabled Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system. The Minister confirmed that the existing e-visa, which was long criticised for technical issues, will now be fully replaced. 

“The old e-visa never really worked properly. It is being replaced with the electronic travel authorisation visa, where you can apply from the comfort of your home,” she said. The system, she added, is being developed with AI-powered verification, aimed at reducing delays and making travel frictionless for Indian applicants.

Update on TTOS 

The popular Trusted Tour Operators Scheme, launched earlier to streamline visa processing through select travel partners, will continue but with a broader set of authorised operators as Phase 2 expands, confirmed Lille. 

“In Phase 2, we have expanded the programme to recruit more tour operators. But now, with the introduction of the new Electronic Travel Authorisation visa system, the scope is becoming broader.”

The South African government had launched the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme, enabling accredited travel operators to directly process visa applications with a maximum turnaround time of three days. This streamlined approach aimed to reduce administrative hurdles and attract more Indian travellers for leisure, business, and MICE. TTOS seen expansion across the India and China tour operators’ fraternity and has got a great response since inception. 

Other than this, South African Tourism has also recently unveiled the 2025–26 chapter of its flagship ‘Learn South Africa’ (Learn SA) training programme. This year’s edition focuses on expanding the tourism board’s footprint across high-potential tier-2 markets, equipping travel partners with updated insights, destination knowledge, and business-building tools to promote South Africa more effectively. More than 300 partners across four cities are expected to be trained under the said programme.  

Strong growth from MICE sector

Traditionally, South Africa has been seeing strong growth from the MICE sector out of Mumbai and New Delhi. “We receive visitors from across the country, but Mumbai and Delhi remain the biggest contributors,” she reiterated. 

But South Africa is clearly widening its footprint too. When asked, the Minister stressed that the country is now operating far beyond the metro markets, courtesy their recent roadshows. “Two months ago, we visited several secondary cities after Mumbai and New Delhi. We’re targeting the whole of India not just the main feeder markets. You have such a diverse country: diverse people, diverse cultures and today we are happy to engage across nine Indian cities,” she added.