The industry has widely welcomed news of a newly appointed South African Tourism Board and confirmed the permanent appointment of the current Acting CEO, Nombulelo Guliwe.
This was officially announced earlier this evening (Thursday, February 29) by Minister of Tourism, Patricia de Lille, following a Cabinet meeting yesterday (Wednesday, February 28) where the appointments were formally approved.
The Minister is expected to gazette these new appointments within the next few days, after which the appointments will immediately become effective.
SA Tourism is mandated to market to market South Africa as a domestic and international tourist destination. The CEO and the SA Tourism Board manage SA Tourism's business and affairs.
In April last year, the Minister dissolved the board following a number of concerns that led to eight of the 11 members resigning. The position of CEO of SA Tourism became vacant in May 2021. Since then, five officials have acted in the position of CEO and this has had an impact on the management and stability within the entity.
A few days later, De Lille appointed an interim board – with Tim Harris as its chair – to help the marketing entity navigate the transition period while the recruiting process for a full-time CEO and board was under way.
Officially announcing her appointment in a press statement, South African Tourism highlighted that Guliwe (37) who has been serving in the Acting CEO role since September last year – and who has been with SA Tourism for over eight years – is an experienced finance professional with extensive experience in operations, strategic financial management, accounting, and auditing.
She became the first black female and youngest SA Tourism Chief Financial Officer in 2019. Guliwe is a Chartered Accountant and has a Bachelor of Commerce and Honours Degree. She is a member of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants.
“I wish Ms Guliwe well in her new position and look forward to continue working with her as we amplify our marketing efforts to attract more visitors from all over the world to South Africa,” said De Lille.
She pointed out that the selection committee had been guided by terms of reference and considered the following when assessing board candidates:
- Knowledge, experience, and qualifications relating to the function of the Board as outlined in the Tourism Act of 2014.
- Diverse exposure in tourism management and development, marketing, legal, finance, and governance.
- The capacity to perform and to provide the necessary fiduciary duties as a board member.
- Broad representation of race, gender, youth, disability and geographic spread of the country.
Cabinet concurred with the Minister’s recommendations and the new board comprises the following people:
- Makhosazana Khanyile (Chairperson)
- Adv. Lizelle Dominique Jordaan (Deputy Chairperson)
- Dr Gregory J. Davids
- Ikaneng Ephraim (Oupa) Pilane
- Prof Motlhago Stella Bavuma
- Nqabomzi Haya
- Rajesh Mahabeer
- Ayanda V. Mazibuko
- Maija de Rijk-Uys
- Dr Mzolisi Michael Toni
- Uveshnee Pillay as the Department representative
The new SA Tourism Board consists of six females and five males with a range of experience and qualifications, including Master's degrees, law degrees, PhDs, and post-graduate degrees.
De Lille said she looked forward to working with the new leadership to continue marketing South Africa as a world-class tourist destination and to grow tourism arrivals and the country’s tourism offering.
‘Enthused and optimistic’
“We are enthused and optimistic that the new Board, led by Ms Makhosazana Khanyile and newly appointed CEO, Ms Nombulelo Guliwe, will continue to cement the work currently under way to stabilise and carry forward the organsation’s operational imperatives,” said Tourism Business Council Board Chairperson, Jerry Mabena.
He added: “We believe that a fully functional destination marketing body, such as South African Tourism, plays a critical role in elevating the country’s image as an attractive tourist destination to the world.”
Mabena noted that, through marketing, TBCSA was confident that the industry would be able to achieve its ambition of increasing arrivals into South Africa to 21 million visitors by the year 2030.
SATSA CEO, David Frost was equally upbeat: “This new leadership phase marks a pivotal moment for inbound tourism to South Africa.”
He commended De Lille and the former Interim SA Tourism Board on the appointment process, which he said had been “collaborative and thorough”.
Two SATSA members – Oupa Ephraim Pilane (also SATSA’s Chairperson) and Maija de Rijk-Uys, (MD of Go2Africa) – form part of the new board.
“Both Oupa and Maija bring a wealth of experience and insights from the tourism industry to their roles. This will be crucial as private sector works closely with South African Tourism to elevate the country’s profile on the global stage,” Frost added.
Reaffirming SATSA’s commitment to working closely with the newly appointed board and CEO, Frost said: “This is our chance to implement strategies that will drive sustainable growth, improve the visitor experience, and ensure that the benefits of tourism are widely distributed across our communities.”
‘An important step forward’
The long-awaited appointment of the board and CEO is an important step forward in the growth of South Africa’s tourism industry, which is a key driver of job creation and economic growth in South Africa, according to FEDHASA National Chair, Rosemary Anderson.
"We have been particularly encouraged by the Minister and Interim Board's commitment to private-sector collaboration. The tourism industry is a complex ecosystem, and we can only achieve our full potential by working together. We are confident that the new board and CEO will be strong advocates for the industry and will work closely with us to develop and implement effective strategies to grow tourism.”
Anderson said FEDHASA was particularly interested in working with the new SA Tourism leadership on the following priorities:
- Marketing South Africa as a preferred tourist destination: We need a targeted and effective marketing campaign that showcases the uniqueness of our country to the world.
- Improving the visitor experience: We must work together to ensure that all visitors to South Africa have a positive and memorable experience. This includes improving visa processing times, enhancing their safety, and improving air access.
- Growing domestic tourism: The domestic tourism market is a vital source of revenue for the hospitality sector, and we need to do more to encourage South Africans to travel within their own country.
- Creating jobs: The tourism industry is a major job creator, particularly for the youth and women. Only by working together will we be able to create more opportunities for unemployed South Africans.
‘Stability will be enhanced’
Sandile Ntseoane, General Manager of the Southern African Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (Savrala), noted that a “dynamic and effective” South African Tourism was essential for the success of the entire tourism and travel ecosystem.
According to him, these new appointments would enhance the stability of the relationships between the country’s chief marketing agency and the tourism sector.
This will accelerate the growth of the sector.
“The mobility of tourists is a cornerstone of the visitor experience, and the vehicle leasing and rental sector is an indispensable component. We look forward to partnering with the new SA Tourism leadership to support vital initiatives aimed at increasing tourists’ length of stay, broadening the geographic reach and boosting travel spend,” said Ntseoane.
