LpSouth African Tourism’s 21st Annual India Roadshow Lands in Chennai, Showcasing 15% New Products to Foster Deeper Trade Partnerships.
Indian travel demand for South Africa conti nues to grow, with family, adventur e, and lu xury segments leading the way with 15% ne
w products, Chennai roads how welcomed o ver 300 Indian travel tr ade agents in the cit y
Chennai, 19th March 2025: Building on the growing enthusiasm for travel, South Afric an Tourism launched the 21st edi tion of its Annual India Roadshow in chennai. Led by Mr. Gcobani Mancotywa, Regional General Manager for Asia, Australia, and Middle Ea st, South African Tourism, the roadshow se rved as a strategic platform to strengthen b usiness relationships, address evolving tra veller preferences, and unlock new growth opportunities.
With 40 exhibitors showcasing their offeri ngs, the roadshow attracted participation f rom over 300 Indian travel trade a gents in the city. Strengthening its enga gement wit h the Indian market, the multi-city road sho w will now travel to Mumbai on March 20th 2025 fostering deepe er trade partnerships and driving outbound tourism to South Afri ca.
Commenting during the roadshow, Mr. Man cotywa stated, “India has always b een a hig h-priority market for South Afr ican Touris m, with strong demand from family travelle rs, adventure seekers,an and luxury tourist ts. While family travel remains a steady se gment, we are now witnessing a significant rise in travelers above the age of 40 explor ing South Africa. At the same time, the you nger demo graphic presents a promising op portunity, and tapping into this segment will be a key focus for us moving forward.”He c ontinued, “In 2024, out of the 75,541 In dian tourists who visited South Africa, 3 .1% wer e from Chennai, reaffirming the city’s strong outbound potential. Bolly wood and cricket—two of India’s greate st passions—contin ue to be at the core of our strategic outrea ch. From hosting film productions to levera ging cricket’s deep-rooted influence, we ai m to create stronger cultural connections that inspi re more Indian travelers to experi ence the magic of South Africa. We remain committed to deepening these ties and we coming more visitors from India to the Rain bow Nation”
Chennai continues to be a key source mark et for South African Tourism, with its travell ers displaying strong preferences for both retail experiences and nature driven advent ures. In 2024, 22% of Chen nai-based travel ers to South Africa expr essed a strong incli nation towards shop ping, while 15% were d rawn to natural attractions and wildlife expe riences. This underscores a dual demand f or leisure a nd exploration among Chennai’s outbound travellers. To tap into this evolvin g market, South African Tourism is actively engaging Chennai’s travel trade community , ensuring that the destination’s diveerse of ferings resonate with the city’s travel aspir ations.
As part of ongoing efforts to streamline tra vel, South Africa’s new Electronic Travel thorisation (ETA) system and the Trusted T our Operator Scheme (TTOS) a re set to sig nificantly enhance visa proc essing for Indi an tourists. Additionally, discussions are pr ogressing on establishing direct flight rout es between the two nations, a move expec ted to further boo st visitor numbers. Highl ighting this, Mr. Mancotywa noted, “Travel convenience is a key factor in destination p reference, and we are actively working with stakeholders to improve connectivity and s implify entry requirements for Indian travel lers.”
With South Africa set to assume the G2 0 P residency in 2025, tourism plays a pivotal r ole in fostering global travel partnerships a nd driving sustainable growth. Looking ahe ad, the tourism board remai ins committed to deepening its presence in India through sustained trade engagement, consumer a wareness initiatives, and innovative market ing strategies