Zim-SA seal deal

Bianca Mlilo: Business Reporter
ZIMBABWE recorded a 22 percent increase in tourist arrivals from South Africa between 2014 and 2015, the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry has revealed.

The Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Florence Nhekairo, said yesterday during the launch of the first Zimbabwe-South Africa Joint Tourism Technical Committee (JTTC) at a Bulawayo hotel that Zimbabwe was benefiting immensely from cordial ties between the two countries.

“While international tourist arrivals increased by 4,4 percent in 2015, Africa posted a three percent decrease, which shows that as the African continent we still have some way to go in bridging the tourism gap,” said Nhekairo.

“Despite the decrease in tourist arrivals in Africa, Zimbabwe registered a 22 percent increase in tourist arrivals from South Africa between 2014 and 2015.

“With tourism projections for Africa set at a positive 2-5 percent for 2016, it is imperative that we consolidate our co-operative efforts towards growing our tourism sectors with a view to capturing a sizeable share of the African tourist market.”

Also present during the launch was the director-general of the Department of Tourism in South Africa, Nkhumeleni Tharage, who is in the country for the Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo.

The expo kicks off today at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair.

Tharage said the JTTC was a result of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between South Africa and Zimbabwe in 2012.

He identified four areas of co-operation set out by the two countries.

“We’ve identified a number of aspects we’re effectively co-operating on and these are: marketing and promotion, investment promotion, sustainable tourism development and human capital development.”

Tharage said investment was not being sought from investors from overseas, but also African and local investors.

He told the participants that 36 South African companies (separate from the trade delegation) would be exhibiting at the Sanganai/Hlanganani expo.

Zimbabwe enjoys good relations with its neighbour South Africa, with the most recent manifestation of this being a recommendation for the adoption of the South African rand as the major transacting currency in Zimbabwe.