South African Minister of Tourism, Patricia de Lille, officially dissolved the South African Tourism Board with immediate effect, citing serious governance failures and procedural irregularities.
In a statement issued by the Ministry of Tourism, it was confirmed that this provision allows the Minister to dissolve the Board when justified. Consequently, all current Board members have been removed in accordance with section 16(1) of the Act, which states that a Board member must vacate office upon removal by the Minister.
The decision followed formal written submissions from Board members, submitted on August 14, in response to a request from the Minister to justify their continued tenure. However, Minister de Lille stated that their representations failed to satisfactorily address a central issue: the legality of a special Board meeting held on August 1.
Legal advice received by the Minister found that the August 1 meeting had been unlawfully convened. In terms of section 18(2) of the Tourism Act, only the Chairperson of the Board is authorised to call meetings. This requirement is also reflected in clause 9.1.2 of the Board Charter, adopted in April 2024. Notably, the Board lacked a Chairperson at the time of the meeting due to the resignation of Professor Gregory Davids on July 31—just one day before the meeting took place. Despite this, the meeting proceeded, thereby exceeding the Board’s legal authority.
The Minister had previously raised governance concerns with the Board. During a meeting on July 4 and in a follow-up letter dated July 13, she cautioned the Board about the implications of improperly convened meetings. In response, the Board sent a letter on July 22 assuring the Minister that corrective measures had been implemented to ensure future meetings would be lawfully constituted and appropriately managed.
As a statutory body established under section 13 of the Tourism Act, the Board is legally obligated to operate within the confines of the Act and its governing Charter. The Minister’s statement emphasised that the Board must uphold the principle of legality, a cornerstone of the Rule of Law as defined in section 1(c) of the Constitution of South Africa.
Following the dissolution, the Minister will now begin the process of appointing a new Board in line with section 13(3) of the Act. A public call for nominations of suitable candidates will be announced soon. In the meantime, as allowed under section 16(3), the Minister will appoint one or more individuals to oversee the Board’s operations.
The Department of Tourism has assured stakeholders that these changes will not disrupt ongoing programmes. This includes collaboration with the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) in preparing for the upcoming G20 summit. Minister de Lille reiterated her commitment to the Tourism Growth Partnership Plan during a briefing with TBCSA and other industry partners on August 19.
Additionally, preparations are underway for the first Tourism Investment Summit, scheduled for September 10 in Cape Town. The event will present investment-ready tourism infrastructure projects to international investors and government officials, including G20 Tourism Ministers and representatives from the World Travel and Tourism Council.
The Department reaffirmed that its programmes continue to align with the Government of National Unity’s priorities, which include inclusive economic growth, job creation, poverty reduction, lowering the cost of living, and building a capable and ethical state.
As part of Tourism Month in September, the Department will also announce the winners of a national digital innovation competition. The hackathon featured student teams from 18 universities, each developing practical technology solutions for South Africa’s tourism sector.
