SOUTH AFRICA SEEKS TO BOOST TOURISM, INVESTMENT AND DIGITAL COLLABORATION WITH SINGAPORE THROUGH HIGH-LEVEL ENGAGEMENTS.
South Africa’s Minister of Tourism, Her Excellency Patricia de Lille, visited Singapore from 1 to 3 February 2026 for a tourism outreach programme aimed at increasing visitor arrivals from Singapore, strengthening South Africa’s destination branding, and promoting investment in the tourism sector. The Minister was accompanied by officials from South African Tourism, South African National Parks, the Department of Home Affairs and South African Airways.
During the visit, Minister de Lille met Minister of State for National Development and Minister of State for Trade and Industry, Mr Alvin Tan, in Singapore, where both sides discussed cooperation in building a sustainable and resilient tourism sector. The discussions covered enhanced flight connectivity, destination marketing initiatives and participation in travel trade fairs to deepen tourism collaboration between Singapore and South Africa.
The Minister also held engagements with the Singapore Tourism Board, investors, travel agencies, tour operators, the Changi Group and social media influencers, and conducted a media briefing highlighting South Africa’s diverse tourism offerings. She underscored the role of digitalisation and technology in transforming tourism, including the use of artificial intelligence, mobile applications and partnerships such as the collaboration with Google to improve navigation within national parks.
Additional discussions focused on smart travel facilitation measures introduced by South Africa, including digital visas and the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system, as well as youth empowerment to build demand-led skills in tourism through innovation, digital platforms and sustainable travel practices.
As part of the programme, Minister de Lille undertook site visits to Mandai Wildlife Reserve and Gardens by the Bay in Singapore to explore best practices and potential collaboration. She also paid homage to the South African Garden at the Flower Dome, which showcases endemic flora such as fynbos plants and features the iconic African Baobab.
Source : South African High Commission in Singapore
