Fifteen emerging tourism entrepreneurs from KwaZulu-Natal showcase their innovative offerings at Africa's Travel Indaba 2026, a pivotal event for connecting local businesses with international buyers and enhancing the province's tourism landscape.
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Fifteen KZN emerging tourism entrepreneurs are taking part in Africa's Travel Indaba (ATI) 2026, gaining direct access to international buyers and positioning themselves within the global tourism value chain.
The ATI, now in its 30th year, is taking place at the Durban International Convention Centre over the next three days and brings together tourism players from across Africa, emerging tourism entrepreneurs and exhibitors seeking to grow their presence in both local and international tourism markets.
For KwaZulu-Natal, hosting Africa’s premier tourism trade platform is about far more than showcasing destinations.
At the launch of ATI 2026, KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Reverend Musa Zondi, described the event as one of the most important tourism trade platforms on the African continent.
“It brings together the people who sell destinations, the people who buy travel experiences, the people who invest in tourism products, and the people who tell Africa’s story to the world,” he said.
Zondi added that the province’s role as host of the event was rooted in economic development and tourism growth. “For KwaZulu-Natal, hosting this platform is not ceremonial. It is economic. It is strategic. It is developmental. It is about placing our province at the centre of Africa’s tourism growth agenda,” he said.
KwaZulu-Natal has hosted Africa’s Travel Indaba for more than three decades, further cementing Durban’s position as the home of Africa’s premier tourism trade exhibition and reinforcing the province’s role as a gateway into African tourism and business events.
At Africa's Travel Indaba 2026, KwaZulu-Natal's emerging tourism entrepreneurs seize the opportunity to connect with global buyers, showcasing the province's rich diversity in tourism experiences and driving economic growth.
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Real transformation through tourism
One of the strongest elements of KwaZulu-Natal’s participation at ATI this year is the inclusion of 15 emerging tourism entrepreneurs on the KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority (KZNTAFA) exhibition stand.
The participating businesses are JoThams Guest House, SNN Zuma Enterprises, Inter Africa Tours, Neo Star Travel & Tours, Haminah Travel Smart, E-Ticketnet Travel & Tours, Isimanje Marketing Group Pty Ltd, Profound Travel and Tours, Hikeobics Pty Ltd, Qambathi Mountain Lodge, Inkazimulo Travel Solutions, Ing Travel & Tours, Willies Tourism Services, Sabipax Travel Pty Ltd, and Khondlo Tours.
Also exhibiting alongside the emerging tourism entrepreneurs are route tourism organisations including the KZN Birding Route, Midlands Meander, Battlefields Route KwaZulu-Natal, Zululand Heritage Route 66, Route 22 Elephant Coast, Drakensberg Experience and KZN South Coast Great Drives Out.
The route organisations form part of a deliberate strategy to package KwaZulu-Natal’s tourism offering into marketable itineraries and experiences that can be promoted to international buyers and tourism operators.
“These routes matter because buyers do not only buy isolated attractions. They buy itineraries. They buy experiences that can be packaged, priced and sold.
“By placing these routes in front of buyers, KwaZulu-Natal is making it easier for the province to be included in global itineraries,” Zondi said.
The routes collectively showcase the province’s diverse tourism offering, from birding, adventure and wildlife tourism to heritage, cultural, gastronomy and rural tourism experiences.
For the provincial government, the inclusion of emerging tourism businesses and route organisations at ATI forms part of broader efforts to ensure tourism growth translates into meaningful economic participation and market access for small and black-owned enterprises.
Through ATI, emerging tourism entrepreneurs are able to showcase their specialised offerings directly to buyers, partners and tourism stakeholders from across the world - opportunities that many smaller operators would ordinarily struggle to access independently.
The event also exposes emerging enterprises to international tourism networks, destination marketing opportunities and new business relationships capable of expanding their reach beyond local markets.
Showcasing local excellence
Wilfred Mziwandile Mchunu, founder of Willies Tourism Services Pty Ltd, a 100% black-owned business based in Vryheid in northern KwaZulu-Natal, explained the company’s diverse tourism offering.
“We offer diverse tourism products: from guided walks and game drives, specialist on the battlefields and cultural guided experiences to the Heart of the Zulu Kingdom, led by a qualified guide with 27 years in guiding profession,” he said.
Mchunu is also a specialist bird guide trained by BirdLife South Africa as a nature guide. The company provides transport services and works with accommodation establishments across KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and the Kruger National Park while also facilitating educational tours for schools.
Operating across both local and international tourism markets, Haminah Travel Smart provides professional travel management and tourism services for domestic and international clients. The business specialises in travel planning, tour packages, accommodation bookings, flight reservations, car rentals, educational tours and conference and events travel co-ordination.
Neo-Star Travel and Tours, another participating SMME, is a multi-award-winning company offering airport transfers, car rentals and global travel packages. Its owner, Tshukudu “Rhino” Moepadira, said the company’s strength lies in its flexibility and customer-centred approach. “We know what we’re doing; we’re professional and flexible, where we can craft luxury tailor-made tour packages that meet the needs and budgets of our clients. Our comprehensive service relieves them of the headache of planning everything themselves.”
Moepadira said the company also prioritises local economic development by collaborating with guest houses and food outlets in communities such as Chesterville, Mayville and Cato Manor. “This is the third year that we are taking part, and we are all so excited,” he added.
Inkazimulo Travel Solutions, an inbound tour operator based in Durban, offers co-ordination for business trips, school tours, excursions, shuttle services and family holiday packages.
Its owner, Sbusiso Mthembu, said relationship-building remained central to the business. “We are a company that believes business is about building relationships - this we consider one of our biggest strengths.
“We understand the value of repeat business and endeavour to see every traveller ‘happy’ ... this is our commitment to you,” he said.
Mark your calendars for Africa's Travel Indaba 2026, taking place from 11-14 May, as KwaZulu-Natal's emerging tourism entrepreneurs take centre stage, forging international connections and showcasing the province's diverse tourism experiences.
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Tourism creating opportunities
For many of the participating businesses, ATI represents more than exhibition space. It represents access to international exposure, potential partnerships and opportunities to grow sustainable tourism enterprises within their communities.
The tourism sector continues to play a significant role in supporting jobs, entrepreneurship and local economic development across KwaZulu-Natal, particularly within accommodation, transport, tour operations, events, culture and heritage tourism. Many small tourism operators and route organisations also create opportunities for local guides, drivers, hospitality workers, artists, crafters and young entrepreneurs within township and rural economies.
MEC Zondi has repeatedly emphasised that tourism must be viewed not only as a leisure sector, but as a strategic economic driver capable of supporting inclusive growth and expanding participation in the provincial economy.
“That is why we must speak about tourism honestly. Tourism is not just about beaches, hotels and photographs. Tourism is an economic sector. It creates work. It sustains small businesses. It supports transport, food, agriculture, retail, entertainment, events, culture and the creative industries,” he said.
Positioning KZN at centre of African tourism
ATI 2026 is expected to host hundreds of exhibitors and delegates from dozens of countries, including tourism buyers and investors from across the globe.
The event is set to include 600 exhibiting companies, participation from 22 African countries, all nine South African provinces and 191 independent emerging tourism entrepreneurs, alongside hundreds of hosted and non-hosted buyers from more than 70 countries.
As KwaZulu-Natal once again hosts Africa’s largest tourism trade platform, the province continues positioning itself not only as a tourism destination, but as a major player within Africa’s growing tourism economy.
Written By: Terry van der Walt