ITHEKU selichazwe njengesikhali iNingizimu Africa ezohlasela ngaso kwinyanga yezokuvakasha njengoba izwe selilungisa izinhlelo zokuheha abavakashi kusukela ngomhlaka 1 Sephthemba kuya kumhlaka 27 Sephthemba.
Lokhu kuvezwe uNgqongqoshe woMnyango wezokuVakasha uNks Patricia de Lille, ngenkathi ethula umkhankaso wakulo nyaka ozoqhutshwa ngaphansi kwengqikithi ethi Growing South Africa’s Tourism Sector in the Digital Era. Uzohambisana nohlelo iSho’t Left.
Ukukhethwa kweTheku njengendawo yokwethulwa kwalo mcimbi kuqhakambisa indima yalo njengedolobha elihamba phambili kwezokuvakasha ogwini, kanye nendawo ebalulekile yemicimbi emikhulu, izingqungquthela nemihlangano yamabhizinisi.
ITheku liphinde laqinisekiswa njengedolobha elizosingatha i-Africa’s Travel Indaba kusukela ngo-2026 kuya ku-2030, okuyinto eqinisa isikhundla salo emnothweni wezokuvakasha waseNingizimu Africa.
Muva nje, iTheku lisanda kusingatha ingqungquthela enkulu yeSADC ukubonisa izivakashi amathuba ahlukahlukene ezokuvakasha akhona kuleli dolobha. Izithunywa zeSADC zithole ithuba lokuvakashela iKwaMuhle Museum, ngaphambi kokuyobona impilo yaselokishini eMax’s Lifestyle Village. Lokhu kuveze ingcebo yedolobha, kusukela emlandweni namasiko kuya emabhishi, ezokudla, ezokungcebeleka kanye nomnotho wasemalokishini.
NgokweQuarterly Labour Force Survey yeStatistics South Africa (Stats SA)yekota yesibili ka-2026, iTheku libe nezinga eliphansi kakhulu lokungasebenzi phakathi kwamadolobha amakhulu ayisishiyagalombili kuleli, elingu-21.2%. Balinganiselwa ku-1.29 million abantu abaqashwe kuleli dolobha ngaleso sikhathi, okuyisibalo esikhule ngabantu abangu-90 000 uma siqhathaniswa nesikhathi esifanayo ngonyaka odlule.
Ezokuvakasha, imicimbi yamabhizinisi kanye nomnotho wabavakashi kungenye yemikhakha esiza ekwakheni amathuba emisebenzi nokweseka osomabhizinisi bendawo. Njengoba inyanga yezokuvakasha isondela, uNgqongqoshe ugcizelele ukubaluleka kokuthi abantu baseNingizimu Afrika baqale ngokuvakashela izindawo abasondelene nazo.
UMasipala weTheku wona uthe usukulungele ukwamukela izivakashi zasekhaya, ezesifunda kanye nezamazwe omhlaba. USihlalo weKomidi lokuHlelwa nokuThuthukiswa koMnotho kumasipala uKhansela Thembo Ntuli, uthe leli dolobha libhekene nesikhathi esijabulisayo kwezokuvakasha nasemabhizinisini.
“ITheku liyaqhubeka nokukhombisa ukuthi lingaphezu nje kwendawo yokungcebeleka. Yidolobha lapho amabhizinisi, amasiko, ezokuvakasha kanye nokutshalwa kwezimali kuhlangana khona,” kusho uNtuli.
Njengoba ubuchwepheshe buqhubeka nokushintsha indlela abantu abathola ngayo ulwazi ngezindawo abazivakashelayo, amathuba ayanda nakosomabhizinisi bezokuvakasha, ukuthi basebenzise izinkundla zokuxhumana ukufinyelela kwizivakashi ezintsha nokukhangisa izinto ezehlukene ezitholakala kwelikabhanana.
UNgqongqoshe ugcizelele ukuthi ukukhulisa ezokuvakasha akuwona umsebenzi kahulumeni kuphela, kodwa kudinga ukubambisana kukahulumeni, izimboni ezizimele, izifundazwe, omasipala, amabhizinisi ezokuvakasha, abezindaba kanye nabahambi uqobo.
“Ezokuvakasha akukhona nje ukuhamba usuka kwenye indawo uye kwenye. Kumayelana nokudala amathuba emisebenzi, ukweseka osomabhizinisi, ukulondoloza amagugu ethu, ukuqinisa imiphakathi kanye nokwakha ukuziqhenya ngezwe, kusho ude Lille.