South Africa’s Minister of Tourism, Patricia de Lille, will visit Jaipur on August 21 and 22, 2026, to represent South Africa at the BRICS Tourism Ministers Meeting, hosted by India under its 2026 BRICS Chairship
Ismail Dockrat, Chief Operating Officer (COO), South African Tourism, will also form part of the South African delegation.
The visit reflects the depth and importance of the relationship between India and South Africa, grounded in a shared history and strengthened by close political, economic, cultural and people-to-people ties. As two leading voices of the Global South and members of BRICS, the countries continue to deepen cooperation across trade and investment, tourism, education, skills development, technology, culture and sport.
Minister de Lille’s participation in the BRICS Tourism Ministers Meeting provides an important opportunity to advance tourism cooperation and reaffirm South Africa’s commitment to strengthening engagement with one of its key international markets.
Minister Patricia de Lille, Minister of Tourism, South Africa, said, “India is a valued and strategic partner for South Africa, with our relationship built on a shared history and strengthened by enduring people-to-people, cultural and economic ties. As we come together through BRICS, we see significant potential to deepen this partnership through tourism, creating greater opportunities for our people to connect and experience each other’s countries.
Cricket has long been a powerful thread connecting our two nations, and the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027 presents another opportunity to build on these bonds. Our decision to introduce the Electronic Travel Authorisation further reflects the importance we place on the Indian market and our commitment to strengthening and facilitating travel between our two countries.”
India remains an important and growing source market for South Africa, with Indian travellers drawn to the country’s diverse tourism offering, including wildlife and safari, adventure, culture, gastronomy, luxury and business events. South Africa, in turn, offers Indian visitors a destination with which they share significant historical and cultural connections.
South Africa is continuing to strengthen the ease and accessibility of travel for Indian visitors through visa facilitation initiatives, including the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS) and the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). These measures are designed to support more seamless travel and create greater opportunities across leisure, business events, sports and experiential tourism.
The ICC Cricket World Cup 2027, to be hosted across South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, will further strengthen the opportunity for engagement between the two markets. Beyond the cricket itself, the tournament is expected to provide a significant platform for sports tourism and encourage Indian visitors to experience South Africa’s wider tourism offering.
South Africa’s participation in BRICS further reinforces its commitment to working with India and fellow BRICS members to advance shared priorities and strengthen cooperation across the Global South. The BRICS Tourism Ministers Meeting provides a timely platform to identify areas of collaboration that can support tourism growth, economic development and stronger people-to-people connections.
Minister de Lille’s visit, together with the participation of South African Tourism COO Ismail Dockrat, underscores South Africa’s continued commitment to deepening its engagement with India and building on the strong foundations of the bilateral relationship.
South Africa looks forward to using this opportunity to strengthen tourism cooperation with India and create new avenues for connection, exchange and shared growth.
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