2026 Africa’s Travel Indaba: How tourism deals aim to change lives in Mpumalanga

By Lwazi Raul-Shongwe

When MEC for DEDT(Department of Economic Development and Tourism) in Mpumalanga, Jesta Sidell, walked the halls of the Durban ICC at the recently concluded 2026 Africa’s Travel Indaba, she wasn’t just selling scenery.

She was selling jobs for tour guides, and bookings for guesthouses across all corners of Mpumalanga.

Leading Mpumalanga’s delegation – branded proudly as the Place of the Rising Sun – MEC Sidell and Interim Board Chairperson of the MTPA(Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency), Fish Mahlalela, spent the Indaba in back-to-back meetings with international buyersand investors, neighbouring provinces, and diplomatic partners. The goal: turn handshakes in Durban into foot traffic in Mpumalanga.

Partnerships That Reach Beyond Borders

According to Sidell, among the key engagements were productive meetings with the Indian Consulate, delegations from Mozambique and the Kingdom of Eswatini, and counterparts from Gauteng, Limpopo, and KwaZulu-Natal.

The Indian Consulate reportedly committed to using its social media and marketing platforms to promote Mpumalanga as a preferred destination. With India’s growing outbound travel market, that digital reach could mean new guests at Blyde River Canyon lodges or Kruger-adjacent safari camps.

The TriLand Agreement that is still going on between South Africa (Mpumalanga), Eswatini, and Mozambique was also reaffirmed. The three parties agreed to explore a joint website to promote a combined TriLand tourism package – making it easier for a visitor to land in Maputo, tour Eswatini, and watch the sunrise over Mpumalanga’s escarpment in one trip.

Investment With a Human Face

Over all meetings and handshakes ,the real test for communities will be investment. MEC Sidell hosted a high-level Mpumalanga Tourism Investment Dialogue with potential investors, pitching the province as “attractive, credible and investment-ready.” The dialogue is set to pave the way for Mpumalanga’s inaugural Tourism Investment Conference later this year.

For locals, investment isn’t about boardroom slides. It’s about whether a new lodge means hiring 20 staff from the village. It’s about whether better roads bring more self-drive tourists to a family-run coffee shop, it is still all bout more tourists within the province and making tourism the best in the province.Caption:(left) MTPA Interim Board Chairperson, Fish Mahlalela, and DEDET MEC, Jesta Sidell, leading the Mpumalanga delegation at the 2026 Africa’s Travel Indaba

MEC Sidell put it plainly:

“We are delighted to indicate that we held a successful Tourism Investment Dialogue with potential investors to engage on various investment opportunities Mpumalanga tourism can offer. Our discussion with the potential investors were anchored on the understanding that tourism is a vital, labor-intensive pillar on the developmental agenda, driving inclusive economic growth, poverty alleviation and infrastructure investment.

“ I can assert without fear of contradiction that the Place of the Rising Sun is uniquely positioned to become a leading tourism investment destination,” said MEC Sidell.

Why It Matters Back Home

Tourism is one of the few sectors where a high school graduate can become a guide, a chef, or a lodge manager without leaving their hometown. It’s labor-intensive, which means growth translates directly into jobs.

The Africa’s Travel Indaba gave Mpumalanga a platform to showcase its product to predominantly international hosted buyers. Now, the work shifts to converting that interest into arrivals, spend, and real opportunities in towns from Hazyview to Ermelo.

If the partnerships hold and the investments land, the sunrise MEC Sidell speaks of won’t just be over the mountains. It’ll be in the pay-cheques and prospects of Mpumalanga’s People.