Pretoria, South Africa – The Uganda High Commission in Pretoria launched the Southern Africa Tourism Roadshow in Johannesburg, marking the start of a week-long programme aimed at strengthening tourism cooperation, trade partnerships, and regional market linkages across Southern Africa.

The Roadshow brought together national tourism authorities, travel trade professionals, media representatives, and private sector stakeholders through structured business-to-business engagements, destination product showcases, cultural exchanges, and targeted networking sessions. As part of the initiative, the Ugandan delegation undertook a coordinated outreach programme across six cities which are Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, Gaborone, Windhoek, and Harare in order to promote Uganda as a premier tourism destination and enhance cross-regional collaboration.

Speaking at the launch, Uganda’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Ambassador Paul Amoru, underscored the strategic importance of Southern Africa as one of Uganda’s fastest-growing complementary source markets. He noted that the region continues to demonstrate strong traveller interests, favourable spending patterns, and increasing demand for premium wildlife, adventure, and multi-destination tourism experiences.

Ambassador Amoru stated that the Roadshow provides a timely and practical platform to stimulate visitor flows, deepen commercial and cultural linkages, and facilitate structured engagement between Uganda’s Destination Management Companies and the Southern Africa travel trade. He further explained that the programme includes professional workshops, media engagements, and experiential showcases designed to enhance Uganda’s market visibility, strengthen destination awareness, and align tourism products with regional market expectations.

The High Commissioner also highlighted the broader economic and diplomatic significance of tourism, emphasizing its contribution to employment creation, foreign exchange earnings, and community livelihoods. He stressed that sustained regional collaboration is essential for advancing sustainable economic growth and strengthening people-to-people relations across the continent.

Representing South African Tourism, Ms. Bontle Madiba commended the Uganda High Commission for promoting a structured and trade-focused approach to regional engagement. She reaffirmed support for initiatives that encourage collaboration rather than competition among African destinations and encouraged the development of multi-country itineraries, cross-regional packages, and joint marketing initiatives.

The Roadshow was coordinated by Afrireps Consult, which reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening market access, building sustainable trade linkages, and enhancing Uganda’s visibility in Southern Africa. Implemented under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Economic and Commercial Diplomacy Programme, the Roadshow aimed to drive tourism growth, expand market presence, and deepen cooperation between Uganda and Southern African partners.

The Uganda High Commission expressed appreciation to all stakeholders for supporting the initiative.

the Roadshow provides a timely and practical platform to stimulate visitor flows, deepen commercial and cultural linkages, and facilitate structured engagement between Uganda’s Destination Management Companies and the Southern Africa travel trade.