Southern African States have shown a continued commitment to the development of the tourism regional integration agenda, demonstrating their collective responsibility to strengthen cooperation, enhance policy coherence, and ensure that the institutional arrangements remain fit for purpose in a rapidly evolving global tourism environment.
Why Regional Tourism Matters
Tourism remains one of SADC’s significant drivers of inclusive economic growth, employment creation, and socio-cultural exchange. The sector holds immense potential to advance the objectives of the SADC Treaty and the SADC Tourism Protocol of 1998 (revised 2009 & 2022), particularly through facilitating the movement of tourists across the region, promoting cross-border tourism investment, and positioning SADC as a competitive, integrated, and seamless tourism destination.
In this regard, the SADC Tourism UNIVISA project constitutes a priority initiative and represents a transformative opportunity for our region through the simplification of travel procedures and the reduction of barriers to entry.
The SADC Tourism UNIVISA has the potential to enhance destination competitiveness, stimulate multi-country travel, increase visitor length of stay, and unlock greater economic benefits for the member states. Its effective implementation is inherently cross-sectoral, requiring close coordination among tourism, immigration, security, and finance authorities.
Its successful implementation further requires sustained political will, strong inter-ministerial coordination, robust technical frameworks, and a shared understanding of both the opportunities and responsibilities it presents.
Emerging Challenges and Tasks
The SADC member states have to provide strategic guidance and to consider endorsing and recommending the establishment of the SADC Tourism UNIVISA as set out in the Draft Legal Agreement, which outlines the implementation modalities, institutional coordination, and national awareness arrangements.
What is equally important is the winding-up process of the Regional Tourism Organisation of Southern Africa (RETOSA). This long-standing matter requires a final conclusion, following the establishment of the Tourism Coordinating Unit mandated to implement the SADC Tourism Programme 2020-2030.
It is evident that the winding-up process must be undertaken in full compliance with the legal procedures of the Republic of South Africa. In this regard, the SADC Secretariat, through its legal experts, has been fully engaged to facilitate the process and provide the necessary guidance and feedback.
The Strategic Regional Meeting
The exclusive meeting held on 10th February, 2026, was to deliberate on two matters of critical strategic importance to regional integration and tourism development within the SADC region. The discussions represent a major step towards the realization and entry into force of the SADC Tourism UNIVISA. Its shared collective responsibility was to ensure that the various agreements are successful, delivering tangible benefits not only to individual member states but to the entire SADC region.
The underlying advantage is that the SADC Tourism UNIVISA project constitutes a priority initiative and represents a transformative opportunity for our region through the simplification of travel procedures and the reduction of barriers to entry. The SADC Tourism UNIVISA has the potential to enhance destination competitiveness, stimulate multi-country travel, increase visitor length of stay, and unlock greater economic benefits for the member states.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Ministers responsible for Tourism convened a virtual meeting, reviewed progress, and provided strategic guidance to the SADC Secretariat in support of effective and coordinated implementation of programs.
The meeting was chaired by the Republic of South Africa, the current Chairperson of SADC, and was attended by SADC ministers or their representatives from Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
