Tourism minister backs MORAME’s West Rand

TOURISM

The inaugural MORAME Regional Tourism Conference brought together around 150 delegates to explore how the West Rand can develop a more connected, inclusive and investment-ready tourism economy, writes Salman Khan

The MORAME Regional Tourism Organisation (RTO) hosted its inaugural regional tourism conference on 3 October 2026 at Kloofzicht Lodge & Spa in Muldersdrift, on Gauteng’s West Rand. Approximately 150 delegates attended, including government and tourism officials, industry executives, academics, entrepreneurs, community representatives and creative enterprises. The gathering focused on developing the West Rand as a more competitive tourism destination.

Held under the theme “From Extraction to Ex-perience”, the conference explored how the re-gion’s natural, cultural, historical and eco-nomic assets could support sustainable tour-ism growth, investment, employment and in-clusive local economic development.

Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille delivered the keynote address and endorsed MORAME’s efforts to strengthen regional tourism coordin-ation and destination management.

Coordinated action to unlock tourism potential

In her keynote address, De Lille emphasised the importance of strengthening domestic tourism, developing destination management capabilities and creating interconnected tour-ism routes that enable visitors to experience more attractions within a single journey, in-cluding opportunities for day trips linking UN-ESCO World Heritage attractions.

The minister outlined five priority areas for tourism development: improving accessibility to tourism attractions; expanding international air connectivity to South Africa and strength-ening intra-African tourism routes; accelerating infrastructure development and investment; advancing employment and enterprise develop-ment within the tourism sector; and improving the safety and security of tourists.

Highlighting tourism’s contribution to eco-nomic growth, de Lille said the sector had generated more than 750 000 jobs in recent years and continued to offer significant employ-ment opportunities.

De Lille congratulated the MORAME board and executive committee on their efforts to show-case the West Rand and surrounding attrac-tions. She also announced her intention to sponsor the next MORAME tourism conference and said the 2027 event would be included in her activities calendar.

Her endorsement presents an opportunity to strengthen collaboration between national gov-ernment, provincial authorities, municipalities, tourism businesses and communities.

The case for regional tourism transformation

Conference chair Salman I. Khan, an academic and tourism professional, reflected on global, contin-ental, national, provincial and regional tourism trends, highlighting the gap between Africa’s tour-ism potential and its share of the global market.

Drawing on figures presented at the confer-ence, Khan cited an estimated US$11.6-trillion contribution from global travel and tourism to GDP and approximately 1.5 billion international tourist trips. He argued that Africa captures a disproportionately small share of this activity, pointing to the need for stronger destination marketing, regional integration and tourism product development.

While acknowledging South Africa’s progress as a tourism destination, Khan called for a more integrated and coordinated approach across gov-ernment departments and tourism stakeholders to unlock the sector’s full economic potential.

He pointed to the West Rand’s natural land-scapes, wildlife and safari experiences, cultural diversity, mining and industrial heritage, agri-cultural tourism, adventure activities and internationally significant heritage attractions, including the Cradle of Humankind.

“The opportunity before us is to connect the dots between our attractions, our communities, our tourism enterprises and our markets. We must move beyond isolated attractions and frag-mented initiatives to develop a coherent regional destination that visitors can discover, access, experience and recommend.”

Khan further called on stakeholders throughout Gauteng and the wider region to work collaboratively rather than in institutional silos, ensuring that tourism becomes a stronger

driver of enterprise development, investment and employment.

Regional collaboration and heritage preservation

Prof. Onkgopotse JJ Thabane, a MORAME board member, served as master of ceremonies, facilit-ating the programme and helping to bring stake-holders together for the inaugural conference.

Dr Moloi, MORAME chairperson, highlighted the importance of research into the province’s heritage in developing authentic tourism products, connecting historical narratives and establishing regional tourism routes. He em-phasised the need to preserve, document and promote the West Rand’s history, heritage and indigenous cultures while creating sustainable tourism opportunities for communities.

MORAME CEO Geraldine Engelman presented the organisation’s short- and long-term plans for regional tourism development. She encouraged delegates to support its programmes and activ-ities and invited businesses, institutions and community organisations to join MORAME through its membership categories.

Ten committees shape a regional action agenda

Ten thematic committees representing tourism in-terests and community expertise participated in the conference. Two panel discussions examined challenges, opportunities and practical steps to strengthen the regional tourism economy.

The thematic committees addressed gastro-nomy; heritage, mining and cultural tourism; accommodation and auxiliary services; wildlife, safari and conservation; biosphere and sustain-ability; agricultural, eco and farm tourism; astrotourism; tourism infrastructure; war her-itage and dark tourism; and sports, adventure and creative tourism.

Their discussions produced a collective con-ference resolution setting out shared priorities for regional tourism development.

The priorities include:

The resolution calls for a shift from consulta-tion to implementation, with thematic commit-tees identifying practical interventions, part-ners, resource requirements and measurable short-, medium- and long-term outcomes.

Community participation in destination development

The conference highlighted the role of com-munities in building an inclusive tourism eco-nomy. Twenty exhibitors, including local artis-ans and community enterprises, showcased products and experiences that could contribute to the region’s tourism offering.

Local artists, singers and marimba drummers welcomed delegates, illustrating the potential contribution of creative industries to tourism development.

The programme brought together senior rep-resentatives of tourism institutions, including Gauteng Tourism Authority CEO Crezelda Venter and Tourism Grading Council of South Africa Chief Quality Assurance Officer Bronwen Auret, alongside other public-sector and tourism industry stakeholders.

Their participation highlighted the need to align regional initiatives with wider destination marketing, quality assurance, tourism develop-ment and investment objectives.

Turning resolutions into measurable outcomes

The inaugural conference established a plat-form for tourism collaboration across the West Rand and surrounding areas.

The organisation will work with its partners and thematic committees to consolidate the proposals into a practical regional tourism pro-gramme, encouraging stronger collaboration between government, tourism product owners, municipalities, educational institutions, com-munity organisations and the private sector.

The aim is to build an integrated, competitive, inclusive and sustainable destination that creates opportunities for local communities and contributes to Gauteng’s tourism economy.

In closing, conference chair Salman Khan ex-pressed his appreciation to De Lille for her at-tendance, encouragement and endorsement of the initiative. He also acknowledged the com-mitment of the MORAME Board and Executive Committee, participating institutions, panel-lists, delegates, exhibitors and community con-tributors whose collective efforts made the in-augural conference possible.

He called on all tourism stakeholders to take an active role in implementing the conference resolutions and to work together in building a destination that can compete more effectively in domestic, continental and international markets.

The work begins now

Khan called on government, state-owned entit-ies, investors, businesses and development partners to work with MORAME to implement the conference resolutions. The organisation is seeking partnerships in tourism research, feas-ibility studies, product development, invest-ment mobilisation and sustainable destination growth. Stakeholders interested in develop-ment, investment, sponsorship or collaboration are invited to engage with MORAME.

For partnership and investment enquiries, contact MORAME.

The conference’s central message was that the West Rand has the assets, talent and ambition to strengthen its position as a tourism destination. The next step is to connect attractions, build partnerships, attract investment and turn com-mitments into measurable economic outcomes.

Through sustained collaboration and imple-mentation, MORAME aims to turn the region’s heritage and tourism assets into visitor experi-ences and lasting opportunities for local communities.

TOURISM