In Mpumalanga, tourists spend about 8 rand out of every 100 locally — TimesLIVE
In South Africa’s Mpumalanga province, the tourism sector is not fully benefiting from millions of visitors: tourists stay there only briefly, and opportunities to spend money locally are limited. As TimesLIVE reports, about 2.7 million people visited the province in 2025.
Oupa Pilane, CEO of the Kruger Lowveld Chamber of Business and Tourism, said that out of every 100 rand spent by tourists, about 8 rand is spent in Mpumalanga. In his assessment, this prevents tourism from fully realizing its potential for economic growth, job creation, poverty reduction and entrepreneurship development.
Lack of services at locations
Pilane explained that many tourist sites offer visitors few services beyond an entrance ticket. He cited Bourke’s Luck Potholes as an example, where, he said, tourists have limited opportunities to spend money on food, drinks, activities or other services.
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At Graskop Gorge, meanwhile, visitors can take part in various activities after additional tourist facilities were introduced. Average spending there is about 500 rand per person. Pilane believes similar opportunities should be created at other tourist sites in the province.
Safety and transport
According to Pilane, many tourists spend only one or two days in Mpumalanga before traveling to Cape Town, where they stay for two weeks. Mozambican tourist Carlos Ducas, who has been visiting the province with his wife and son for about 10 years, named concerns about crime and the lack of app-based ride-hailing services among the problems.
Ducas said his family had witnessed robberies and was concerned about what he considers an insufficient police presence on the streets. Pilane noted that transport and safety should not be the responsibility of the tourism department alone. The chamber proposed a partnership to develop tourism in Mpumalanga, which, he said, was supported by the province’s premier; progress on key tasks is planned to be assessed quarterly.
