Uganda launches Southern Africa Tourism Roadshow in Johannesburg

JOHANNESBURG - The Uganda High Commission in Pretoria has launched the Southern Africa Tourism Roadshow in Johannesburg, opening a week of engagements aimed at strengthening tourism cooperation, trade partnerships, and regional market linkages across Southern Africa.

The Roadshow brings together: tourism bodies, leading travel trade professionals, media, and private sector stakeholders.

Activities during the roadshow will involve: business-to-business workshops, product showcases, cultural exchanges, and networking sessions across six cities.

The delegation from the Pretoria mission on the Road show will travel to Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, Gaborone, Windhoek, and Harare to promote Uganda and expand cross-regional tourism collaboration.

Welcoming partners at the launch on Tuesday (December 02), the High Commissioner of Uganda to South Africa, Ambassador Paul Amoru, highlighted the strategic value of Southern Africa as one of Uganda’s fastest-growing complementary source markets. 

“The region has demonstrated strong traveller interest, high spending patterns, and demand for premium wildlife, adventure, and multi-destination experiences,” he observed. 

A statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs states that,   "the Roadshow provides a timely and practical platform to increase visitor flows, deepen commercial and cultural ties, and facilitate structured engagements between Uganda’s Destination Management Companies and the Southern Africa travel trade”.

The Roadshow will feature: workshops, media engagements, and experiential showcases designed to enhance Uganda’s market visibility, strengthen destination knowledge, and support the development of products that match regional traveller expectations. 

Ambassador Amoru explained that Uganda’s presence across six cities reflects a long-term commitment to coordinated tourism marketing, enhanced connectivity, and mutually beneficial regional collaboration.

He also highlighted the broader economic and diplomatic significance of the initiative, explaining that tourism remains a major contributor to employment, foreign exchange earnings, and community livelihoods, and that strategic partnerships can generate sustainable impact across the region.

Representing South African Tourism, Bontle Madiba commended the Uganda High Commission for championing a structured, trade-focused regional engagement. 

“There is a growing importance of intra-Africa travel and South African Tourism will support initiatives that promote collaboration rather than competition among African destinations,” she said.

Ambassador Amoru explained that Uganda’s presence across six cities reflects a long-term commitment to coordinated tourism marketing, enhanced connectivity, and mutually beneficial regional collaboration.

The MoFA states that she encouraged operators and tourism boards to develop multi-country itineraries, cross-regional packages, and joint marketing campaigns that showcase Africa’s diversity and collective strength.

She noted that Uganda’s Roadshow demonstrates the type of continental partnership needed to elevate Africa’s global tourism presence.

The Johannesburg launch marks the beginning of a week of engagements designed to drive tourism growth, expand market presence, and deepen cooperation between Uganda and the Southern Africa region. It is made possible under the Economic and Commercial Diplomacy Program of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Uganda High Commission expressed gratitude to all trade partners, tourism boards, private sector operators, and media representatives supporting the Southern Africa Tourism Roadshow.