By Samuel Ssenono
The Uganda High Commission in Pretoria has launched the Southern Africa Tourism Roadshow in Johannesburg, marking the start of a week of engagements focused on strengthening tourism cooperation, trade partnerships and regional market linkages across Southern Africa.
The Roadshow brings together national tourism bodies, leading travel trade professionals, media and private sector stakeholders for business-to-business workshops, product showcases, cultural exchanges and targeted networking sessions across six cities. The delegation will travel to Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, Gaborone, Windhoek and Harare to promote Uganda and expand cross-regional tourism collaboration.
Speaking at the launch, the High Commissioner of Uganda to South Africa, Amb. Paul Amoru, welcomed partners and described Southern Africa as one of Uganda’s fastest-growing complementary source markets. He said the region has shown strong traveller interest, high spending patterns and growing demand for premium wildlife, adventure and multi-destination experiences. He added that the Roadshow provides a practical platform to grow visitor numbers, strengthen commercial and cultural ties and support direct engagements between Uganda’s destination management companies and the Southern Africa travel trade.
Amb. Amoru said the programme will feature workshops, media engagements and experiential showcases aimed at raising Uganda’s profile in the region, improving destination knowledge and supporting the development of products that suit regional traveller expectations. He noted that Uganda’s presence in six cities reflects a long-term commitment to coordinated tourism marketing, improved connectivity and regional cooperation.
Representing South African Tourism, Ms Bontle Madiba commended the Uganda High Commission for leading a structured, trade-focused regional engagement. She highlighted the growing importance of intra-Africa travel and reaffirmed South African Tourism’s support for initiatives that promote collaboration among African destinations. She encouraged operators and tourism boards to develop multi-country itineraries, cross-regional packages and joint marketing campaigns that showcase Africa’s diversity. She said Uganda’s Roadshow reflects the type of partnership needed to strengthen Africa’s global tourism profile.
The event is being coordinated by Afrireps, the agency appointed by the Uganda High Commission to handle logistics and trade mobilisation for the Roadshow. Afrireps said it remains committed to supporting the High Commission in strengthening market access, building trade linkages and promoting Uganda in the Southern Africa region. The agency also pointed to regional collaboration, multi-destination circuits and co-created itineraries as important drivers of Africa’s tourism growth.
Amb. Amoru also highlighted the wider economic and diplomatic importance of the initiative, noting that tourism remains a key source of jobs, foreign exchange earnings and community livelihoods, and that strong partnerships can deliver lasting benefits across the region.
