Africa-Press – Angola. The Republic of Angola and the Republic of South Africa strengthened, this Thursday (26), bilateral cooperation relations with the aim of promoting the development of tourism between the two countries.
This fact was materialized with the signing of the Protocol of the Action Plan for the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding in the field of Tourism, signed by the Minister of Tourism of Angola, Márcio Daniel, and his counterpart from South Africa, Patricia de Lille.
On that occasion, the Angolan minister of Tourism, Márcio Daniel, stated that the main focus of the bilateral relationship is regional cooperation, the sharing of successful experiences, and the improvement of connectivity, based on a common vision for the development of the Southern African region, supported by the 2007 Tourism Memorandum of Understanding.
According to the minister, Angola sees strategic cooperation as vital to accelerating tourism development, a pillar in the diversification of the economy, supported by its coastline, rich ecosystems, and unique culture, promoted by the concept “Visit Angola – The Rhythm of Life”.
This partnership aims to leverage tourism investment, job creation, and the joint promotion of destinations, positioning both countries as tourism leaders on the African continent.
The minister added that tourism cooperation between Angola and South Africa is based on historical ties, highlighting the country’s admiration for South Africa’s experience in developing and attracting tourism investment.
In turn, South Africa’s minister of Tourism, Patricia de Lille, stated that her country values its strong relationship with Angola, built on historical solidarity, having welcomed South Africans during the struggle against apartheid and always sharing a vision for a united Africa.
The South African minister considered Angola and South Africa to be the two largest economies in the SADC region.
According to her, last year South Africa received 48,000 Angolan visitors, who spent over 1 billion rand (approximately 60 billion kwanzas). Patricia de Lille stressed that she was not satisfied with the 10% growth in 2025 and that the tourism sector has set a goal to double that figure in 2026.
Furthermore, the Departments of Transport of Angola and South Africa have unblocked air routes, removing flight frequency restrictions
between the two countries since March 24th, boosting the tourism sector.
The minister further emphasized that Africa should not depend on the outside world and that it is necessary for the countries of the region (Angola, South Africa and all other SADC states) to work aggressively to promote their own tourist destinations.
