South Africa’s infrastructure problems don’t only affect the lives of the people who call it home. Issues with electricity, water, transport and waste infrastructure influence tourists’ decision-making and, as a result, the success of the tourism sector.
With many of South Africa’s infrastructure issues making international headlines, travellers are all too aware of the problems the country is facing. News about load-shedding and Day Zero (in both Cape Town and, more recently, Johannesburg) have been featured by major outlets from The New York Times to National Geographic and CNN. And although some tourists have certainly chosen to visit the country regardless, others have been hesitant.
The tourism industry is gradually recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic, with 8.5 million visitors in 2023, down from 10.2 million in 2019.
These problems also have a limiting effect on how the sector develops on the ground. Without reliable and consistent infrastructure in place, fledgling and established hotels and tourism operators battle to survive and the sector’s enormous job-creation potential starts to falter.
Failing to leverage these opportunities could have a severe knock-on effect on the country’s economy. Amid these complex circumstances, holistic infrastructure planning stands out as a critical solution.
We have to begin with power and water. The recent electricity crisis has been one of the country’s most serious issues. Tourists are aware that their travel plans, accommodation and activities are likely to be affected by hours-long power cuts and that when and how these occur can’t always be predicted.
While load-shedding has abated in 2024, many feel that this is not to be trusted — 2023’s debilitating disruptions are still fresh in many people’s minds.
Hand in hand with power comes water. In the last year, Johannesburg — the country’s largest city, an international transport hub and a key location for business tourism — has come close to Day Zero four times. Amid such an inconsistent supply, tourism and hospitality operators battle to clean their spaces properly, launder sheets, prepare meals and cater for even the basic needs of their guests.
The Tourism Business Council of South Africa is all too aware of this, having recently stated that, “South Africa’s energy crisis, water shortages, social uncertainty, ageing infrastructure and immigration frameworks need urgent attention if the sector is to meet its goal of securing 15.6 million arrivals to the country by 2030.”
For the sake not only of our residents and businesses, but for broader industries, such as tourism, which we are desperately seeking to grow, our electricity and water crises have to be resolved.
Another key infrastructure issue is transport. The poor condition of many roads, including dangerous potholes and an ongoing lack of maintenance, affects both tourist safety and accessibility to various attractions, particularly in rural areas. The Sani Pass in KwaZulu-Natal, for example, is in a terrible state of disrepair. Taxis brave sections of this road, only really viable in 4x4s, putting lives at risk and further damaging it.
South Africa’s once-popular long-distance passenger rail services, including tourist-oriented routes like the Blue Train, are also failing visitors. This leaves limited transport options for tourists and removes what was once a unique selling point for tourism.
In recent years, there have been numerous reports of sewage spills in popular coastal tourist destinations due to failing wastewater treatment infrastructure. The 2023 Green Drop Report found that about half of all wastewater treatment works aren’t treating sewage adequately and almost 40% are in a critical state.
These issues have led to beach closures and health concerns, with E. coli detected in the water off the KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape coasts.
For hotels and restaurants operating on these beachfronts, this negative publicity has been “devastating”. Where tourists would once extend their visits to include Durban and Umhlanga after a period in the region’s national parks, tourism operators are finding that they either fly back to their home countries or go directly to the Western Cape.
This has a profound impact on business success in the area and on employment opportunities. Given South Africa’s severe unemployment rate, this isn’t a risk the country can afford.
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution to these challenges. Repairing and maintaining the country’s electricity, water, transport and waste infrastructure involves acknowledging the root causes of these problems, developing holistic and integrated solutions and sharing responsibility for their implementation.
The journey is complex and difficult, but considering the many lives who stand to benefit through our tourism industry alone, it’s nothing short of critical.
Bongani Mthombeni is the executive director at Royal HaskoningDHV in South Africa.
