KNYSNA NEWS - Bonang Mohale, chairman of The Bidvest Group Limited and SBV Services, says tourism's contribution to the country's GDP needs to reach 10% for SANParks to achieve some of the goals it has set out in its new strategy, officially unveiled recently.
Another requisite for the realisation of parts of the strategy was a drastic reduction in the number of unemployed young people in the country, which he put at 10 million.
Mohale, also chancellor of the University of the Free State and professor of practice at the Johannesburg Business School, spoke at SANParks' reveal of its Vision 2040 in Sandton, Johannesburg on 26 September, which was livestreamed to a venue in Knysna, and other venues countrywide.
'Mega Living Landscapes'
At the centre of SANParks' Vision 2040 is the concept of "Mega Living Landscapes", in which the reserves it manages are integrated with surrounding areas.
It is envisaged that local communities will co-manage these areas, benefit from tourism-related businesses located in them, and assist in preventing biodiversity loss.
Mohale said in line with tourism contributing a higher percentage of GDP, the country needed to attract more visitors annually.
Business had the resources to facilitate these increases through development and the creation of tourism opportunities for young people - it was "a piece of work we (business) need to do with a sense of urgency".
Good governance
Obstacles to the targets were concerns around safety, order and security, he said, emphasising that good governance was central to advances in tourism.
"It is easier to deal with a capable state than an incapable one," he said.
Another speaker at the reveal, deputy minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Narend Singh, said as outlined in Vision 2040, communities should be given "meaningful participation, partnerships" in tourism-related ventures.
He said "development must not be at the expense of wildlife", and that "different branches of security must work in common purpose to protect the environment".
Negative impact
On the importance of personal security, he said crimes against tourists were soon broadcast across the world, resulting in a negative impact on the tourism industry.
"The government has the responsibility to ensure there is safety and security - the government of national unity takes this seriously, President Ramaphosa takes this seriously," Singh said.
About 200 people, made up of interest groups, SANParks staff from Tsitsikamma, Wilderness and Knysna, and the representatives of environmental organisations, attended the livestream event in Knysna.
Bonang Mohale. Photo: University of Johannesburg
‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’
