South African Tourism Board has been dissolved by Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille, effective immediately. This decision, made under Section 16(3)(a) of the Tourism Act, follows a determination of "good cause shown." The Minister also removed the board members in terms of Section 16(1) of the Act, which mandates a member to vacate office upon removal by the Minister. Board members were informed of this decision on Tuesday, 19 August 2025, after their written representations against the dissolution were considered.

The primary reason for the dissolution stems from the board's failure to address the legality of a special Board meeting convened on 01 August 2025, during which an "unlawful resolution" was taken. According to legal advice provided to the Minister, this special Board meeting was unlawfully convened. Section 18(2) of the Tourism Act explicitly grants only the Board Chairperson the power to convene a special board meeting. This exclusive authority is further reinforced by Clause 9.1.2 of the Board Charter, adopted on 16 April 2024.

Crucially, on 01 August 2025, the board lacked a lawfully appointed Chairperson to convene such a meeting, as Professor Gregory Davids had resigned the day prior, on 31 July 2025. Despite this, the board proceeded to convene the special meeting, acting unlawfully and ultra vires its powers. Minister de Lille had previously cautioned the board about the implications of failing to follow due process in convening both special and ordinary meetings. In a meeting on 4 July and a subsequent letter on 13 July 2025, the Minister expressed concerns that such procedural lapses undermined the board's integrity and could render meeting outcomes invalid and unlawful. Although the board assured the Minister via a letter dated 22 July 2025 that "enhancements have and will ensure that all meetings are properly constituted, chaired, and documented," these assurances were evidently insufficient.

As a statutory body established under Section 13 of the Act, the board derives its powers from this enabling statute, read in conjunction with its Board Charter. The Department of Tourism emphasized that the board, in exercising its powers, must always be guided by the principle of legality, which is integral to the rule of law as outlined in Section 1(c) of the South African Constitution.

Looking ahead, the Minister will initiate the process to appoint a new board, as per Section 13(3) of the Act, and will invite nominations for eligible persons. In the interim, Section 16(3) of the Act empowers the Minister to appoint one or more persons to manage the board's affairs until the new board is in place. The Department of Tourism also assured the public and the sector that these developments will not disrupt ongoing programmes. This includes South African Tourism's collaboration with the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) for the successful delivery of a G20 summit, as well as the implementation of the Tourism Growth Partnership Plan.

Furthermore, the Minister is finalizing plans for the inaugural Tourism Investment Summit, scheduled for 10 September 2025, in Cape Town, Western Cape. This summit will showcase bankable infrastructure projects to local and international investors and will be attended by G20 Tourism Ministers and delegates from the World Travel and Trade Council. The department's and Ministry's programmes continue to be informed by the Government of National Unity's three key priorities: driving inclusive growth and job creation, reducing poverty and tackling the high cost of living, and building a capable, ethical, and developmental state.

September will also mark Tourism Month, during which the department will announce the winning digital solutions from its inaugural hackathon, involving students from 18 higher education institutions. South Africans are encouraged to visit the Sho't Left website, www.shotleft.co.za, for travel packages offering discounts of up to 50%.