South African Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille has announced the immediate dissolution of the South African Tourism Board, exercising her powers under section 16(3)(a) of the Tourism Act. This decision, which also entails the removal of the board members in terms of section 16(1) of the Act, was communicated to the members on Tuesday, 19 August 2025, following their written representations.

The primary reason cited for the dissolution is the board's failure to address the legality of a special Board meeting convened on 01 August 2025. According to legal advice provided to the Minister, this meeting was convened unlawfully. The Tourism Act, specifically Section 18(2), clearly empowers only the Board Chairperson 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, as of 01 August 2025, the board lacked a Chairperson, as Professor Gregory Davids had resigned the previous day, 31 July 2025. Despite this, the board proceeded to convene the meeting, thus acting unlawfully and ultra vires its powers.

Minister de Lille had previously cautioned the board about the importance of following due process for all meetings. In a meeting held on 4 July 2025 and subsequently in a letter dated 13 July 2025, she expressed concerns regarding the board's failure to adhere to proper governance procedures, warning that such lapses could undermine the board's integrity and render meeting outcomes procedurally invalid and unlawful. In response, a letter dated 22 July 2025 from the board assured the Minister that “enhancements” had been implemented to ensure all meetings were “properly constituted, chaired, and documented.” However, this assurance proved insufficient in light of the subsequent unlawful meeting. As a creature of statute, created under section 13 of the Act, the board's powers are derived from and must always align with the enabling legislation and the principle of legality, as enshrined in section 1(c) of the Constitution of South Africa.

Looking ahead, Minister de Lille will promptly initiate the process to appoint a new board in accordance with section 13(3) of the Act, inviting nominations for eligible persons. In the interim period, section 16(3) of the Act allows the Minister to appoint one or more individuals to manage the board's affairs until the new board is formally constituted.

The Department of Tourism has affirmed that these developments will not disrupt ongoing programmes. The Minister has reassured South Africans and the tourism sector that critical initiatives, including SA Tourism's collaboration with the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) for a successful G20 summit, will continue uninterrupted. Furthermore, the Minister is finalizing plans, in consultation with the tourism sector, for the inaugural Tourism Investment Summit. This summit, scheduled for 10 September 2025 in Cape Town, Western Cape, will feature bankable infrastructure projects from both public and private sectors, presented to local and international investors, and will be attended by G20 Tourism Ministers and delegates from the World Travel and Trade Council. All ministry and department programmes remain guided 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 plans to announce the winning digital solutions from students across 18 higher education institutions who participated in the inaugural hackathon. The Minister also encouraged South Africans to explore discounted travel packages, offering savings of up to 50%, available on the official Sho't left website at www.shotleft.co.za.