Beyond the Brochure: Why South Africa’s Future Depends on Selling Differently
By David Frost, SATSA CEO
Over the past few weeks, I’ve had the privilege of clocking several hundred kilometres across South Africa — not in the usual suspects of Cape Town or Kruger, but through the vast, often overlooked regions that offer something rare and vital: unfiltered authenticity.
This isn’t just a road trip. It’s a necessary reckoning.
For months now, we’ve been analysing the data, and the picture is clear: we have a geographic spread problem. While the lion’s share of inbound tourism receipts continues to flow into the Cape Town–Kruger nexus, many other parts of our beautiful country remain under-visited, under-sold, and economically overlooked.
It’s easy to understand why — post-COVID, the industry has contracted, skills have been denuded, and there’s a natural inclination to sell what’s easy, what’s proven. But we have to break this cycle. If we keep selling the same South Africa, we’ll keep seeing the same results.
Access SATSA's Data on Geographic Spread
A Personal Journey to Underrated Places
Armed with a branded SATSA Toyota Fortuner (thank you to our generous partner, Toyota SA), I set off from Johannesburg — destination unknown. I took the long road, the lesser road.
I travelled through Vanderkloof Dam, Carnarvon, Calvinia and Orania, passed through Williston, and stayed at the remarkable Bushman’s Kloof on the edge of the Cederberg. An oasis of note — and, having experienced many SATSA member products, I can say this one is truly exceptional.
I’ve met local hosts and passionate SATSA members, and rediscovered just how much of South Africa’s beauty, culture, and hospitality lies quietly beyond the reach of traditional itineraries.
The Northern Cape, in particular, struck a chord. The serene majesty of its open spaces and immaculate roads make it ideal for self-drive tourism — something we often hesitate to promote due to perceptions around infrastructure elsewhere. But here, the quality was exceptional.
This is the type of product Europe craves — vast skies, silence, space. The complete antithesis of congestion and living under leaden skies.
I ended up at Sanddrif, in the heart of the Cederberg. I’m incredibly grateful for the hospitality from David Nieuwoudt at Cederberg Wines.
Selling Differently Means Thinking Differently
At SATSA, we’ve long believed in the power of tourism to transform communities — but only if the benefits are evenly distributed. That’s why our upcoming SATSA Conference in Johannesburg (9–11 September) carries the theme: “Spread the Love, Baby.”
It’s about more than sentiment — it’s a strategy. We’re choosing Jozi deliberately, a city that doesn’t always get its fair share of inbound attention, to walk the talk on geographic spread.
But action must extend beyond events. It’s time we:
- Create new itineraries, built not around convenience, but experience.
- Restore trade confidence in under-sold areas by sharing real product knowledge.
- Back local operators who are already delivering world-class guest experiences in off-grid places.
- Start showcasing destinations like the Karoo, the Northern Cape, and the Cederberg as integral — not optional — to the South African story.
Final Thoughts
As an industry, we must be more than curators of the comfortable. We must be champions of the country in full — its wild spaces, its small dorps, its winding back roads.
Geographic spread is not a campaign. It’s a mindset shift.
So, this is my call to you — travel designers, tour operators, marketers and policymakers: Rethink the map. Rebuild the route. And I’ll see you in Jozi, where the conversation continues.
