Uganda has taken a significant step toward deepening regional tourism collaboration following a high-level bilateral meeting with leaders from South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal Province during the ongoing Africa’s Travel Indaba. The meeting brought together senior government officials, diplomats, and tourism technocrats to chart a new course for intergovernmental cooperation between Uganda and KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).

The Ugandan delegation was led by Mrs. Doreen S. Katusiime, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, and His Excellency Paul Amoru, Uganda’s High Commissioner to South Africa. On the South African side, the KwaZulu-Natal delegation was headed by Honourable Musa Zondi, Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, and His Worship Cyril Xaba, Executive Mayor of eThekwini Municipality.

In a cordial and forward-looking engagement, both delegations supported by technical teams from the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB), Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), and their KZN counterparts, explored strategies for strengthening bilateral cooperation in tourism and cultural exchange.

Permanent Secretary Katusiime showcased Uganda’s unparalleled tourism offerings, highlighting attractions such as the Big Seven (which include mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, lions, elephants, leopards, rhinos, and hippos), the snow-capped Rwenzori Mountains, the world’s longest river—Nile- and the vast expanse of Lake Victoria. She proposed key collaboration areas, including joint tourism marketing initiatives, cultural exchange programs, benchmarking in water-based tourism, and joint hosting of sports and cultural festivals.

MEC Musa Zondi praised Uganda’s natural endowments, describing the country as "a jewel of biodiversity and cultural richness." He underscored the enormous potential for mutually beneficial growth through well-structured partnerships in destination marketing, tourism investments, and experience sharing.

High Commissioner Amoru welcomed the dialogue, emphasizing Uganda’s commitment to translating existing Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) into tangible programs, particularly at provincial and municipal levels. He described the engagement as a timely opportunity to align bilateral priorities with subnational implementation.

Executive Mayor Xaba reaffirmed eThekwini Municipality’s commitment to building strong intergovernmental linkages and called for structured implementation mechanisms to drive the agenda forward. He proposed a return visit by the KZN delegation to Uganda to experience its tourism products first-hand and further strengthen ties.

The two sides agreed to establish a Technical Working Committee that will oversee the development of actionable plans and fast-track implementation. They also agreed to revisit existing Memoranda of Understanding, address pending issues, and focus on joint projects that will reinforce tourism development, cultural diplomacy, and economic cooperation between Uganda and KwaZulu-Natal.

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