It’s tee-off time for Durban’s global sports tourism stripes

Durban stands at a defining moment in its long and layered history. Strategically positioned at the foot of the Indian Ocean Rim and serving as a gateway to Africa, the city is poised to re-emerge as a global tourism powerhouse over the next five years. This ambition is not new.

Durban has long been a stage for world-shaping events. The Durban International Convention Centre — the city’s crown jewel — has hosted milestones that echo across continents. It was here that Queen Elizabeth II opened the first Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting on African soil.

It was here that Reverend Jesse Jackson channelled the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr’s ‘I Have a Dream’ during the World Conference Against Racism. King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu and businessman Vivian Reddy celebrated milestone birthdays under its lights. Fifa drew the 24 teams for Africa’s first World Cup in 2010 in the same precinct.

[paywall]

And Carlos Santana once filled the arena with the haunting strains of ‘Black Magic Woman’. Durban is not just a city of memory — it is a city of momentum. This past week, two major developments converged to remind the world that Durban is more than its challenges.

On the fairways of the 100-year-old Durban Country Club, the Sunshine Tour will attract 78 international and local golfers. More than a sporting event, it signals the return of sports tourism as a serious economic driver for a city of three million diverse citizens. The eThekwini municipality’s partnership with sponsors Jonsson Workwear and Hotel Planner for the tournament reflects a growing recognition that tourism is not a soft sector or a seasonal indulgence.

It is a strategic lever for jobs, investment and city branding. The golf tournament, which will take place from 19 to 22 February, marks a significant milestone in Durban’s growing reputation as a premier global sporting destination. Just a few kilometres away, the award-winning Durban ICC secured another five-year contract to host Africa Tourism Indaba, the continent’s premier tourism showcase, in May this year.

This means the world’s tourism leaders, investors and storytellers will continue gathering in Durban until 2031. In an era where cities compete fiercely for global events, this is a significant victory — and a vote of confidence in Durban’s ability to deliver. These local wins landed in the same week that Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille took South Africa’s tourism pitch to the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Her message was crisp: tourism is a strategic pillar of economic recovery, job creation and global competitiveness. Her Davos intervention underscored what Durban’s events were already demonstrating: tourism is one of the few sectors capable of delivering inclusive growth at scale. For the past few years, de Lille has graced Africa Tourism Indaba by ringing the opening bell.

Durban’s sports tourism revival gained fresh momentum at the launch of the Jonsson Workwear Durban Open, where company CEO Nick Jonsson framed the tournament as both a homecoming and a statement of intent. For Jonsson, bringing a global-calibre event back to the city where the business was born is part of a broader commitment to Durban’s renewal.

[/paywall]