Tourism Business Council of South Africa

What Tourism Business Council of South Africa does

The Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) is a Non-Profit Company (NPC) founded in 1996 that serves as the unified collective voice of South Africa's private tourism sector. It represents 17+ industry associations spanning airlines, accommodation, travel agents, tour operators, vehicle rental, bus operators, timeshare, wine tourism and destination marketing organisations, including AASA, FEDHASA, ASATA (90%+ travel industry market share), SATSA, SAVRALA (~600,000 vehicles), SABOA, NAA-SA, VOASA, Cape Town Tourism, and SA Wine Routes Forum. TBCSA's core mandate is to provide a platform for government-private sector engagement on tourism policy, lobby the Department of Tourism, South African Tourism, Department of Home Affairs, Department of Transport, Department of Trade & Industry, SARS and other ministries, and unite diverse industry voices to amplify goals around economic growth, sustainability, transformation and job creation. The sector TBCSA represents contributed R618.7 billion to South Africa's local economy in 2024 and supports 1.8 million jobs (1 in 18 jobs nationally), with international arrivals reaching 10,498,502 in 2025 above 2019 levels and a national target of 15.6 million by 2030.

Name

Tourism Business Council of South Africa

Legal name

Tourism Business Council of South Africa (NPC)

Website

https://tbcsa.travel

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Tourism Business Council of South Africa is a non-profit industry body founded in 1996 that unites 17+ South African tourism associations (airlines, accommodation, travel agents, vehicle rental, tour operators) to advocate for sector policy, fund destination marketing via the TOMSA levy, and engage government.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industry Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Government & Public Sector Travel Management (TMCs) (THACAAAD)

Keywords

• Tourism industry advocacy
• Destination marketing
• Tourism levy collection
• Industry association services
• Tourism policy engagement

Headquarters

HQ city

Centurion

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. TOMSA Levy Contributions: Tourism Levy South Africa (TOMSA) collects a 1% levy from contributing tourism businesses, with 15% ring-fenced for the TOMSA Collaborative Fund to support strategic tourism projects including destination marketing, route development, safety initiatives, and community tourism development.
2. Annual Conference Revenue: Revenue generated from delegate registrations for the annual TBCSA Tourism Leadership Conference, with tiered pricing for early bird and standard registrations.
3. TOMSA Contributor Benefits: Tourism businesses contribute to TOMSA to gain benefits including discounted trade show participation, reduced grading fees, BEE points, preferential supplier status with SA Tourism, and access to industry insights and marketing platforms.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

TBCSA is a Non-Profit Company that operates as the unified industry advocacy body for South Africa's private tourism sector, uniting 17+ member associations and thousands of tourism businesses to engage government on policy and drive collective sector growth. Its core services include industry representation and policy advocacy, the TOMSA levy programme funding destination marketing, the TOMSA Collaborative Fund disbursing grants for strategic tourism projects, an annual Tourism Leadership Conference, the Tourism Business Index and Tourism Business Pulse industry performance reports compiled with BDO, destination marketing campaigns including the Trevor Noah partnership, and the Tourism Safety Officers Programme.

Product overview

Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) is a membership-based industry advocacy organization founded in 1996 that serves as the collective voice of South Africa's tourism private sector. The organization operates several interconnected initiatives: TOMSA (Tourism Levy South Africa), a private sector-led levy contribution initiative established in 1999 for destination marketing; the TOMSA Collaborative Fund (established 2016) providing funding for strategic tourism projects; the Tourism Business Index (TBI) and Tourism Business Pulse (TBP) reports compiled with BDO; the annual Tourism Leadership Conference; and destination marketing campaigns including the Trevor Noah tourism promotion campaigns. TBCSA also supports tourism safety initiatives through the deployment of Tourism Safety Officers in partnership with local government.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TOMSA (Tourism Levy South Africa) A private-sector-led, public-sector-supported 1% levy collected from contributing tourism businesses to fund destination marketing for South Africa. Contributors receive benefits including discounted trade show participation, reduced grading fees, BEE points, preferential supplier status with SA Tourism, and access to industry insights.
• TOMSA Collaborative Fund A grant programme that funds strategic tourism projects in five areas — Tourism Growth and Development Investment, Tourism Community Beneficiation, Tourism Capacity Building, Sustainable Tourism, and Safety Initiatives — with annual funding of up to R5 million per project, over R20 million disbursed to date.
• Tourism Business Index (TBI) An industry performance index covering accommodation operators, tour operators, coach operators, vehicle rental companies, airlines, travel agents, retail outlets, forex traders, conference venues and attractions, compiled quarterly and annually by BDO to indicate current and likely future tourism business performance.
• Tourism Business Pulse (TBP) A bi-annual pulse report providing current and forward-looking performance indicators for the South African tourism sector, compiled by BDO through an online survey of tourism businesses.
• Tourism Leadership Conference Annual conference at Sun City Resort bringing together 400+ tourism professionals, government officials, academics, and media for keynote sessions, panel discussions, breakaway sessions, and networking on tourism policy and growth. Tiered delegate registration: 2026 Early Bird R2,190, 2026 Standard R2,500; 2025 Early Bird R1,990 (12 May – 30 June 2025), 2025 Standard R2,190 (1 July – 17 August 2025).
• Tourism Safety Officers Programme A programme that trains and deploys Tourism Safety Officers across key tourism nodes in partnership with municipalities (e.g. Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, eThekwini Municipality), development agencies (Mandela Bay Development Agency), SAPS and Metro Police to improve visibility, deter crime, enhance visitor experience, and work alongside law enforcement.

Quantifiable outcome

• Overseas arrivals reached 2,391,187 in 2025, up 11.9% from 2024; Overall arrivals reached 10,498,502 exceeding 2019 levels
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• eThekwini MunicipalitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partner in the eThekwini Coastal Tourism Policing initiative launched during Africa Travel Indaba, supported through TOMSA Collaborative Fund to improve visible policing and rapid response along Durban beachfront and tourism hotspots
• TOMSA (Tourism Levy South Africa)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Private sector-led and public sector supported levy initiative established in 1999 to provide additional funding for marketing destination South Africa; managed by TBCSA with 15% ring-fenced for the TOMSA Collaborative Fund supporting strategic industry projects
• Department of TourismcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey government partner for TBCSA's mandate to engage public sector in shaping tourism policy and developing growth programmes for the industry
• South African Tourism (SAT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational tourism marketing body working with TBCSA on destination marketing, joint marketing agreements, and the TOMSA Collaborative Fund which was established through agreement between TBCSA/TOMSA and SAT with 15% ring-fenced for strategic tourism projects
• Department of Home AffairscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner for visa reforms and immigration policy that affects tourism growth; Minister Leon Schreiber working on automated visa regimes and clearing application backlogs
• Department of TransportcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on transport policy including aviation capacity, route development, air access initiatives, and tourism vehicle licensing reforms
• Department of International Relations and CooperationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner for international relations aspects of tourism promotion and visa agreements
• Department of Agriculture, Land Reform, and Rural DevelopmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner for rural tourism development and community-based tourism initiatives
• Department of Trade & IndustryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner for trade policy and B-BBEE regulations affecting tourism sector transformation
• South African Revenue Service (SARS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTax authority partner for TOMSA levy collection compliance and tourism business regulation
• Business Unity South Africa (BUSA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness umbrella organisation for broad private sector engagement and economic policy advocacy
• Nelson Mandela Bay MunicipalitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Nelson Mandela Bay Coastal Tourism Policing Initiative, a partnership including Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA), TBCSA, SAPS, Metro Police and local stakeholders to deploy Tourism Safety Officers at key tourism nodes
• Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevelopment agency partnering with TBCSA on the Nelson Mandela Bay Coastal Tourism Policing Initiative to improve visitor safety and destination competitiveness
• Trevor NoahcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGlobal South African celebrity partnering with TBCSA and TOMSA for tourism destination marketing campaigns; first campaign in 2023 reached 281 million people; second campaign 'Don't Say We Didn't Tell You' launched July 2026
• WESGRO (Western Cape Tourism, Trade and Investment Promotion)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional tourism body that received TOMSA Collaborative Fund support for Cape Town Air Access project, Global Tourism water crisis PR Campaign, and SMME support interventions
• Gauteng Tourism Authority (GTA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional tourism body that received TOMSA Collaborative Fund support for Gauteng Air Access project
• KLCBT (Klein Karoo Konvensies Bureaus)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional tourism body that received TOMSA Collaborative Fund support for the Numbi Gate Tourism Safety project
• Sun InternationalminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPreferred accommodation partner for TBCSA annual conferences at Sun City Resort, offering discounted rates for delegates
• South African Airways (SAA)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational airline partner offering exclusive flight discounts for TBCSA conference delegates traveling from SAA route networks across South Africa
• BDO South AfricaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional services firm that compiles the Tourism Business Index (TBI) and Tourism Business Pulse reports for TBCSA, providing industry performance insights

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• South African Tourism: South Africa's national tourism marketing agency. Comparable as a tourism-sector body operating in the same country and partnering with TBCSA via the TOMSA Collaborative Fund, but functions as a public-sector marketing entity rather than a private-sector federation.
• ABTA: UK-based travel association representing travel agents and tour operators with government lobbying and member services. Comparable mission to TBCSA but with a narrower travel-trade focus rather than full tourism value-chain federation.
• USTOA (United States Tour Operators Association): US trade association representing tour operators with advocacy and consumer protection mandates. Comparable as a tourism industry body, though narrower in vertical scope than TBCSA's full-sector federation model.

Direct peers

• World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC): Global private-sector umbrella body for the travel and tourism industry, analogous to TBCSA but at international scope. Both are CEO-led advocacy organisations engaging government on policy, sustainability and sector growth.
• African Tourism Board: Continental tourism industry body promoting Africa as a destination and coordinating across national tourism bodies. Directly comparable as a federation-style advocacy organisation working alongside national counterparts such as TBCSA.
• Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC): Canada's national private-sector tourism industry council advocating on policy, marketing and sector competitiveness. Operates with a similar federation-style mandate and government engagement model to TBCSA.
• Tourism & Transport Forum (TTF) Australia: Australian peak industry body covering tourism and transport. Comparable as a private-sector advocacy body engaging federal and state government on tourism policy, infrastructure and marketing.
• Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA): New Zealand's national private-sector tourism industry body representing operators across the value chain. Closely comparable to TBCSA's structure as a federation of tourism associations engaging government on policy and destination competitiveness.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TBCZA
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/tbcsa
• Facebookfacebook.com/tbcsa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tourism-business-council-of-south-africa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Tourism Business Council of South Africa