Panyaza Lesufi confirmed that most hotels in the province were fully booked, and tourist attractions were also busy.
Apart from promises made by leaders from around the world to pour support into South Africa, Gauteng was able to cash in during the G20 Leaders’ Summit weekend.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi held a post-G20 hosting media briefing on Tuesday morning, outlining the economic impact of the summit, among other things.
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Gauteng cashes in over billion-rand weekend
Panyaza said, according to preliminary data from the National Department of Tourism, the province made approximately R1 billion during the weekend.
“The provincial government is already pleased with the preliminary projections from the National Department of Tourism that the province has made an estimated R1 billion from the thousands of delegates and journalists who visited the province over the weekend,” said Lesufi.
The premier added that investments ranged between R1 billion and R3 billion.
“Preliminary reports indicate that, [over the] weekend alone, Gauteng scored an investment amount close to between R1 billion and R3 billion, even though we are still consolidating these figures from hotels, travel agencies and institutions that share their data.”
Tourism surge: Gauteng hotels and attractions busy
Lesufi said he could confirm that most hotels in the province were fully booked, while tourist attractions were also busy.
“We can confirm almost all our hotels were booked, the airlines to our province were fully booked, and our malls were busy with visitors, including our tourist destinations in Soweto, Magalies, and Sandton in particular – where[the] majority of our visitors enjoyed themselves.”
He highlighted that the summit not only brought a large influx of visitors but also placed Gauteng in the global spotlight, supporting the broader goal of expanding and promoting businesses.
“This positive exposure is priceless, especially considering that data shows that G20 countries account for more than 78% of the global economy and 58% of our international visitors,” said Lesufi.
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An investment destination
The premier emphasised that the summit not only allowed Gauteng to position itself as an investment destination, but also gave several important lessons
“President Cyril Ramaphosa’s progressive decision to involve the African continent was an inspired one because the province’s proximity to Southern African Development Community nations makes it the gateway to the African Continental Free Trade Area, as we export 31% of all our exports to Africa,” he said.
“The summit not only positioned Gauteng as the destination of choice for investors but also taught us several important lessons. These included learning agile governance, elevating our collaborative capacity, improving our technological capabilities, and harnessing partnerships.”
Lesufi’s delight: Upcoming domestic and international events
Lesufi said the G20 summit served to advance Gauteng provincial government’s plan to become the preferred host for major domestic and international events
“Next year, the province is set to host another major global sporting event between the 20th and 23rd March 2026: the LIV International Golf Tournament. The event, taking place in Johannesburg at Steyn City, sold more than 120 000 tickets, to my delight.
“Additionally, of the eight South African venues selected to host matches in the 2027 ODI Cricket World Cup, the province will feature the Wanderers in Johannesburg and Centurion Park in Pretoria.”
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