The Agulhas lighthouse precinct is located at Cape Agulhas where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet.
Minister of Tourism Patricia de Lille has expressed her pleasure at how many jobs have been created by the refurbishment of the Agulhas lighthouse precinct in the Western Cape.
Speaking at the unveiling ceremony of the upgraded Agulhas lighthouse precinct held by the department of tourism and South African National Parks (SANParks) on Tuesday, she expressed gratitude to all the partners involved in making the upgrade possible.
“I want to express my sincere gratitude to all our partners who made today possible,” she said.
“To SANParks, the department of forestry, fisheries and the environment, the contractors and community members, thank you for your hard work and dedication. “
Revamp creates jobs
The refurbishment of the Agulhas lighthouse precinct started in March 2024 and has cost the partners involved at least R81.7 million. The department funded R54.99 million and SANParks R26.7 million.
This initiative created over 100 direct jobs.
“This project has created 117 local employment opportunities and supported nine local small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs),” she said.
“It’s a clear demonstration of how tourism infrastructure contributes directly to job creation and enterprise development.”
Agulhas lighthouse a great benefit for SA
The Agulhas lighthouse precinct is located at Cape Agulhas, a globally significant geographic landmark where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet, which includes the iconic Map of Africa monument.
According to the department of tourism, this positions the country as a unique, bucket-list destination in global tourism markets. Additionally, it strengthens the Western Cape’s tourism offering beyond traditional hubs.
Key features of the lighthouse precinct include:
- Upgraded and enhanced lighthouse precinct infrastructure;
- Improved visitor access and movement within the site;
- Enhanced public amenities and visitor facilities;
- Preservation and promotion of the site’s natural and cultural heritage; and
- Improved interpretive and tourism experience offerings.
The future of tourism
During a Q&A session at the unveiling ceremony, De Lille said the department wants to see more arrivals to the country, following 2025’s record-breaking of 10.5 million international visitors.
“For every 13 arrivals, we create one direct job and two indirect jobs,” said the minister. According to Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) the tourism sector directly supports approximately 953 981 jobs, representing 5.7% of the total national workforce.
This indicates that one in 18 workers in the country is directly employed in tourism, with the sector recovering to become a significant driver of economic growth.
Digital visa applications
She also touched on the department of tourism’s partnership with home affairs to develop a system where people can apply for a visa digitally.
“We are working together with the department of home affairs [and] for the first time we have digitised our visa application system,” said De Lille.
“It is now possible for any person, any where in the world, on your cellphone, on your laptop, you can apply for a visa. The good news is the turnaround is sometimes less than two hours, but never less than 24 hours.”
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