23/09/2026
Surfβs up in Jozi β Mossel Bay makes waves in Gauteng this Tourism Month
MOSSEL BAY, South Africa β ICONIC Mossel Bay took Tourism Month beyond its borders on 18 September, bringing a taste of the Gateway to the Garden Route to the City of Gold β and saying thank you to one of its most important source markets.
Mossel Bay Tourism and its Executive Mayor Dirk KotzΓ© shared a taste of the region with Gauteng through its ICONIC Route 12-branded 24-metre tautliners filled with local treasures that capture the flavour and spirit of the region. One of the trucks headed north to Jozi as a gesture of thanks to Gauteng, whose visitors, businesses and tourism community play an important role in Mossel Bayβs continued growth as one of South Africaβs leading tourism destinations.
With Johannesburg a key source market for Mossel Bay, the journey brought the destination closer to the people who know and love it, while inviting them to experience a piece of the greater Mossel Bay area on their own turf.
βWe were voted the best summer destination in South Africa thanks in part to the support of Gauteng. Hundreds of thousands of people visit Mossel Bay every year, and a large portion of them are from Jozi. This Tourism Month, we wanted to thank them for their support by bringing a little of Mossel Bay to their turf,β said Mossel Bay Executive Mayor, Dirk KotzΓ©.
The journey culminated in the Surf your Turf Mini Tourism Indaba at Prison Break Market in Glenferness, where Mossel Bay welcomed guests from the Gauteng tourism industry.
The event featured insights from Benita Bezuidenhoud, treasurer of SKAL South Africa; Joanne Adolphe, CEO of Cullinan Outbound Tourism; Lieschke Steven-Jennings, COO of Mossel Bay Tourism and Mossel Bayβs Executive Mayor, Dirk KotzΓ©.
βMossel Bay is a destination that has grown into one of South Africaβs leading coastal getaways, and a large part of that growth is thanks to the visitors, trade partners and media right here in Gauteng. We wanted to use Tourism Month as an opportunity to say thank you for that support,β said programme director Steven-Jennings, who opened the event.
βTourism is more than travel. It connects people, supports small businesses, creates jobs and brings opportunity to communities across South Africa. In 2024, tourism supported almost 954 000 direct jobs, meaning 1 in every 18 workers was directly employed in the sector,β said Steven-Jennings.
The event also highlighted tourismβs broader economic contribution to Mossel Bay. The area hosted more than 100 major events during 2024/25, bringing visitors to the region and generating significant economic activity.
ISUZU IRONMAN 70.3 Mossel Bay is one example. Municipal investment in the event totals approximately R2 million annually, while research indicates that it contributed R52 million to the local economy in 2024 and R54 million in 2025. More than 2 500 athletes, together with thousands of supporters, travel to Mossel Bay for this event.
Cruise tourism is another growing contributor, with 21 cruise vessels and more than 13 000 passengers recorded in the previous year.
βThese are the kinds of stories we want to bring to Gauteng β not simply what Mossel Bay offers as a holiday destination, but the role tourism plays in creating economic opportunities, supporting businesses and connecting communities,β said Steven-Jennings.
The Surf your Turf Mini Tourism Indaba concluded with a harvest-table lunch and networking, with guests receiving ICONIC Mossel Bay gift bags featuring a selection of local products, including fresh proteas from Flora Bay Ruiterbos, gin from Cape Saint Blaize Artisanal Distillery and Harmony Distilleries as well as coffee from Baruch's Coffee Roastery.
βThis Tourism Month, I encourage all of us to get involved, support our communities, create opportunities and build a legacy that future generations can be proud of,β adds Steven-Jennings. βBecause when our communities grow, tourism grows with them.β
βThank you to our Gauteng friends, tourism partners and industry colleagues for welcoming us to your turf. We look forward to welcoming you back to Mossel Bay β this December and throughout the year,β said KotzΓ©.
