City Lodge Hotels' Chief Operating Officer, Lindiwe Sangweni-Siddo was a guest panellist at the CNBC Africa Business Breakfast Series | Tourism Dialogue: Johannesburg event on 29 September, entitled "Gauteng's Next Growth Phase — Capital, Connectivity, Confidence".

The event was emceed by Palesa Mofokeng, Anchor at CNBC Africa, and guest speakers included Patricia de Lille, Minister of Tourism; Neville Matjie, CEO of Brand South Africa; Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa, CEO of TBCSA; Blacky Komani, Chairman of FlySafair; Hartogh Streicher, Chairperson of Dinokeng Game Reserve Management Association; and Siya Mthethwa, Chief Strategy Officer of South Africa Tourism.

Here is a description of the discussions that took place, plus a link to watch the highlights.

Gauteng is not a destination that waits for investment; it generates it. As the continent's financial centre and busiest aviation gateway, the province already anchors over 30% of South Africa's GDP and handles more than half of all foreign air arrivals into the country. But the next phase is about moving from gateway to global destination - converting transit into stay, and stay into repeat visits.

The province has just consolidated three strategic pillars that redefine its tourism trajectory: the expansion of major global events and MICE activity across Johannesburg, Tshwane, and Ekurhuleni; the record-breaking performance of OR Tambo International Airport as Africa's premier air access point; and Gauteng's deepening role as the commercial engine that powers Africa's Travel Indaba and the continent's broader travel ecosystem. Together, they confirm that Gauteng no longer competes as a stopover, it competes as a primary destination.

But there are decisions that will unlock the next wave of growth; including private-sector co-investment in hospitality and leisure infrastructure, commercial integration between business, sports, and cultural assets, airline route expansion and frequency commitments, and Gauteng's visibility on global AI-driven booking platforms. The ones making these decisions are not tourism marketers, nor government officials, but CEOs and executive decision-makers who hold capital allocation authority and the power to shift commercial terms within their organisations.

This CNBC Africa CEO Business Breakfast brings those decision-makers to the table, not to discuss tourism in the abstract, but to define the commercial agenda for Gauteng's next growth phase.

What to expect?

• Asset alignment: Forging a unified growth strategy that links Sandton's financial muscle, Soweto's cultural magnetism, Tshwane's diplomatic and heritage appeal, and Ekurhuleni's aviation and logistics ecosystem into one cohesive, investable proposition.
• AI and digital discoverability: Ensuring Gauteng's hotels, venues, experiences, and events are surfaced, accurately represented, and competitively positioned across the AI-driven platforms that now shape international travel planning and conversion.
• Connectivity and air access: Building the commercial case for expanded long-haul and regional routes, increased frequencies, and seamless ground-transport integration that capitalises on OR Tambo's unique position as the continent's most connected airport.
• The next wave of capital: Developing a compelling, CEO-backed investment thesis to attract the next tranche of private-sector funding into Gauteng's hospitality, mixed-use, leisure, and events infrastructure, with clear returns tied to the province's unmatched corporate and consumer demand fundamentals.

Read about the event and watch the highlights on CNBC Africa here.