R174.5 million spent on safety monitors armed with boots and whistles

The effectiveness of the Department of Tourism’s (DoT) plan to protect tourists against criminals through the Tourism Monitors Programme (TMP) continues to spark widespread debate.

In the 2024/25 financial year, the DoT allocated R174.5 million to train around 2,300 unemployed youth as Tourism Safety Monitors across the country.

While some view the TMP as a valuable tool for enhancing visitor safety and youth employment, others argue that it suffers from poor implementation, inadequate training, and insufficient oversight.

Tourism remains a vital component of South Africa’s economy. According to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), the industry contributed 8.8% to the country’s GDP and supported 1.68 million jobs in 2024.

The WTTC forecasts 1.9 million tourism jobs for 2025: a record high and 11.3% of national employment, playing a significant role in driving economic recovery.

However, Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille has said that challenges such as high crime rates continue to hinder the industry’s full potential.

As such, the DoT adopted a National Tourism Safety Strategy, which includes the TMP as a “short-term initiative.”

Funded through the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), the aims are to enhance safety at key tourist attractions by providing a visible security presence, assisting tourists, and reporting incidents to authorities.

Department spokesperson Tasneem Carrim said that monitors receive training, including a National Certificate in General Safety Practices (NQF Level 3) “where they are equipped with safety interventions.”

Stationed at locations such as national parks, airports, and other high-traffic sites, the 12-month recruits work with law enforcement agencies like the South African Police Service and the Border Management Authority.

The DoT says the programme’s impact “contributes to tourists feeling safe and obtaining information about the attraction site” while providing accredited training and employment opportunities to unemployed youth.

However, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has continued to raise “critical concerns”.

“While the idea of improving safety in tourist areas is welcome, the program’s implementation has been deeply flawed,” said DA spokesperson for tourism and MP Haseena Ismail.

“We’ve raised questions about the sustainability of its funding, the lack of training and oversight, delayed stipends, and procurement irregularities.”

Brief background of the project

South Africa’s Tourism Safety Monitors Programme was launched in October 2017 in Gauteng to address growing tourist safety concerns following a high-profile murder on Vilakazi Street in Soweto.

Initially allocated R52.7 million, diverted from infrastructure funds, the programme covered stipends and planned training, including both accredited and non-accredited instruction in areas such as first aid, customer care, and basic site tour guiding.

According to Carrim, the focus of the Tourism Monitors has always included reducing tourist vulnerability, raising safety awareness at key sites, cutting tourism-related crime, and equipping unemployed youth with skills and work experience.

Key responsibilities include patrolling designated areas, promoting tourism awareness, assisting and informing tourists, reporting and documenting incidents, supporting victims, and cooperating with law enforcement, including testifying in court when required.

Companies across the respective provinces bid for tenders to be operators of the programme in their respective provinces.

The initiative became a central part of the National Tourism Safety Strategy, developed in collaboration with the National Tourism Safety Forum.

The Forum, established in 2018 and re-launched in May 2023, includes public and private sector stakeholders such as SAPS, the Department of Transport, DIRCO, South African Tourism, ACSA, and the Tourism Business Council of South Africa.

The programme was later rolled out nationally, though some allege this happened without a formal pilot evaluation or business plan.

When asked about this, Carrim said that “there is no correlation between a formal business plan, project specification and the launch of the TMP.”

Programme grows but challenges remain

Despite these challenges, the programme continued to grow, with 2,305 monitors trained and deployed in the last financial year, bringing the total to 6,437 since its inception.

Minister de Lille said that Tourism Monitors are deployed at key ports of entry, national parks, and hotspot sites, identified in partnership with provinces and the private sector, to assist with safety and visitor information.

They “are issued protective gear such as safety boots and whistles,” said de Lille, adding that the Department linked Tourism Monitors to nearby police stations for safety and emergency reporting.

The programme’s rapid expansion led to challenges, including delayed training, unused equipment, and acknowledged setbacks in providing protective gear.

“The delay was in part due to alleged irregularities in the procurement processes, which are under investigation,” said Carrim.

She said that as a result, precautionary measures were taken to avoid exposing monitors to unsafe areas.

Despite the delays, the DoT said that essential gear, including safety boots, two short-sleeve shirts, two pairs of pants, socks, and reflective gear, was prioritised and provided to the monitors.

Additionally, there were instances of delays in the payments of stipends, which Carrim said are “dependent on various verification processes and discharge of contractual obligations by the Department and the appointed service providers.”

“There were a few instances where stipends were paid late due to delays in these processes and in the execution of these contractual obligations.”

“Service providers are fully aware that the Department pays them upon satisfactory delivery of services,” she said.

Carrim added that the DoT and appointed service providers “executed their contractual obligations in a satisfactory manner.”

In an October 2024 Parliamentary Q&A, Minister de Lille said that no surveys were conducted to ascertain the experiences of monitors or visitors.

When asked about data on the overall impact and effectiveness of the programme, Carrim said that it “provides some skills set to our youth and opened up employment opportunities for them.”

“The presence of Tourism Monitors in tourist attractions sites contributes to tourists feeling safe and obtaining information about the attraction site.”

DA MP Elmarie Linde contends the Tourism Safety Monitors Programme is more about job creation than safety, arguing the training lacks a true focus on protecting tourists.

“One should refer to them as Tourism Ambassadors rather than Tourism Safety Monitors,” she said.

On top of this, there have been allegations of corruption and interference throughout the programme.

The department confirmed that alleged irregularities in the tender and procurement processes, as well as allegations of interference by officials with bidders, “are currently under investigation.”

As such, Ismail said that her party is “demanding a full audit of the program and the introduction of clear performance indicators.”