Africa–Europe Project Launches New Era for Culture & Heritage Tourism in Southern Africa

At a time when Southern Africa is seeking inclusive, sustainable pathways to economic recovery and youth employment, the Africa-Europe Partnerships for Culture: Promoting Culture and Heritage-based Sustainable Tourism in Southern Africa project steering committee formally launched the project's implementation phase and set in motion a multi-country effort to translate heritage potential into tangible community benefits across six Southern African countries on 15 January, 2026.

More than a procedural milestone, the meeting established the governance, delivery, and partnership foundations needed to move from planning to action. It validated the project's implementation roadmap, and institutional coordination mechanisms ensuring that site-level pilots, community programmes, and capacity-building initiatives can now begin rolling out in a structured and accountable way.

Representatives from the European Union, UNESCO, National Commissions for UNESCO from Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, South Africa and Zimbabwe, alongside government officials, tourism and culture monuments site managers, technical experts and partners such as the Goethe-Institut reflected the depth of regional ownership underpinning the initiative. Their presence underscored a collective commitment to ensuring that culture and heritage-based tourism growth strengthens local identities, livelihoods, and long-term sustainability.