Tourism businesses and organisations have been urged to submit applications early for a share of R7 million in provincial funding, as the Western Cape government implements a first-come, first-served approach to allocating grants aimed at doubling international tourist arrivals by 2030.
Fund structure and timeline
The Tourism Growth Fund is administered by the Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism and provides co-funded grants for high-impact tourism infrastructure, product and business development projects during the 2026/27 financial year.
Applications will be assessed on a rolling basis with no fixed closing date. The call will remain open until the R7 million budget has been fully allocated, with the department encouraging early submissions to ensure projects are considered before funding is committed.
The fund forms part of the province’s objective to grow the tourism economy and contribute to doubling international tourist arrivals to the Western Cape by 2030.
Funding categories
The fund operates across three categories. Category A supports tourism infrastructure, Category B focuses on tourism product development, and Category C provides support for business development and market readiness.
Projects should address constraints such as ageing infrastructure, limited market-responsive experiences and uneven geographic spread of tourism activity. Preference may be given to initiatives aligned with high-growth themes including farm and food tourism, village heritage, wellness escapes, jewel towns and Western Cape trails.
Eligible applicants
Western Cape municipalities and municipal entities responsible for tourism or local economic development may apply, along with tourism and destination organisations such as local tourism offices, destination management organisations, associations and relevant non-profit organisations. Registered tourism businesses and small, medium and micro enterprises operating in the province are also eligible.
Applicants must be in good standing with the South African Revenue Service and demonstrate ability to meet co-funding requirements where applicable. Applying entities must prove they have operated for at least two years and submit required registration and financial documentation.
Application requirements
Applications must be submitted through the prescribed online Tourism Growth Fund portal only. Email or hand-delivered applications will not be considered.
All sections of the online application must be completed in full, with compulsory supporting documents submitted in legible and valid format. Applications with missing, damaged or illegible documentation cannot be considered.
Depending on project nature, applicants may need to provide proof of co-funding, landowner approval and confirmation that relevant statutory, planning, environmental or heritage approvals are in place or sufficiently advanced.
Proposals should detail the applicant’s business or organisational profile, the project, anticipated impact, monitoring and evaluation measures, implementation plan, cash flow and detailed budget.
The fund is expected to support projects contributing to inclusive tourism growth, particularly in non-metropolitan and underserved areas, while leveraging additional investment and expanding the geographic spread of tourism activity across the province.
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