The Maruleng local municipality says plans are at an advanced stage to acquire an international airport licence for Hoedspruit’s Eastgate airport – which would take the number of main international airports in South Africa from three to four.

This move was made to make it easier and more attractive for tourists travelling to South Africa’s Kruger National Park, which – according to the Park’s website – sees approximately 1 million visitors every year.

Hoedspruit town is situated on the foothills of the Klein Drakensberg mountain at the border between Mpumalanga and Limpopo – a stone’s throw away from the National Park.

Last month, the Limpopo provincial government issued a statement stating that Ms Florence Radzilani, MEC for Transport and Community Safety in Limpopo, met with Cllr Tsheko Musolwa, the Mayor of Maruleng Local Municipality.

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the decision of the Executive Committee to have the Hoedspruit Airport accorded an international license and to plan the next steps accordingly.

“This decision was informed by the number of passengers using the Hoedspruit Airport annually. Before the Covid-19 disruptions, the airport saw more than 71,000 passengers through its facilities, with over 75% of these being international tourists from Central Europe and the Scandinavian Countries,” said the statement.

“Most of them land in Cape Town and proceed to the Hoedspruit Airport, which is the gateway to the Kruger Transfrontier Park and many other attraction sites in the eastern part of the country.”

The statement also noted that Hoedspruit Airport has the second longest runway in the country – measuring 3.7km – and the airport has seen some direct international flights in the past, showing that it can facilitate the upgrade.

“The international license will be an added advantage to both the tourism and agricultural sectors, which are the mainstay of the Maruleng and the Provincial Economy,” it added.

Currently, South Africa has three main international Airports – O.R. Tambo, Cape Town and King Shaka International Airports.

Musolwa noted that the connecting flights currently needed from either OR Tambo and Cape Town International Airport rob the Limpopo province of additional revenue, as tourists opt for overnight stays in Johannesburg and Cape Town before their connecting flights to Hoedspruit.

He added that there are only two connecting flights from Cape Town and three from Joburg, creating a bottleneck during peak seasons such as the festive holidays.

Private game reserve and lodge owners in the area also agree that the international airport licence will benefit everyone in the value chain.

Provincial and municipal officials said that they are engaging with the National Department of Transport
and the South African National Defense Force to chart a way forward in pursuant to this objective, and these engagements are at an advanced stage.

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