KwaZulu-Natal Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA) MEC Musa Zondi has called for greater investment in Appelsbosch’s heritage and rural tourism potential, while stressing that a proposed cable car remains subject to feasibility and regulatory approvals.
Appelsbosch’s mission history
Zondi was speaking at a centenary celebration of Appelsbosch Hospital in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, hosted by the KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority.
He said Appelsbosch’s history dated back to the Swedish mission presence in the late 19th century.
“By 1886, a building in Appelsbosch was already serving as both a church and a classroom. That work later extended into healthcare, with Appelsbosch Hospital established in 1926,” Zondi said.
Zondi said the Swedish mission helped establish a social foundation around faith, education and healthcare that shaped the community for generations.
“That history remains an important part of the identity of Appelsbosch. It also gives this community an authentic heritage from which religious, mission and heritage tourism can be developed,” he said.
“Our task is not to manufacture a tourism identity for Appelsbosch. It is to recognise the value of the identity that already exists here and use it to create new economic opportunities.”
Cable car remains a proposal
In July 2026, uMshwathi Municipality hosted a hiking event in Appelsbosch and Ozwathini as part of efforts to strengthen the local tourism economy, Zondi said.
The municipality has also linked the activity to a proposed cable-car development in the area.
“The cable car remains a proposal and would have to proceed through the appropriate feasibility, environmental, planning and funding processes,” Zondi said.
He added that hiking and the rural landscape could broaden the area’s tourism offering beyond religious and heritage tourism.
“Provincial government must work with that initiative. Local government understands its communities and identifies local opportunity. Provincial government must help connect viable opportunity to investment, infrastructure, support and markets,” he said.
Focus on local economic benefit
Zondi said international tourist arrivals through KwaZulu-Natal’s ports of entry increased from 25,939 in July 2025 to 33,479 in July 2026, representing a 29.1% increase.
“Government must look beyond visitor numbers and ask where the economic value is going. Which communities are benefiting? Where is investment taking place?” Zondi said.
He said rural tourism should help expand economic activity into communities that historically had limited access to the mainstream visitor economy.
Zondi said Appelsbosch had a foundation for religious, mission and heritage tourism, with potential benefits for accommodation, transport, food, guiding, local products and other visitor services.
“The greater the local participation in that value chain, the greater the economic benefit that remains within the community,” he said.
“We must deliberately create space for local entrepreneurs, SMMEs and young people to enter the tourism economy as suppliers, operators and ultimately owners of businesses.”
Zondi said tourism could not be regarded as transformative if communities provided the heritage, land and visitor experience while most of the economic value was captured elsewhere.
“Our measure of success must therefore extend beyond how many visitors we attract. It must include how much economic value tourism creates locally, how many enterprises it supports and how widely that opportunity is shared,” he said.
He added that proposed projects should move through proper technical, environmental, planning and funding processes.
“When we speak about the next 100 years, we must speak about investment, enterprise, jobs, ownership and opportunity,” Zondi said.
“Places such as Appelsbosch test our ability as a government to turn local opportunity into sustainable development.”
He said development should not be concentrated only in areas where investment had traditionally taken place.
“We must have the confidence to back credible opportunities in communities that have waited too long to participate fully in the economy.”
yogashen.pillay@nationalmg.co.za