The South African Tourism (SAT) has partnered the Accra Polo Club to host the 2025 Pink Polo International Tournament to raise funds in support of breast cancer awareness initiatives in the country.
The event, which took place last Saturday, at the Accra Polo Club, brought together polo enthusiasts, diplomats, corporate leaders, and health advocates for an afternoon of sport and philanthropy.
This year’s collaboration aligned with South African Tourism’s “Come Find Your Joy” campaign, which encourages Ghanaians to experience South Africa’s rich tourism offerings — from adventure and gastronomy to wellness retreats and luxury escapes.
The acting High Commissioner of South Africa to Ghana in an interview with the Daily Graphic, Thando Dalamba, expressed delight at the success of the event, describing it as a powerful demonstration of how sport and tourism can unite people for a worthy cause.
He said the funds raised from the tournament would make a significant contribution to breast cancer awareness and support programmes in Ghana.
Touching on the visa waiver agreement between Ghana and South Africa, he said it had greatly boosted travel between the two countries.
Between April 2024 and March 2025, 38,521 Ghanaians travelled to South Africa for tourism, business, and medical purposes — more than double the 18,590 originally projected by the SAT.
The figure represents a 207.2 per cent performance rate, driven largely by the visa-free regime introduced on November 1, 2023.
“After the visa-free regime came into effect, the number of Ghanaians travelling to South Africa just spiked. In 2024 alone, about 13,000 Ghanaians visited South Africa,” Mr Dalamba disclosed.
He explained that many visitors combined leisure with business, taking advantage of South Africa’s diverse attractions, strong retail culture, and emerging trade opportunities.
One-way traffic
While welcoming the surge in Ghanaian visits, the envoy expressed concern about the imbalance in travel flow, noting that fewer South Africans were visiting Ghana.
“Our Minister of Tourism was here between March and April 2024, and she raised the issue that we must do more to improve the numbers of South Africans visiting Ghana,” he said.
He added that both countries are working with tourism operators to promote Ghana as a destination of choice for South Africans.
The envoy further highlighted a steady rise in medical tourism, with more Ghanaians choosing South Africa for advanced yet affordable health care.
“For the same treatments that Ghanaians used to travel to India, Turkey, or the United States for, they are now opting for South Africa, It’s more affordable, and the quality of care is equally high,” he said.
