Director for Africa at UN Tourism Ms. Elcia Grandcourt, paid a Courtesy Call to the Vice-President, Mr. Sebastien Pillay, during her official visit to Seychelles.

The meeting was held in the presence of the Minister for Tourism and Culture, Mrs. Amanda Bernstein, and the Principal Secretary for Tourism, Mrs. Sherin Francis.

The visit coincides with Seychelles’ preparations to host the 69th Meeting of the UN Tourism Commission for Africa, scheduled for July this year.

The high-level gathering will bring together Ministers responsible for tourism from across the continent to deliberate on the evolving dynamics of the sector, with particular focus on the workforce in tourism and the realities facing African destinations.

In parallel, a conference dedicated to human capital development will be convened, addressing key areas such as training and capacity building. A comprehensive survey that has already been conducted across African countries will be unveiled during the conference to inform discussions and policy direction.

Discussions during the courtesy call also touched on the broader global context, including the ongoing situation in the Middle East and its ripple effects on tourism-dependent economies globally.

Ms. Grandcourt highlighted the importance of strengthened collaboration between UN Tourism and international partners to mitigate impacts on the sector, noting that the situation remains under close observation.

Vice-President Pillay welcomed the engagement and expressed pride in seeing a Seychellois national occupying a senior leadership role within an international organisation, underscoring the country’s continued contribution by women to global tourism leadership.

Drawing from her visit, Ms. Grandcourt, commended Seychelles for its maturity and advancement in the tourism sector.

Drawing from her visits to several small establishments, she noted her strong impression of the high standards of facilities and service delivery, positioning Seychelles as a benchmark for quality tourism on the African continent.

The upcoming Commission meeting also holds historical significance, marking the first time since the 1980s that Seychelles will host this important continental forum, further reinforcing the country’s standing as a key player in shaping the future of tourism in Africa.

The Portfolio Committee on Trade, Industry and Competition concluded its oversight visit to the Eastern Cape province’s industrial zones, that contribute to industrial growth and job creation.

On Thursday, 19 and Friday, 20 March 2026, the committee visited the East London Industrial Development Zone (IDZ), as well as the Mercedes Benz South Africa plant in East London.

The visit forms part of Parliament’s broader focus on the strengthening of South Africa’s manufacturing sector to ensure that industrial development spreads beyond major economic centres.

The committee has welcomed progress made at the IDZ, particularly the work of its Science and Technology Park in fostering innovation, incubating entrepreneurs, particularly small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs) and developing much-needed skills in the Eastern Cape such as those required in the digital economy and renewable energy sector. The committee noted the IDZ’s efforts to create youth training, entrepreneurial and employment opportunities.

The Eastern Cape remains an important hub for South Africa’s automotive industry. As part of its two-day visit in East London, the committee engaged stakeholders in the automotive industry, namely Mercedes Benz South Africa, Ebor and Voestalpine. Collectively, the industry has made a significant contribution to component localisation, skills development, job creation, and community development.

Industry raised concerns regarding the need for reliable and affordable electricity and water provision, efficiency and reliability of transport logistics, and policy reform to secure favourable tariffs with the United States and ensure stability in the incentives underpinning the Automotive Production and Development Programme. These factors would assist the industry to remain sustainable and continue to benefit the broader community.

Stakeholders also required urgent policy certainty on electric vehicles. Without clear direction, they warned that manufacturers may delay or forego critical investments in new technologies, putting local production, jobs and export markets at risk.

“The committee will engage relevant stakeholders to address some of the key challenges facing the automotive industry and other businesses in the Eastern Cape,” said the Chairperson of the committee, Mr Mzwandile Masina.

The 25th Joint Annual Health Sector Technical Review Meeting (JAHS‑TRM) took place from 17–18 March 2026 in Dodoma, bringing together Government leaders, development partners, non‑state actors and the private sector to review health sector performance for 2025 and set priorities for the 2026/27 financial year. The meeting was held under the theme “Accelerating achievement of Universal Health Coverage through Transformative Leadership, Accountability and Digital Innovation in Ensuring a Healthy Society.” It was chaired by Prof. Tumaini Nagu, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Health in the Prime Minister’s Office – Regional Administration and Local Government (PMORALG).

In her remarks, Prof. Nagu reaffirmed Government commitment to expanding access to essential services through the national rollout of the Universal Health Insurance (UHI). She noted progress in infrastructure expansion, strengthened local governance, and rapid digital transformation, including 97.8% installation of GoTHOMIS across public facilities. Key challenges highlighted included shortages of Human Resources for Health (HRH), commodity constraints and the need to strengthen preparedness for emerging diseases. She called for enhanced coordination to ensure policy priorities are effectively implemented.

Acting Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Alex Magesa, emphasized the importance of evidence‑based decision‑making to drive accountability and measurable improvements. He noted gains in specialized services, improved sector reporting, increased utilization of Primary Health Care (PHC) and reductions in maternal mortality. However, he underscored persistent HRH shortages, rising Non‑Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and the need to fully integrate digital systems to improve efficiency and data use.

The Development Partners Group for Health, represented by Chairperson Ms. Melissa McNeil‑Barret, reiterated their commitment to supporting Government priorities, including UHI rollout, development of the Health Sector Transformation Plan (HSTP 2026–2031) and strengthening local production of essential commodities. Development partners emphasized the importance of coordinated multisectoral engagement and improved interoperability of digital health systems.

Non‑State Actors – Health, represented by Dr. Anthony Mwendamaka, acknowledged improvements in health information systems, availability of medicines and community‑level accountability. They noted that HRH shortages at PHC level, fragmented digital platforms and inconsistent financing for community health workers continue to impede service delivery. They reaffirmed their commitment to community‑based monitoring, UHI enrolment mobilization and supporting behaviour change initiatives.

Private sector and faith‑based representatives including APHTA, BAKWATA and CSSC, represented by Dr. Samwel Ogillo, commended Government recognition of their role in service delivery. They observed increased demand linked to expanding insurance coverage and stressed that HRH and infrastructure investments must match sector growth. They expressed readiness to contribute to the development of the HSTP and encouraged further strengthening of local manufacturing and expansion of specialized training, especially for critical cadres such as anaesthesia providers.

The WHO Representative in Tanzania, Dr. Alex Gasasira, commended the improved performance of Tanzania’s health system as evidenced by positive indicator trends in immunization, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health (RMNCAH), disease surveillance and digital transformation. He underscored the importance of maintaining PHC as the foundation of the health system, improving accountability through better data use and leveraging digital innovation to support equitable and efficient service delivery.

Stakeholders reviewed evidence from major sector reports, including the Annual Health Sector Performance Profile, National Health Accounts, Public Expenditure Review, Mid‑Term Review of the Health Basket Fund and the Joint Field Visits Report. Synthesis of these reports highlighted common challenges: rising NCD prevalence, HRH gaps, systemic fragmentation, declining external financing and the need to increase sustainable domestic health financing. Based on this analysis, participants developed priority policy recommendations for FY 2026/27 aligned with WHO’s six health system building blocks: service delivery; quality of care and infrastructure; health workforce; medicines, medical devices and medical technology; health financing and social protection; and health information systems and governance. They also identified priority policy issues for inclusion in the forthcoming five‑year HSTP (2026–2031), aligned with Vision 2050.

Concluding reflections emphasized shared responsibility for sector performance. The private sector called for timely integration into the UHI framework. Development partners stressed the need to strengthen the Sector‑Wide Approach (SWAp) to maximize efficiency and value for money. The Ministry of Health noted that accountability is essential for maintaining trust and ensuring effective implementation and confirmed that the recommendations would inform policy commitments and annual action plans. Prof. Nagu reaffirmed Government commitment to strengthening governance across all levels, improving information systems for better planning and increasing budget allocations from local to national levels. She called on all partners to support implementation of the agreed priorities.

The Policy Recommendations will be reviewed and approved as Policy Commitments for FY 2026/27 at the Joint Annual Health Sector Policy Meeting to be held later in March 2026, co‑chaired by the Ministers of Health and PMORALG. WHO, serving as Secretariat to the Government and the Development Partners Group for Health, will continue to provide technical support and coordination to ensure effective planning, alignment and execution of the Joint Annual Health Sector Review process.