A new television series is making domestic tourism more accessible by showing South Africans how budgets can unlock experiences, communities and destinations across all nine provinces.
Just Travel SA will premiere on SABC1 on Monday, 26 October 2026 at 18:00, introducing viewers to destinations, local experiences and lesser-known attractions through travel options designed around different spending levels.
Produced by Black Brain Pictures and hosted by broadcasters Pearl Thusi and Lungile Radu, the nine-part series positions domestic tourism as something that can be explored across a range of budgets rather than being reserved for travellers with significant disposable income.
Each 24-minute episode follows the hosts into a different province alongside a local insider, with experiences structured around three spending categories.
The Smart Budget allows up to R1,050 per day, the Flexi Budget increases that amount to R1,250, while the Luxury Budget demonstrates what travellers can experience when they have more than R1,250 available each day.
The format gives viewers a practical comparison of how accommodation, food, activities and local experiences can change according to available spending.
More importantly, it challenges the perception that meaningful travel within South Africa necessarily requires large budgets.
The series will visit all nine provinces, with local personalities helping the hosts explore destinations through the perspective of people who know the areas.
The Free State episode features Mapaseka Koetle, while Clement Maosa joins the Limpopo experience and Sweet Guluva participates in the KwaZulu-Natal journey.
By combining recognised personalities with local knowledge, the series aims to introduce audiences to places and experiences they may not previously have considered when planning domestic travel.
For Thusi, participating in the series changed her own perception of what South Africans can experience within the country.
“I think we underestimate what we have in South Africa,” she said.
“What surprised me was just how much you can experience locally, and how affordable it can be. People travel from all over the world to experience this country, yet there is still so much of it that we as South Africans haven’t seen ourselves.”
Radu said one of the most valuable aspects of domestic travel is the opportunity to experience destinations through the people who live there.
“You’re not just paying for a bed, a meal or an activity. You’re meeting people, hearing their stories and experiencing a place through the people who actually live there,” he said.
That community connection gives domestic tourism a wider economic and social significance.
Money spent on accommodation, restaurants, transport, attractions, guides, cultural experiences and locally produced goods can circulate through communities and support businesses that depend on visitor spending.
For smaller tourism enterprises, increased domestic travel can provide an important source of demand outside international visitor markets.
The series is being brought to audiences by the Tourism Business Council of South Africa in partnership with Tourism Marketing South Africa.
TBCSA CEO Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa said domestic travellers remain fundamental to the strength of South Africa’s tourism economy.
“We want to show South Africans that experiencing their own country does not have to be out of reach,” Tshivhengwa said.
“Every trip taken at home also supports businesses, communities and jobs while contributing to the growth of our tourism economy.”
That economic impact extends across a tourism value chain that includes both established operators and smaller businesses.
A domestic traveller visiting a town or community can generate income across accommodation, food, transport, retail, entertainment and informal trading, making tourism an important mechanism for distributing economic activity geographically.
The programme’s budget-based format could also make travel planning more practical for viewers who may be interested in exploring South Africa but are uncertain about what they can afford.
Rather than presenting destinations solely through aspirational luxury travel, Just Travel SA demonstrates how the same province can be approached at different spending levels.
This gives households an opportunity to identify experiences that fit their own financial circumstances while still participating in the domestic tourism economy.
SABC1 Acting Channel Head Thulisile Nhlapo said the programme combines accessible travel inspiration with local storytelling.
“By showcasing the country across a range of price points, the series encourages audiences to look closer to home and recognise that adventure, culture and unforgettable experiences can be found in every province,” Nhlapo said.
The series also arrives at a time when encouraging South Africans to travel within their own country can help strengthen tourism resilience.
Domestic tourism provides the industry with a customer base that is less dependent on international travel patterns and can help sustain businesses during periods when foreign visitor numbers fluctuate.
Encouraging residents to explore different provinces can also support greater movement of tourism spending beyond the country’s most established destinations.
For communities with cultural, natural or recreational attractions that remain relatively unknown, television exposure can create greater visibility and potentially introduce new visitors to local enterprises.
The central message of Just Travel SA is deliberately simple: “Whatever your budget. Wherever you are. Just Travel SA.”
Behind that message is a wider proposition that domestic tourism can simultaneously create experiences for travellers and economic opportunities for the communities they visit.
By placing affordability, local voices and provincial discovery at the centre of the programme, the series aims to show South Africans that exploring their own country can begin with the budget they already have.
Just Travel SA premieres on SABC1 on Monday, 26 October 2026 at 18:00, with repeats on SABC2 on Thursdays at 21:30. The series will also be available on SABC Plus.
