MEDIA STATEMENT
Tuesday, 07 November 2023.
Today, Tuesday, 07th November 2023, the MEC for Transport and Community Safety in Limpopo, Ms Florence
Radzilani, met with the Mayor of Maruleng Local Municipality, Cllr Tsheko Musolwa, to chart a way-forward
regarding a decision by the Limpopo Provincial Government Executive Committee, to have the Hoedspruit
Airport, to be accorded an international license.
MEC Radzilani and Mayor Musolwa, were joined in this meeting, by teams of high-profile officials, from the
Maruleng Local Municipality, the Department of Transport and Community Safety and the Gateway Airport
Authority Limited.
A few years ago, as part of reinvigorating and repositioning the Provincial Economy, the Limpopo Provincial
Government resolved to convert the Hoedspruit Aerodrome License into an International Operating License.
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.
The majority 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 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.
A joint Technical Committee, comprising of Officials from the Maruleng Local Municipality, the Department of
Transport and Community Safety and its entity GAAL, is working on modalities to acquire an international
license for the Hoedspruit Airport. The Committee will be engaging with the National Department of Transport
and the South African National Defense Force, to chart a way-forward in pursuant of this objective.
Upon its logical conclusion, the Airport will create an unfettered market of international travellers into the
Limpopo Province.
End.
Media enquiries:
Mr. Vongani Chauke
MEC’s Media Liaison Officer
072 742 7575
060 806 1378
Ms. Tidimalo Chuene
Departmental Spokesperson
082 831 0227
Issued by the Department of Transport and Community Safety.
