NEW YORK — South African Tourism has named Jerry Mpufane as the new President for South African Tourism North America.

Mpufane worked previously for South African Tourism as the General Manager for Brand and Advertising during 2004 to 2006, responsible for developing a strong brand positioning for South African Tourism.

“It is a privilege to get the opportunity to fly the South African flag, and to lead the outstanding USA and Canada team in positioning our country as a fantastic holiday destination for the North American market,” he said.

“I’m excited at the prospect of this new challenge in such an important market for South Africa’s tourism industry and I’m aware of the challenges and responsibility of this position, but at the same time, I believe I am well positioned to take on this enormous responsibility.”

Mpufane will be based at South African Tourism’s New York office, leading a team responsible for driving growth into South Africa from the U.S. and Canada. The U.S. and Canada markets combined accounted for more than 4% of international visitors in 2018. In the first quarter of 2019, the region has demonstrated steady growth of +1.4% arrivals over 2018.