---
title: "South Africa Court Rules Race-Based Tourism Fund Criteria Unlawful"
description: "South Africa’s appeals court ruled the Department of Tourism’s focus on only Black businesses for payouts to help the industry overcome the coronavirus pandemic is unlawful."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "World"
author: "Bloomberg"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/bloomberg/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-09-22-south-africa-court-rules-race-based-tourism-fund-criteria-unlawful/"
published: "2021-09-22T13:55:37"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 136
---

# South Africa Court Rules Race-Based Tourism Fund Criteria Unlawful

> South Africa’s appeals court ruled the Department of Tourism’s focus on only Black businesses for payouts to help the industry overcome the coronavirus pandemic is unlawful.

By Bloomberg · Published 22 September 2021, 15:55 SAST

## Content

By Rene Vollgraaff
Sep 22, 2021, 1:20 PM
Word Count: 151

The Bloemfontein-based court said the minister of tourism committed an error and is not legally obliged to allocate funds based on Black economic empowerment requirements.

Labor union Solidarity and civil-rights group AfriForum, which often speak out against the government’s race-based redistribution policies and land reform plans aimed at reducing the dominance of White ownership, earlier successfully applied for a freeze on the Tourism Equity Fund because it only focused on Black businesses.

The 1.2 billion rand ($81.2 million), which was set up by the government to assist the industry, was particularly hard hit during the Covid-19 pandemic as border closures and travel restrictions prevent the usual flow of holidaymakers from Europe and elsewhere.

Read more: S. Africa Blocked From Making Payouts With Tourism Fund: Fin24