Is it Halaal?
“Halaal tourism is a potential gold mine for South Africa. We investigate if the need for the cuisine in the country is being adequately addressed.”
With an expected 35% growth in the global Muslim population over the next 20 years, the need to service the halaal market has become both a domestic concern and a commercial one for South African tourism.
The Muslim market is large, lucrative and underserved, according to Fleishman-Hillard Majlis (The Next Billion, The Market Opportunity of the Muslim World).
While the figures are scant locally, Professor Melville Saayman, director of the focus area Tourism Research in Economic Environs and Society at North-West University, is in the process of gathering local data.
Because of the high percentage of Muslims in KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape, the areas are ideal for halaal-friendly tourism. Halaal food is relatively easy to find in these provinces but the options mostly cater for casual eating and takaway food.