South African Tourism and GuideGeek launch new AI travel genius, ‘Siyanda’ to Inspire North American Travelers

"Siyanda" Helps North American Travelers Plan Dream Trips to South Africa

NEW YORK — North American travelers considering a trip to South Africa can now get expert advice from “Siyanda,” a cutting-edge AI travel assistant that provides instant answers to any travel or tourism related questions about the country. Siyanda is built on Matador Network's industry-leading GuideGeek chat platform and is tailored to support travelers seeking authentic, vibrant, and joy-filled journeys across South Africa.

“South Africa has a ton of momentum as a destination,” said Matador Network CEO Ross Borden. “With incredible wildlife experiences alongside world-class adventure travel and wine, as well as bustling, vibrant cities, it’s no wonder it finds its way on to more ‘best of’ and bucket lists every year. Siyanda helps travelers quickly go from being curious about South Africa to planning and booking their ideal trip to a large country full of rich cultural experiences.”

Travelers can prompt Siyanda to plan a full itinerary or answer specific questions about safaris, hiking trails, local restaurants, historical landmarks and more. Responses are personalized and generated in real-time by AI trained on extensive data from South African Tourism. This is combined with over 1,000 travel information integrations from GuideGeek’s award-winning technology. GuideGeek was named “Best Use of AI” in Skift’s 2025 IDEA Awards and recognized as one of the Most Innovative Companies in travel by Fast Company.

“The name Siyanda is from Xhosa, one of South Africa’s 11 official languages, and means ‘We are growing. We are increasing,’” explained Darryl Erasmus, Chief Operations Officer of South African Tourism. “The U.S. became South Africa’s largest overseas market in 2024, and we’ve built a strong bond with American travelers. That momentum has continued into 2025 and Siyanda enables us to grow that connection by reaching travelers who are now using AI alongside traditional channels to research and book trips. We are incredibly proud of our New York-based team’s innovation and dedication to keeping South Africa top-of-mind for North American travelers seeking immersive, authentic experiences.”

South Africa is the first African destination to launch a custom artificial intelligence trip planning tool with GuideGeek. It joins other nations around the world such as Greece and New Zealand in leveraging GuideGeek AI to help tech-savvy visitors plan trips and build a relationship with the destination before their plane takes off.

In addition to serving curious travelers, Siyanda is also a valuable tool for travel advisors looking to deepen their South Africa expertise and better serve their clients. Available 24/7, the AI assistant can instantly answer destination-specific questions, suggest tailored itineraries, and provide real-time insights on everything from wildlife experiences to local cuisine, empowering advisors to save time, personalize recommendations, and stay ahead of client expectations. Siyanda enhances, rather than replaces, traditional planning, giving advisors a smart, always-on partner to support their work and inspire their clients throughout the travel journey.

“South Africa is a very affordable destination for North American travelers,” Erasmus added. “Through chatting with Siyanda, potential U.S. and Canadian visitors, and the travel advisors assisting them, can build a dream itinerary that fits their budget and discover just how far their dollar can stretch—whether they’re diving with sharks, enjoying world-class wines in Cape Town, searching for lions on safari, or engaging with local communities. And with direct flights from major U.S. gateways like Atlanta, Washington D.C., and New York/Newark, the journey is easier than ever.”

Ready to #ComeFindYourJoy? For more information or to start planning your South African adventure with Siyanda, visit https://www.southafrica.net/us/en/travel 

About South African Tourism

South African Tourism is the national agency responsible for marketing South Africa as a preferred leisure and business events destination. From breathtaking beauty to sun-soaked coasts; from wildlife to adventure; from vibrant urban energy to the incredible warmth and cultural diversity of its people – South Africa is more than just a destination—it’s an experience that awakens your spirit and fills your soul with joy. Destination South Africa offers a wide variety of experiences including safaris in 19 national parks, breathtaking diverse scenic outdoor spaces, vibrant modern designer cities, an amazing 2,500-kilometer coastline with Blue Flag beaches, inspiring heritage and cultural journeys as well as active adventure experiences that offer impressive value for time and money at any budget. https://www.southafrica.net/us/en/travel

About Matador Network

Matador Network is the world's No. 1 media brand for modern adventurers and the creator of GuideGeek, the award-winning AI travel genius. With more than 15 million followers across social media, Matador became a leading travel brand through its production of feature articles, city guides, creator-first content and original streaming shows. Matador's videos generate over 140M monthly views and its content distribution deals with major airlines, airports, gas stations and ride sharing companies reach travelers throughout their journey. The GuideGeek AI platform has over 1M consumer users and powers custom conversational AI for dozens of travel brands and destinations. matadornetwork.com | guidegeek.com

For Media Queries Within the USA and Canada:

Jason Simms representing Matador Network
Email: press@matadornetwork.com
Phone: 860.526.1555

Justin Barnette at South African Tourism
Head: Marketing & Communications North America
Email: justin@southafrica.net