Dr. Shamilla Chettiar is a distinguished public servant and a multi-disciplinary leader dedicated to the sustainable growth of South Africa’s tourism landscape. As the Deputy Director General: Destination Development at the South African Department of Tourism, Shamilla oversees the strategic planning, investment facilitation, and enhancement of the nation’s most iconic spaces, routes, and experiences. With an academic foundation including a PhD and a background spanning spatial planning to infrastructure implementation, she brings an extraordinary depth of expertise to the development of world-class heritage and tourism sites.

A high-performance leader committed to the collective good, Shamilla has been instrumental in the senior-level development of landmark projects such as the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site and the Kgodumodumo Dinosaur Interpretation Centre. She thrives on the complexities of public-private partnerships and community participation, ensuring that tourism infrastructure serves as a catalyst for economic and social prosperity. Her work reflects a lifelong passion for developing South Africa for all its people, combining rigorous evidence-based strategy with a deep-seated mission to inspire change and create a lasting legacy through meaningful destination development.