Mr Marthinus Van Schalkwyk is the Minister of Tourism of the Republic of South Africa since 11 May 2009. He has also been a member of Parliament since 1990; member of Executive Council of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) since October 2009; a Board member of International Marketing Council and as a Director of the Business Trust, an initiative that combines the resources of the government and business to create jobs, build capacity and combat poverty.

Mr Van Schalkwyk holds a Masters of Arts degree in Political Science from (RAU); a B Proc degree from Rand Afrikaans University (RAU) and Bachelor of Arts honours degree in Political Science from (RAU). He Matriculated at Pietersburg High School in 1977.

Mr Van Schalkwyk has Lecturered in Political Science at Rand Afrikaans University (RAU) and University of Stellenbosch. He has served as Premier of Western Cape Province from 21 June 2002 to 28 April 2004 and has also served as a Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism of the Republic of South Africa from April 2004 to April 2009.

He was a Chairperson of the Aviation, Travel and Tourism Industry Agenda Council of the World Economic Forum (WEF) for the 2010/2011 period and also Chaired the inaugural meeting of the T-20 Tourism Ministers, and hosted the UNWTO summit on sport, tourism and mega-events in Johannesburg in February 2010. He was a member of the Legacy and Legal Committee of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the FIFA 2010 Soccer World Cup.

Mr Van Schalkwyk receive Award for Academic Achievement of the Transvaal Lawyers' Association in 1980; awarded the Abe Bailey Bursary to Great Britain and Europe in 1983 and recognised as Africa's Tourism Minister of the year at the Africa Investor Awards in February 2008.