Tourism in South Africa

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Tourists taking in the view of Cape Town and Table Mountain, from Robben Island Tourists looking at Table Mountain and Cape Town from viewpoint on Robben Island.jpg
Tourists taking in the view of Cape Town and Table Mountain, from Robben Island

South Africa is a major global tourist destination, with the tourism industry accounting for 3.3% of the country's GDP as of May 2025, according to Statistics South Africa (Stats SA). [1]

Contents

In 2024, South Africa experienced a growth in tourism numbers, with combined passenger arrivals through its various ports of entry increasing to 8.92 million people. [1]

In 2025, South Africa was rated as the 4th best country in the world for tourism, as well as the best in the Africa and Indian Ocean region, by The Telegraph . [2]

According to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), the tourism industry directly contributed R102 billion to South Africa's GDP in 2012, and supports 10.3% of the country's employment. [3] 1.8 million people were employed in South Africa's tourism sector in early 2025, and this number is expected to grow significantly over the coming few years. [1]

South Africa offers both domestic and international tourists a wide variety of options, among others the picturesque natural landscape and game reserves, diverse cultural heritage and highly regarded wines. Some of the most popular destinations include several national parks, such as the expansive Kruger National Park in the north of the country, the coastlines and beaches of the KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape provinces, and the major cities of Cape Town, Durban, and Johannesburg.

The top five overseas countries with the largest number of tourists visiting South Africa in 2017 were the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, and France. Most of the tourists arriving in South Africa from elsewhere in Africa came from Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries. In terms of tourists from SADC countries, Zimbabwe topped the list at 31%, followed by Lesotho, Mozambique, Eswatini, and Botswana. In addition, Nigeria was the country of origin for nearly 30% of tourists arriving in South Africa. [4]

Attractions

Biodiversity and ecotourism

Elephant family at an artificial waterhole in the Kruger National Park, in Mpumalanga Kruger Park Elephants.jpg
Elephant family at an artificial waterhole in the Kruger National Park, in Mpumalanga

South Africa is ranked nineteenth out of the world's twenty megadiverse countries [5] South Africa is home to a large variety of animal life. Among the large mammals found in the northern bushveld include lions, leopards, cheetahs, white rhinoceroses, blue wildebeest, kudus, impalas, hyenas, hippopotamuses and giraffes. A significant extent of the bushveld exists in the north-east, including the Kruger National Park, one of the largest game reserves in Africa, and the Sabi Sand Game Reserve.

The Kruger National Park, established in 1926, is one of the most visited national parks in the country, with a total of 1 659 793 visitors in the 2014/15 period. [6] The region is also home to nearly 80 percent of the world's rhino population. Due to COVID-19 restrictions impeding tourism and movement in the region, the killings of rhino species in South Africa have fallen by 53 percent in 2020. [7]

The country is also particularly rich in plant diversity, with a wide variety of biomes found across the country. These include the grasslands in the Highveld, the succulent Karoo in central South Africa, and the endemic fynbos biome, constituting the majority of the area and plant life in the Cape floristic region of the Western Cape. This rare vegetation is protected as part of the Table Mountain National Park (which also includes the iconic flat-topped Table Mountain), which was the most-visited national park in South Africa in 2014/15, with a total of 2 677 767 visitors. [6]

Ecotourism

A vineyard in Franschhoek, Western Cape Stellenbosch-region.JPG
A vineyard in Franschhoek, Western Cape
This section is an excerpt from Ecotourism in South Africa.[ edit ]
Tourists on safari in Kapama Game Reserve. Kapama Game Reserve safari photo en Jeep.jpg
Tourists on safari in Kapama Game Reserve.

Ecotourism is the concept of responsible travel to areas that might be protected, and possibly rated as especially fragile. The intent behind ecotourism is to create as little detrimental impact on the environment as possible.

As one of the world's few megadiverse countries, South Africa has used ecotourism to sustain and improve its immense biodiversity, as well as invigorate its economy. Tourism is the fourth largest generator of foreign exchange in South Africa, [8] and ecotourism is the idea of encouraging visitors while promoting and supporting a country's biodiversity.

South Africa contains an immense degree of biodiversity, and thus, ecotourism is a way for the country to benefit from wildlife in a non-consumptive and legal manner, as opposed to allowing illegal activities like poaching and trafficking for the international wildlife trade - things which are strictly prohibited, and actively prevented in the country.

Cultural attractions

In addition to its numerous natural attractions, South Africa also boasts numerous attractions of cultural significance. These include the fossil-bearing caves forming part of the Cradle of Humankind in Gauteng, the ruins of the Kingdom of Mapungubwe in northern Limpopo, the wine routes of the Western Cape, and various historical sites in the cities of Cape Town and Johannesburg (such as Robben Island, the Castle of Good Hope and Soweto township).

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Ten South African sites are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, including the iSimangaliso Wetland Park and uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park in KwaZulu-Natal. There are five Cultural WHS, four Natural WHS and 1 mixed WHS.

Statistics

Tourism in South Africa
Yearly tourist arrivals in millions [10] [11]
Tourism in South Africa

In 2024, according to Statistics South Africa (Stats SA), South Africa experienced a growth in tourism numbers, with combined passenger arrivals through its ports of entry increasing to 8.92 million people. [1]

Foreign arrivals by year

Cape Town International Airport caters to a large number of tourists each year Cape Town International Airport.jpg
Cape Town International Airport caters to a large number of tourists each year
The OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg is one of the main ports of entry into the country Ekurhuleni Aerotropolis.jpg
The OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg is one of the main ports of entry into the country
Foreign traveller arrivals (2000–2020) [12]
YearForeign arrivals

(in thousands)

YearForeign Arrivals

(in thousands)

YearForeign Arrivals

(in thousands)

20006,00120089,72920169,729
20015,908200910,098201715,990
20026,550201011,575201815,939
20036,640201112,496201914,797
20046,815201213,79620203,887
20057,518201315,155
20068,509201415,092
20079,208201515,052

Tourist arrivals by country

Tourist arrivals of Top 10 SADC countries [13] Tourist arrivals of Top 10 overseas countries [13]
RankingCountry

of origin

Visitor arrivals

2015

% Total

arrivals

RankingCountry

of origin

Visitor arrivals

2015

% Total

arrivals

1Flag of Zimbabwe.svg  Zimbabwe 1 900 79128.91Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 407 48619.0
2Flag of Lesotho.svg  Lesotho 1 394 91321.22Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States 297 22613.9
3Flag of Mozambique.svg  Mozambique 1 200 33518.33Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 256 64612.0
4Flag of Eswatini.svg  Eswatini 838 00612.74Flag of France.svg  France 128 4386.0
5Flag of Botswana.svg  Botswana 593 5149.05Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 121 8835.7
6Flag of Namibia.svg  Namibia 212 5143.26Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia 99 2054.6
7Flag of Zambia.svg  Zambia 161 2592.57Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China 84 6913.9
8Flag of Malawi.svg  Malawi 135 2602.18Flag of India.svg  India 78 3853.7
9Flag of Angola.svg  Angola 48 4160.79Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 56 2242.6
10Flag of Tanzania.svg  Tanzania 35 8170.510Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 52 3772.4

Governance

The tourism industry in South Africa is managed by the Department of Tourism. The department is headed up by the Minister of Tourism; a position held since 2023 by leader of the GOOD party, Patricia de Lille.

The Department had a budget in the 2024/2025 fiscal year of R2.3 billion. This is allocated to the country's national marketing agency (which received R1.2 billion in the same year), and programs like the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) and Tourism Incentive Programmes (TIP). [14]

The official national marketing agency of the South African government, with the goal of promoting tourism in South Africa both locally and globally is known as South African Tourism (SA Tourism). [15]

Certain provinces and cities have their own tourism marketing agencies, tasked with similar responsibilities, but for their local jurisdictions. Examples are Wesgro in the Western Cape and Cape Town Tourism in Cape Town.

Contribution to GDP

Tourism in South Africa contributes a significant amount of money towards the country's GDP. In May 2025, according to Statistics South Africa (StatsSA), the tourism industry accounted for 3.3% of South Africa's GDP. [1] This is up from 2.3% in 2019. [16]

The total nominal GDP of the South African economy in 2024 was R7.3 trillion. [17] Therefore, the South African tourism industry contributed an annual total of around R241 billion to the country's economy around the same time.

Taking the Department of Tourism's 2024/2025 fiscal year budget of R2.3 billion into account, the return on investment for the Department sits at around over 100 times.

Visa policy

Visa policy of South Africa .mw-parser-output .legend{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .legend-color{display:inline-block;min-width:1.25em;height:1.25em;line-height:1.25;margin:1px 0;text-align:center;border:1px solid black;background-color:transparent;color:black}.mw-parser-output .legend-text{} South Africa Visa-free access to South Africa for 90 days Visa-free access to South Africa for 30 days Visa required for ordinary passports; Visa-free access for diplomatic, official and service passports Visa required for entry to South Africa for all passports Visa policy of South Africa.svg
Visa policy of South Africa
  South Africa
  Visa-free access to South Africa for 90 days
  Visa-free access to South Africa for 30 days
  Visa required for ordinary passports; Visa-free access for diplomatic, official and service passports
  Visa required for entry to South Africa for all passports

Visitors to South Africa must obtain a visa from one of the South African diplomatic missions unless they come from one of the visa exempt countries, in which case they get what is called a "Port of Entry Visa". Visitors who require a visa must apply in person and provide biometric data. [18] See also the visa policy of South Africa.

History of tourism in South Africa

Prior to the democratic elections of 1994

Before the end of apartheid, the nation was not largely celebrated as a tourist destination. As a result of the political unrest, the country faced difficulty in creating a highly-functioning tourism industry. Though the numbers indicate there was active tourism, it was not expansive and faced hardships as a result of the politics of the period. [19]

Years following democracy

In the years following the multiracial democratic election of 1994, South Africa opened its tourism horizons by hosting a variety of worldwide events including the 1995 Rugby World Cup, and the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The hosting of these events helped bolster South Africa's image and national identity. [20]

After apartheid, there was an emergence of black-owned bed and breakfast establishments in the South African tourism industry. These establishments mainly exist in former "black spaces", also known as townships. These bed and breakfast locations mainly benefit from domestic tourism in South Africa. The national government sought to bolster black economic empowerment and the general structure of ownership in the tourism industry. Places such as Alexandra have become part of an initiative of "township tourism". The concept is meant to develop the townships by sharing their history and celebrating their culture with tourists. [21]

South Africa, however, failed in their bid to host the 2004 Summer Olympics. Researchers have cited logistical and political reasons as to why the bid failed. For example, Cape Town was behind in the necessary means to support an event the size of the Olympics financially. Political reasons were also prevalent in the eventual failure of the bid as the committee was all-white and the motive to create a national identity seemed like a false promise to the majority black population of South Africa.

The Bid Committee had issues of reconciliation and accusations of racism specifically between Raymond Ackerman, a wealthy white man who led the bid, and Sam Ramsamy who was of Indian descent. Therefore, in an attempt to enhance the tourism industry through an Olympics bid, the challenge of cohesive action posed a great threat. [22]

The 2010 FIFA World Cup is an example of a more successful route by South Africa to increase tourism and influence the nation positively. Firstly, the event helped to bolster South Africa's global brand and image. One of the main objectives in South Africa's attempt to host such events was to positively influence its national identity and erase the negative image of apartheid set forth prior to the nation's gradual shift to become the self-proclaimed "Rainbow Nation". [20]

Some examples of SA reinventing itself through the tourism industry include the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg, District Six Museum in Cape Town, and former prisons turned into powerful museums, such as Constitution Hill and Robben Island, which now attract many tourists each year. [23]

Recent developments

In October 2025, Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille announced that for the first six months of 2025, tourism in South Africa had increased by 15.8% compared to the year before. Middle Eastern arrivals increased by 82.2%, Central and South American arrivals increased by 63.6%, Australasian arrivals increased by 38.0%, African land arrivals increased by 31.8%, and European arrivals increased by 20.8%. The increase in tourism numbers comes as SA prepares to roll out its Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA). The Minister said the country had a goal of 15 million visitors by 2030. [24]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Mthobisi Nozulela (14 May 2025). "Government plan aims to boost South Africa's tourism employment to 2. 5 million by 2029". MSN. Retrieved 14 May 2025.
  2. ↑ Sibuliso Duba (25 July 2025). "SA ranked fourth-best country in the world as tourism flourishes". CapeTown ETC. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
  3. ↑ "Travel & Tourism Economic Impact 2013 South Africa" (PDF). WTTC. March 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 March 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
  4. ↑ "3,5 million travellers to South Africa". Statistics South Africa. 25 October 2017. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  5. ↑ "Biodiversity of the world by countries". Institutoaqualung.com.br. Archived from the original on 2010-11-01. Retrieved 30 May 2010.
  6. 1 2 "SANParks Annual Report - 2014/15" (PDF).
  7. ↑ Locatelli, Angela (2020-09-22). "The startling impact of coronavirus on rhino conservation across Africa". National Geographic. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  8. ↑ Diamantis, Dimitrios (16 March 2004). Ecotourism: Management and Assessment (1st ed.). Engage Learning EMEA. ISBN   1-84480-047-4.
  9. ↑ "South Africa – Properties inscribed on the World Heritage List". UNESCO. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
  10. ↑ "South Africa: International tourist trips". Our World In Data. August 17, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Global and regional tourism performance". www.unwto.org. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  12. ↑ Tourism 2015. statssa.gov.za (4 April 2016)
  13. 1 2 "Statistics SA: Tourism 2015" (PDF).
  14. ↑ The South African Department of Tourism (16 July 2024). "Tourism Budget Vote 38 Speech by Minister Patricia de Lille" (PDF). The South African Department of Tourism. Retrieved 14 May 2025.
  15. ↑ "Cabinet appoints new SA Tourism Board". Daily Southern & East African Tourism Update. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  16. ↑ "South Africa – International Tourism Revenue (% of GDP) 1995–Present". Maxinomics. Retrieved 2022-10-18.
  17. ↑ Department of Statistics (4 March 2025). "Gross Domestic Product - Fourth Quarter 2024" (PDF). Department of Statistics. Retrieved 14 May 2025.
  18. ↑ New visa rules will hurt tourism: DA
  19. ↑ Grundlingh, Albert (30 Mar 2009). "Revisiting the 'Old' South Africa: Excursions into South Africa's Tourist History under Apartheid, 1948–1990". Revisiting the 'Old' South Africa: Excursions into South Africa's Tourist History Under Apartheid 1948-1990. 56: 103–122. doi:10.1080/02582470609464967. S2CID   144402105.
  20. 1 2 Giesler, Josh (29 May 2016). "Re-Imagining the South African Nation: Case Studies of the 1995 Rugby World Cup and the 2010 FIFA World Cup". Undergraduate Research Commons.
  21. ↑ Rogerson, Christian (July 2004). "Transforming the South African tourism industry: The emerging black-owned bed and breakfast economy". GeoJournal. 60 (3): 273–281. doi:10.1023/B:GEJO.0000034734.81953.47. S2CID   154076064.
  22. ↑ Masuku, Philele (October 2004). "South Africa's Bid for the 2004 Olympic Games as Means for International Unity and International Awareness" (PDF). S2CID   153528548. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-10-15.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  23. ↑ Rankin, Elizabeth (21 March 2013). "Creating/Curating Cultural Capital: Monuments and Museums for Post-Apartheid South Africa". Humanities. 2: 72–98. doi: 10.3390/h2010072 – via Taylor & Francis Online.
  24. ↑ "International arrivals surge 30.2% as SA's tourism rebound strengthens". Bizcommunity.com. 13 October 2025. Retrieved 13 October 2025.
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