SA sees tourism rebound with 8.92 million arrivals in 2024

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"It is encouraging to see that despite economic uncertainties in various parts of the world, the global tourism sector is growing. It is even more encouraging that our country follows the same trend and trajectory," said Minister of Tourism, Patricia de Lille.

Source: StatsSA

Africa leads the way

Africa remains the largest source of tourists for South Africa, contributing 76% of total arrivals. In 2024, 6.8 million tourists arrived from the continent. Notably, Zimbabwe remains the top market with 2,183,260 arrivals, reflecting a 3.6% increase from 2023.

Ghana also saw a remarkable 149.0% increase, reaching 36,656 arrivals, largely due to the visa waiver introduced in November 2023.

Minister de Lille highlighted Ghana’s performance, attributing the success to the visa-free travel agreement between the two nations, which came into effect in late 2023.

"Ghana’s immense performance can be attributed to the fact that travellers between Ghana and South Africa no longer need visas to travel between the two countries. This, coupled with increased airlift targeted marketing initiatives by South African Tourism, makes for a winning formula for the growth of our sector," she said.

Strengthening growth in the Americas

Tourist arrivals from the Americas grew by 10.9% in 2024, reaching 505,579 tourists. The United States remains the largest source, with 372,362 arrivals, a 5.2% increase from 2023.

Brazil saw a significant 94.2% rise in arrivals, totalling 49,855 tourists, thanks to improved air connectivity and strategic marketing.

Tourist arrivals from Europe increased by 1.1%, reaching 1,258,706. The United Kingdom remains the largest European market with 349,883 arrivals, although this was a 1.8% decrease from 2023.

Germany saw a 4.0% growth, reaching 254,992 arrivals, while the Netherlands performed better than France, with a 0.8% increase to 132,422 arrivals.

Asia & Australasia: Noteworthy growth

Tourist arrivals from Asia surged by 4.2%, with China seeing an 11.4% increase to 41,651 arrivals. Japan posted an impressive 31.8% growth, totaling 17,370 arrivals.

However, India recorded a decline of 5.3% due to visa processing backlogs and the absence of direct flights. Australia also posted steady growth, and further increases are expected in 2025.

The Middle East saw a 16.1% decline in arrivals, with total numbers falling to 45,602. However, Saudi Arabia recorded a 12.1% increase, bringing in 18,333 tourists. Efforts to improve connectivity and trade engagement in the region are expected to aid future recovery.

Source: WTTC estimates for competitor stats for GDP and Employment information

South Africa ranks third among key global tourism competitors in terms of tourism’s contribution to GDP. While South Africa’s year-on-year growth of 5.1% is steady, further investment in air connectivity and global marketing will be crucial for maintaining competitiveness.

The future of tourism: Strategies for growth

The South African government has implemented several strategic initiatives to foster further growth in the tourism sector:

• Expanding airlift: Restoring key routes and increasing partnerships to improve access to South Africa.
• Targeted market campaigns: Focusing on markets such as China, India, and the Americas to promote South African experiences.
• Boosting digital and AI-powered travel planning: Enhancing traveller experiences through personalised digital platforms.
• Growing sustainable and cultural tourism: Leveraging eco-tourism and cultural experiences.
• Enhancing safety and security measures: Strengthening safety measures to enhance traveller confidence.

"The tourism sector is a strong contributor to the economy and job creation. We are determined to continue with this momentum and push the numbers much higher so that we can grow our contribution to economic growth and job creation even further.

"South Africa remains attractive and accessible for all travellers to enjoy and we thank all international and domestic travellers for exploring our beautiful country and contributing to the tourism sector’s performance," Minister de Lille concluded.