South Africa has experienced a substantial increase in tourist arrivals from both African countries and other parts of the world.
According to recent statistics published by Statistics South Africa (StatsSA), between January and November 2023, the country welcomed 5.8 million visitors from other African countries, accounting for 75.5% of all tourist arrivals. This marks a significant increase compared to the same period in 2022.
Out of the 5.8 million visitors, 1.9 million were from Zimbabwe, while Kenya contributed 37,414 tourists.
Minister of Tourism Patricia De Lille expressed her delight at these numbers, emphasizing the importance of the African region as a significant market for South Africa.
She attributed Kenya’s remarkable performance to the government’s strategic decision to simplify the visa regime and the effective insights-driven marketing campaigns.
The overall international tourist arrivals from January to November 2023 reached 7.6 million, representing a 51.8% increase compared to the same period in 2022.
The Americas contributed significantly to this growth, with South Africa registering at least 411,254 tourist arrivals from the region, reflecting a 44.1% increase.
The United States of America accounted for the majority of these arrivals, with 320,948 visitors, marking a 39.5% increase compared to the previous year.
Minister De Lille highlighted the United States as a top international source market for South Africa and expressed confidence in surpassing the pre-pandemic arrival numbers from 2019.
She credited the collaborative efforts of the public and private sectors in delivering consumer and trade-facing projects to drive brand affinity and distribution channel initiatives.
Asia also played a significant role in South Africa’s tourism growth, with 182,497 arrivals recorded from the region during the first 11 months of 2023. India led the way with 73,037 tourists, closely followed by China with 34,669 arrivals.
Minister De Lille acknowledged the attractiveness of South Africa as a destination and expressed the need for further policy and regulation revisions to unlock its full potential.
She emphasized the importance of addressing barriers such as visa regulations, safety concerns, and limited air access to facilitate the growth of the tourism sector and contribute meaningfully to the country’s economy.
Minister De Lille expressed gratitude to all South Africans for their continuous hospitality and warm welcome extended to visitors.
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