South Africa’s tourism sector is continuing its post-pandemic recovery, recording 5.85 million international visitors between January and July 2025, according to Travel and Tour World (TTW), a 14% increase compared with the same period in 2024.
Of this total, 4.55 million visitors came from within Africa, highlighting the resilience of regional markets and the strength of intra-African travel demand.
The remaining 1.3 million arrivals were from overseas, including long-haul markets such as China, India, Europe, and the United States.
Despite the strong numbers, the country remains just 1% below its 2019 pre-pandemic levels, falling short by about 33,000 arrivals.
On the surface, the figures suggest near-recovery, but a closer look exposes deeper challenges that are holding back South Africa’s ability to reclaim its former status as a leading African tourism hub.
Globally, tourism had already returned to pre-pandemic levels by 2024, with over 12% growth year-on-year. By contrast, South Africa recorded only 5.1% recovery in the same period, leaving it 13% short of its 2019 benchmark.
This slower rebound has enabled other African destinations to overtake it. Kenya reached its pre-pandemic visitor numbers by 2023, Tanzania surpassed 2019 levels as early as 2022 and grew by 18% in 2024, while Morocco has become the continent’s leader, attracting 17.4 million arrivals in 2024, a 20% increase.
Tunisia, too, outpaced South Africa with 10.3 million visitors in 2024 compared to South Africa’s 10 million, signaling a reshuffling of regional tourism dominance.
Don’t Miss This:
South Africa’s Mining Reforms Attract Indian Investors
The country’s weakest performance lies in overseas markets, historically high-value sources of tourism revenue. Between January and July 2025, overseas arrivals totaled just 1.3 million, 10% below 2019 figures.
This shortfall represents an estimated loss of $232 million in direct foreign expenditure, adding to the $718 million deficit reported for the full year of 2024.
China and India stand out as key underperformers despite targeted initiatives. Only 23,600 tourists arrived from China, reaching just 44% of 2019 levels, even after the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme was launched in early 2025.
India’s arrivals remain 27% below 2019 figures, with a further 9% decline compared to 2024. European markets have shown uneven progress, with France at 79%, Germany at 87%, and Italy at 90% of 2019 levels, while the United States, South Africa’s largest source market, managed only modest growth of 3%.
In contrast, African markets continue to provide resilience and momentum. From January to July 2025, 4.55 million visitors from the continent arrived in South Africa, a 3% increase compared with the same period in 2019.
Policies such as visa facilitation and enhanced air connectivity have been central to this growth. Ghana, after mutual visa requirements were scrapped in 2024, doubled its arrivals, with an average spend of $1,296 per visitor.
Kenya recorded a 58% rise over 2019 levels, generating about $999 per tourist. By early 2025, African air arrivals had surpassed 2019 levels by 16%, underscoring the importance of regional connectivity.
Nevertheless, gaps remain in major African markets. Angola’s arrivals are still 40% below pre-pandemic levels, Nigeria 39% below, while Egypt and Uganda trail by 11% and 9%, respectively.
Industry experts stress that tackling structural weaknesses in overseas markets is critical if South Africa hopes to compete globally. While African markets remain strong, the country’s overall growth is held back by the slow rebound from high-value long-haul markets, particularly China and India, as per Business Insider.
Strategic reforms, including continued visa easing, stronger air links, and focused marketing campaigns, are seen as essential for bridging these gaps and ensuring long-term, sustainable tourism growth.
Don’t Miss This:
South Africa Leads Africa’s Packaged Food Market with $18.5 Billion Sales
Image Credit:Businessfront
