Commentary: State of International Tourism in South Africa

In March 2025, South Africa’s tourism and travel sector demonstrated strong activity, with nearly 2.84 million travellers recorded across all ports of entry and exit. This figure, released by Statistics South Africa, includes arrivals, departures, and transits, highlighting the continued recovery and resilience of the country’s travel economy.

Of the total 2,838,966 travellers, 708,920 were South African residents, while a notable 2,130,046 were foreign nationals. The majority of these foreign nationals were visitors, signalling sustained international interest in South Africa as both a tourism and business destination.

A closer look reveals that there were 1,107,069 foreign arrivals in March 2025. Of these, 1,078,009 were classified as visitors, and 29,060 were non-visitors, likely including individuals such as returning residents, asylum seekers, or those travelling for diplomatic or official purposes.

Among the visitors, 267,567 were same-day visitors, typically entering for brief business, shopping, or transit purposes. More significantly, 810,442 were overnight visitors, or tourists, indicating strong engagement with South Africa’s tourism offerings, from its scenic landscapes to vibrant urban centres and cultural heritage. This figure brought the total number of international tourists to 2,588,537 in quarter 1, 2025.

Regional Breakdown of Tourists

The data offers insight into where these tourists are coming from:

• 214,546 tourists arrived from overseas markets, showing the continued pull of South Africa as a long-haul destination for international travellers. The majority of overseas tourists come from Europe.

• The Southern African Development Community (SADC) region remains a major source of inbound tourism, with 579,224 tourists arriving from neighbouring countries. These visitors likely benefit from easier cross-border travel and strong socio-economic ties with South Africa.

• Tourists from ‘other’ African countries totalled 15,632, suggesting that while the bulk of African travel is from the SADC region, there is growing interest from across the continent.

Potential Impact

These figures are promising for South Africa’s travel and tourism sector, which continues to play a vital role in the country's economy. Between February and March 2025, foreign international arrivals increased by 8%. Furthermore, there was an 11.2% increase in foreign arrivals in March 2025 compared to March 2024. The strong showing of tourists from both neighbouring and overseas countries highlights the importance of maintaining a balanced approach to tourism marketing, catering to regional travel trends while also investing in global visibility.

Furthermore, the high volume of overnight tourists suggests opportunities for the hospitality industry to grow occupancy rates, improve experiences, and expand service offerings. Similarly, the steady number of same-day visitors underlines the importance of border infrastructure, efficient customs operations, and cross-border partnerships.

As the year progresses, stakeholders in the tourism industry - from government to private operators - will be watching closely to see if this momentum can be sustained and scaled.

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