South Africa has reached a major milestone in its tourism sector, welcoming approximately 10.5 million international visitors between January and December 2025, the highest number of arrivals in the country’s history.
This surpasses pre-pandemic figures and underscores growing global confidence in South Africa as a premier tourism destination.
Minister of Tourism Patricia de Lille confirmed the milestone, saying:
“In December 2025, South Africa welcomed 10.5 million visitors to our country, an increase of 17.6% against the 2024 figures. This is the highest number of arrivals on record and exceeds the previous highest number recorded in 2018. We have now, for the first time, exceeded the 2019 arrivals by 2.6%. So now I don’t want to hear about COVID anymore. We are not recovering anymore. We are growing now.”
President Cyril Ramaphosa lauded these figures and highlighted that tourism boosts the economy by bringing in revenue and supporting jobs across multiple sectors.
“Every visitor to our country contributes to our foreign revenue earnings, supports local businesses, bolsters local economies, and helps to create and sustain jobs. It is estimated that tourism currently sustains 1.8 million direct and indirect jobs, with one job created for every 13 international arrivals. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, tourism contributes nearly 9% to our country’s GDP.”
Ramaphosa underlined the role of tourism in advancing South Africa’s public diplomacy:
“South Africa’s expanding global tourism footprint, supported by intensive destination marketing and branding, is an important part of our country’s public diplomacy. The more tourists that arrive from a given country, the greater the likelihood of strengthening diplomatic relations with that country. An increase in international visitors is also a vote of confidence in South Africa’s brand appeal, and in our reputation as a safe, reliable, value-for-money tourism destination.”
He reveals that the government remains committed to strengthening the sector’s regulatory and policy environment, as well as deepening collaboration with private sector partners, labour, and other stakeholders. Ramaphosa also emphasised the importance of skills development and transformation in the industry.
“As a Government, we are equipping citizens with skills to embrace the burgeoning tourism industry. For example, the Department of Tourism offers fully funded Mandarin language training for registered freelance and employed tourism guides to enable them to better support tourists from the growing Chinese market. We also continue to support the transformation of the industry through various support programmes.”
He added that tourism is a society-wide effort.
“Retaining our reputation as a tourism destination of choice is a society-wide effort, one in which communities have a particularly important role to play. Every South African should be a tourism ambassador and every community a potential tourist attraction. Our country is rich in natural beauty, history, and culture, with much of this potential untapped. Working together as the Government, communities, and tour operators, we can popularise and attract more tourists to regions and locations that don’t traditionally feature highly as destinations for tourists. Working together as Government, industry, communities and civil society we can realise even greater value from this jewel in our nation’s crown.”
anita.nkonki@inl.co.za
Saturday Star