South Africa's tourism sector continues to thrive, with the African continent the dominant source of visitors.

According to Stats SA, in 2024 African tourists accounted for 76% of total arrivals, with 6.8-million tourists making a journey to the country.

The top-performing source market within Africa remains Zimbabwe, which had a steady growth of 3.6% compared to 2023, bringing the total number of Zimbabwean visitors to 2.18-million in 2024.

The standout performer was Ghana, which recorded an exceptional 149.0% surge in tourist arrivals. Ghana’s total for 2024 reached 36,656, a dramatic increase driven by the introduction of a visa waiver in November 2023 and improved air connectivity.

Minister of tourism Patricia de Lille praised the strong performance from Ghana and said the visa-free travel agreement between South Africa and Ghana allows citizens to travel for up to 90 days for business or tourism without the need for a visa. The agreement was implemented in November 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 and targeted marketing initiatives by South African Tourism, makes for a winning formula for the growth of our sector,” said de Lille.

On the international front, South Africa also saw substantial growth.

“Tourist arrivals from the Americas saw a strong 10.9% growth from 2023. The US remains the top market in the region with 372,362 tourists reflecting a 5.2% increase from 2023 to 2024,” said tourism spokesperson Zara Nicholson.

“Tourism from Brazil saw a remarkable 94.2% rise in 2024, totalling 49,855 tourists, largely driven by direct air connectivity and our enhanced marketing efforts.”

Tourist arrivals from Europe saw a moderate 1.1% increase in 2024, reaching 1.26-million visitors. The UK remains the largest European source market, despite a 1.8% dip from the previous year, with 349,883 visitors. Germany also showed positive growth, with a 4.0% increase, totalling 254,992 arrivals. The Netherlands performed well, reporting a 0.8% increase in arrivals, while France saw a decline.

South Africa experienced a 4.2% rise in arrivals from Asia, with 207,718 tourists visiting in 2024. China led the way with an 11.4% increase, totalling 41,651 arrivals, driven by targeted promotions and increased flight connectivity. India recorded 75,541 arrivals, with a slight decline of 5.3% due to visa processing delays and the absence of direct flights. Japan stood out with an impressive 31.8% increase, reaching 17,370 arrivals.

Australia also posted steady gains, with continued strong demand expected to drive further growth in 2025.

South Africa saw a 16.1% decline in arrivals from the Middle East, with total visitors dropping to 45,602. However, Saudi Arabia bucked this trend, increasing arrivals by 12.1% to 18,333 visitors. The United Arab Emirates contributed 6,717 arrivals to South Africa in 2024.

“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,” De Lille said.

“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.”