Tourism in South Africa

A straight stone pathway through a rocky area, elevated in places from the walkway, with a low retaining wall and chain fence on the left. Beyond is an area of ocean; at the far background on the left is a large flat rocky mountain with a peaked one at its left. Closer to the camera is a small building on the right; people are milling around it and the paths, some taking pictures
Tourists taking in the view of Cape Town and Table Mountain from Robben Island

South Africa is a tourist destination with the tourist industry accounting for 2.34% of GDP[1] in 2019 followed by a sharp drop in 2020 to 0.81% of GDP[1] due to lack of travel caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The official marketing agency for the country South African Tourism is responsible for marketing South Africa to the world. According to the World Travel & Tourism Council, the tourism industry directly contributed ZAR 102 billion to South African GDP in 2012, and supports 10.3% of jobs in the country.[2] The official national marketing agency of the South African government, with the goal of promoting tourism in South Africa both locally and globally is known as South African Tourism.[3]

South Africa offers both domestic and international tourists a wide variety of options, among others the picturesque natural landscape and game reserves, diverse cultural heritage and highly regarded wines. Some of the most popular destinations include several national parks, such as the expansive Kruger National Park in the north of the country, the coastlines and beaches of the KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape provinces, and the major cities like Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban.

According to Statistics South Africa's latest Tourism and Migration Survey, almost 3,5 million travellers passed through the country's ports of entry in August 2017.[4] The top five overseas countries with the largest number of tourists visiting South Africa were the US, UK, Germany, the Netherlands and France. Most of the tourists arriving in South Africa from elsewhere in Africa came from SADC countries. Zimbabwe tops the list at 31%, followed by Lesotho, Mozambique, Eswatini and Botswana. In addition, Nigeria was the country of origin for nearly 30% of tourists arriving in South Africa.[5]

  1. ^ a b "South Africa - International Tourism Revenue (% of GDP) 1995 - Present". Maxinomics. Retrieved 2022-10-18.
  2. ^ "Travel & Tourism Economic Impact 2013 South Africa" (PDF). WTTC. March 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 March 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
  3. ^ "Cabinet appoints new SA Tourism Board". Daily Southern & East African Tourism Update. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  4. ^ "Tourism and Migration, August 2017". Statistics South Africa. 25 October 2017. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  5. ^ "3,5 million travellers to South Africa". Statistics South Africa. 25 October 2017. Retrieved 24 November 2017.