Cape town: Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille announced significant strides in South Africa's tourism sector, highlighting its role in sustaining 954,000 direct jobs in 2024. This equates to tourism supporting one in every 18 jobs in the country, with every 13 international tourists contributing to the creation of one job.
According to South African Government News Agency, South Africa witnessed a record-breaking 10.5 million international arrivals in 2025. In the first quarter of 2026 alone, more than 2.9 million inbound travelers were welcomed, marking a 12.6% growth compared to the same period the previous year. The domestic tourism spend reached R111.6 billion, surpassing international spend of R102.2 billion, underscoring the importance of domestic tourism.
The Tourism Growth Partnership Plan, a collaboration between the government and the private sector, has been adopted to meet National Development Plan 2030 goals. These include increasing domestic tourism spend to R139.4 billion, international tourist spend to R115.2 billion, growing international tourist arrivals to 15 million, and boosting direct employment to 1 million.
The Electronic Travel Authorisation system is now operational in China, India, Indonesia, and Mexico, allowing travelers to receive visa outcomes digitally within 24 hours. This initiative is expected to increase arrivals, potentially creating between 80,000 and 100,000 jobs.
New air routes have been established, enhancing connectivity with destinations such as Perth, Mauritius, and soon, Madrid. The Inter-Ministerial Committee on Visas is working to expand visa reforms and improve air access.
The Kgodumodumo Dinosaur Interpretation Centre, a R120 million project, has already attracted over 90,000 visitors. The Tourism Infrastructure Facilitation Unit aims to remove investment barriers, with the second Tourism Infrastructure Investment Summit scheduled for October 2026 in Gauteng.
The South African National Convention Bureau has secured 66 international and regional conferences, expected to contribute over R1.2 billion to the economy between 2025 and 2030. The Department of Tourism has been allocated R2.54 billion for 2026/27, with R1.278 billion earmarked for destination marketing and sector growth.