Tourism minister Patricia de Lille has declared that South Africa is no longer in a Covid-19 recovery mode but entering a phase of expansion, after the country welcomed a record 10.485-million international visitors in 2025 — the highest number ever recorded, surpassing the previous peak of 2018.
“I don’t want to hear about Covid-19 anymore. We are not recovering anymore, we are growing now,” De Lille said at a briefing on Tuesday, highlighting a 17.6% increase in arrivals compared to 2024. The performance pushes South Africa 2.6% above prepandemic levels (2019), underscoring the sector’s return as a critical economic driver.
The tourism industry sustains 1.8-million jobs, directly and indirectly. According to De Lille, one new job is created for every 13 international arrivals, positioning tourism as a potent employment generator.
Looking ahead, the minister outlined four key priorities under the government’s Tourism Growth Partnership Plan.
- Easing access through the rollout of the electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) system, already piloted successfully for markets such as India and China. The full rollout is projected to create 80,000 to 100,000 new jobs.
- Co-ordinated destination marketing, particularly between provinces and in regional and international markets. The Free State’s Kgodumodumo Dinosaur Interpretion Centre in the Golden Gate Highlands National Park has welcomed more than 80,000 visitors and generated more than R1m in revenue since opening.
- Tourism safety, including a national Secure App, 24/7 operations centre, and the deployment of more than 1,500 trained safety monitors.
- Infrastructure investment, with more than R1bn in bankable tourism projects showcased in 2025 and another tourism infrastructure investment summit planned for September 2026.
De Lille disclosed that South Africa secured 51 business events through the South African National Convention Bureau, projected to inject R894.5m into the economy. “Meetings Africa 2025 generated R690m and supported 1,200 jobs, while Africa’s Travel Indaba contributed over R610m and supported more than 1,000 jobs,” De Lille said.
“Tourism is working. Tourism is delivering. And tourism will continue to be at the cornerstone of inclusive economic growth, investment, and job creation.”
The briefing follows new data from Stats SA showing that South Africa welcomed just under 1-million international tourists in December 2025, with cross-border travel from neighbouring Southern African Development Community (Sadc) countries continuing to anchor the sector, while overseas arrivals held steady ahead of the festive season.
According to Stats SA’s latest report, 3.96-million travellers passed through South African ports of entry during the month, of whom 997,165 were overnight visitors (tourists). Most tourists — roughly 74% — came from Sadc countries, reflecting continued regional mobility over the holidays.
Only 238,561 tourists arrived from overseas markets, which include long-haul travellers from Europe, North America and Asia. While not unexpected for December, the figure underscores South Africa’s heavy reliance on regional travel. A further 19,408 tourists came from “other” (non-Sadc) African countries, with the majority from Kenya.
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