South Africa records 10.48m 2025 arrivals as De Lille outlines growth plan
South Africa recorded 10.48 million international arrivals in 2025 – up 17.6% on 2024 and the highest on record – Minister of Tourism Patricia de Lille said at a press briefing on 27 January. She reaffirmed tourism’s role in growth, investment and jobs, and confirmed Cabinet’s endorsement of the Tourism Growth Partnership Plan, developed with the Tourism Business Council. A key priority is ease of access, with the Electronic Travel Authorisation rolling out to India, China, Mexico and Indonesia after a G20 pilot, projected to create 80,000–100,000 jobs, alongside new and expanded air links including Qantas’ Perth – Johannesburg, Air France’s seasonal daily to Cape Town, SAA’s Cape Town – Mauritius and FlySafair’s Hoedspruit – Cape Town.
Further measures include coordinated destination marketing and safety actions, with 1,500 tourism monitors deployed over the festive season, and product investment via eight bankable projects worth about R1 billion from the 2025 Tourism Infrastructure Investment Summit and the R2.5 billion Club Med development in KwaZulu-Natal. South Africa was named Best Destination: Africa 2025 by Travel Weekly, tourism sustains 1.8 million jobs, and the business events pipeline is strengthening – 51 MICE bids this financial year (R894.5 million impact), with Meetings Africa 2025 generating R690 million and Africa’s Travel Indaba over R610 million. A draft Short-Term Rental Code of Good Practice will be issued for public comment next week, and the World Economic Forum will stage a Special Davos Meeting in South Africa next year.
Source: South African Government