International tourist arrivals in South Africa grew by 12.3% during the first half of 2026, according to data from Stats SA reported by Business Day. Nearly 1.09 million foreign travellers entered the country in June 2026, while a total of approximately 2.8 million travellers, including arrivals, departures, and transits, passed through South African ports of entry that month. Visitors from Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries made up 81.2% of all visitors, with other African nations accounting for 1.5%, and tourists from outside Africa comprising 17.2% of arrivals.
Regional and Overseas Tourist Arrivals in June 2026
In June 2026, 668,770 travellers were from SADC countries, led by Mozambique,
Zimbabwe, and Lesotho. Twelve thousand seven travelers came from other African countries, primarily Kenya, Ghana, and Nigeria, indicating regional geopolitical tensions did not significantly deter visitors from those nations. Overseas arrivals totaled 141,796, with the United States as the largest overseas source market at 40,566 arrivals. Year-on-year, arrivals increased by 13.2% from Australasia, 13% from Central and South America, 12.1% from Africa, and 3.9% from Europe. Conversely, arrivals from the Middle East fell 19.7%, Asia decreased 14.8%, and North America declined 2.1%.
Tourism Income Growth in May 2026
Stats SA reported that total income for the tourist accommodation sector rose by 2.5% year on year in
May 2026. Income excluding receipts from restaurants, bars, and other ancillary sources increased 2.2%, down from gains of 5.9% in April and 13.7% in March. This steady income growth reflects continued economic benefits amid rising travel costs.
Expansion of Air Connectivity
Improvements in air access support South Africa’s tourism growth. Latam Airlines launched direct flights between Cape Town and São Paulo, Brazil. Turkish Airlines is set to increase its weekly direct flights to South Africa from 14 to 20 starting October 2026, with 10 weekly flights to Johannesburg and 10 to Cape Town, up from seven weekly flights to each city currently.
Resilience Amid Rising Travel Costs and Geopolitical Tensions
Despite a
6% month-on-month decrease in June foreign arrivals, numbers remained 4.3% higher than June 2025. The rise comes even as jet fuel costs surged following the Middle East conflict starting March 2026. Regional tensions, including anti-immigrant sentiment between South Africa, Ghana, and Nigeria, have not materially impacted arrivals from those countries. Investec economist Lara Hodes noted sustained government efforts, including visa reforms and improved air connectivity, continue to underpin tourism despite cost pressures.
Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille highlighted, “Once again, the deliberate decision to diversify our tourism products is yielding positive results. The sustained growth in both regional and overseas
arrivals reflects the resilience of our tourism sector and the effectiveness of the partnerships we have built with industry and our international markets.” She further said, “South Africa’s greatest competitive advantage lies in the combination of our people, our natural beauty, our rich heritage and our world-class infrastructure. Together, they continue to position our country as a destination of choice.” Economist Lara Hodes added, “Indeed, tourism continues to be a critical driver of economic growth and employment in South Africa.”
