Cape Town opened its 2026/27 cruise season on September 17, 2026, with the arrival of the Pacific World carrying 1,397 passengers and 655 crew, according to Wesgro, the official Western Cape tourism agency.
In the 2024/25 season, Cape Town handled 79 cruise vessels and 127,000 passengers, demonstrating a 16% average annual growth rate since 2022/23, when it received 70 vessels and approximately 78,000 passengers, surpassing the global cruise industry average growth of 9%.
Cruise tourism contributed 4.34 billion South African Rand (US$252 million) to the Western Cape’s GDP and 5.32 billion Rand (US$309 million) to South Africa’s GDP over three
seasons. Cumulative foreign-exchange earnings reached 3.04 billion Rand (US$177 million) in the region.
Ports beyond Cape Town, including Mossel Bay, Hermanus and Saldanha Bay, recorded 32,000 passengers from 26 ship visits in 2024/25, generating 47.5 million Rand (US$2.8 million) in local spending, reflecting a wider distribution strategy in cruise tourism.
Infrastructure investments support this growth: Cape Town’s cruise terminal at E-Berth is undergoing a R20 billion (US$1.16 billion) precinct redevelopment. Mossel Bay launched a new cruise reception facility in 2025, while Saldanha Bay is progressing toward formal Port of Entry status.
Kenya Enhances Safari Tourism from Cruise Stopovers
The Kenya Wildlife Service introduced a 30% group incentive
in March 2026 targeting cruise passengers visiting Tsavo East, Tsavo West and Amboseli national parks. Currently, 20% of cruise visitors extend their stays into Kenya’s parks; the government aims to increase that to 40%, potentially boosting national park revenues by 40%.
Tour operators such as Pollmans Tours & Safaris coordinate excursions alongside international firms like Abercrombie & Kent to integrate safari experiences with cruise itineraries. A brief cruise stopover in Kenya is estimated to generate about 50 million Kenyan Shillings (US$387,000), with a 70-person group visiting Maasai Mara contributing 23 million Shillings (US$178,000) within hours.
Kenya targets revenue of Sh2
billion (US$15.5 million) from 12,000 cruise tourists, though logistical challenges persist due to port clearance times and inland travel requirements.
Expansion of African Cruise Destinations and Itineraries
Expedition cruise calls to Cape Town rose from five in 2023/24 to 16 in 2024/25, attracting passengers more likely to engage in extended land programs. European Cruise Service launched African Cruise Service in Walvis Bay in late 2025 to expand expedition and land-based cruise products.
AmaWaterways added four Africa Safaris & Wildlife itineraries in August 2026 featuring the Chobe River cruise linked with land tours in Namibia, Kenya and Victoria Falls.
Namibia’s Tourism Board and Ministry of Home Affairs convened
in July 2026 to improve cruise passenger processing and offerings at Walvis Bay. Local attractions include coastal and desert experiences such as Sandwich Harbour and the Namib Desert.
Cape Verde recorded 110,554 cruise passengers and 250 ship calls in 2024, up from 86,945 passengers and 171 calls in 2023. Global Ports Holding expanded to Mindelo, Cape Verde in 2025, enhancing Africa’s cruise market network.
Benin exempts cruise passengers whose stays are under 72 hours from visa requirements as of 2025 and plans to open a dedicated cruise quay by 2027.
Mozambique and Tanzania Cruise Developments
Mozambique’s National Tourism Institute and FEIMA coordinate arrivals to Maputo,
planning 15 cruise calls with nearly 16,000 visitors in 2026. In 2024, Mozambique received nine cruise ships with 4,492 tourists, of whom 2,069 disembarked to visit local attractions and cultural experiences.
Tanzania surpassed its five-million visitor goal by April 2025, reaching 5.3 million visitors, with 794,102 tourist arrivals recorded between January and May 2025, 54.3% above pre-pandemic numbers. Key cruise ports are Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar, with ships including Seabourn Sojourn, Europa, Norwegian Dawn and Viking Sky.
Tanzania logged 41 cruise ship calls in the 2025/26 season, up from 35 the prior year, featuring eight maiden calls and a
focus on smaller, premium and expedition vessels.
Economic and Route Adjustments in Seychelles and Indian Ocean Ports
A UN Economic Commission for Africa study estimates that cruise tourism will contribute US$531 million directly to Seychelles’ GDP from 2026 to 2033, rising to US$1.247 billion including multiplier effects. Environmental and social costs are estimated at US$35.2 million and US$86 million respectively for the same period.
MSC Cruises adjusted the 2026 MSC Magnifica world cruise itinerary to bypass the Red Sea, adding Seychelles, Mauritius, Réunion, Durban, Cape Town, Walvis Bay and Cape Verde to its schedule.
Mombasa is developing as an Indian Ocean cruise port, with expected additional ship calls before the
current circuit concludes, expanding Kenya’s presence in regional cruise tourism.
