Africa Month highlights tourism potential as South Africa welcomes record visitors
This sentiment was echoed by SA's Tourism Minister, Patricia de Lille , during her welcome address at the Africa Travel Indaba held in Durban.
As South Africa celebrates Africa Month , the continent's vast potential for growth and opportunity has come to the forefront, particularly in the realm of tourism.
De Lille underscored the significance of the event, noting that the strong attendance of delegates from across the continent signifies Africa's readiness to lead, innovate, and inspire within the global tourism landscape.
According to a recent report by the United Nations World Tourism Organization, the African tourism sector witnessed a dramatic recovery in 2024, achieving a remarkable 96% recovery rate to levels observed in 2019.
This resurgence has positioned Africa among the fastest-growing regional tourism destinations worldwide, an encouraging sign for countries like SA, which is actively looking to leverage this momentum.
SA's tourism sector has shown impressive growth, with Minister De Lille revealing that the country welcomed 8.9 million tourists in 2024, generating a direct spending contribution of R91.6 billion and supporting an estimated 1.6 million jobs.
Furthermore, the first quarter of 2025 continued this upward trajectory, with close to 2.6 million tourists arriving, reflecting a 5.7% growth compared to the previous year.
'Seventy-five per cent of South Africa's international arrivals come from the rest of Africa,' De Lille highlighted, emphasising the critical role that regional tourism plays in the nation's economy.
She further stressed that tourism is not merely a facet of SA's economic framework but serves as a vital catalyst for creating jobs and fostering independent livelihoods, particularly in areas where opportunities are scarce.
Looking towards the future, the minister outlined key aspirations for the tourism sector.
'The tourism economy of tomorrow is African. It is diverse, youthful, digital, and green,' she articulated, adding that there is still much work to be done to achieve higher growth rates.
To this end, the Department of Tourism is in the process of finalising a five-year Tourism Growth Partnership Plan.
The ambitious goals set forth include:
Growing total employment in tourism from approximately 1,840,000 in 2024 to 2,500,000 jobs.
Increasing domestic spend by 25%.
Raising the GDP contribution of tourism from approximately 8.8% to 10%.
Welcoming an additional one million international air arrivals annually, aiming for a 35% increase from 2.8 million in 2024 to 3.8 million and beyond.
De Lille assured stakeholders that this goal is achievable through collaboration and hard work, stating, 'This is not a difficult ask if we all work together. Anything is possible if we work hard.'
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