South Africa's tourism sector is blossoming. According to the latest statistics from Statistics South Africa, international tourist arrivals from January to March totalled more than 2.4 million, representing a 15.4% increase when compared with the same period in 2023.
South Africa was a particularly attractive destination for Ghanaians, British citizens, and Americans, whose visitor numbers all saw strong increases. The bulk of tourists (1.8 million) came from Africa, followed by Europe (420 727) and the Americas (118 194).
According to the latest statistics, visitor numbers from Ghana and Zimbabwe have seen outstanding growth, improving by 249.4% and 21.8%, respectively. Travellers from Asian markets increased by 25.4%, while tourists from the Netherlands and Germany have also increased by just under 10%.
Based on these stats, The Capital Hotels, Apartments, and Resorts is positioning itself to fully capitalise on this new tourism boom by responding to the increased demand, and pioneering solutions that help holiday goers navigate some of the nation's challenges.
Solar investments
This includes implementing solar energy and water conservation initiatives. The group's commitment to sustainability is evident in its investments in solar energy, which will soon have 80% of its properties powered by the sun.
This initiative is part of a broader multimillion-rand investment into renewable energy, demonstrating The Capital's dedication to reducing its carbon footprint and operational costs while navigating the challenges of load shedding.
Marc Wachsberger, CEO of The Capital Hotels, Apartments, and Resorts said: “Adaptability is the name of the game and what we are increasingly finding is that by being agile in our thinking and planning, we have been able to provide memorable experiences for our guests. Doing that means looking at our current landscape and thinking three steps ahead so that our visitors never have to worry about whether a property will have power.”
Tackling water scarcity
The Capital also has initiatives under way to insulate guests from the effects of load shedding, which could threaten the growing tourism numbers.
It has invested heavily in state-of-the-art water purification systems for both The Capital Pearls and The Capital Zimbali Resort, ensuring that they adhere to the Blue Drop standards (an assessment that focuses on the quality of drinking water).
“We love a good bit of innovation and our property, The Capital Pearls, proves that. It uses an ‘internal aqueduct’ that acts as a private waterway, ensuring that water circulating within the premises is of the highest quality. This system not only surpasses Blue Drop quality benchmarks but also demonstrates an out-of-the-box approach to sustainable water distribution,” added Wachsberger.
The property at Zimbali uses a reverse osmosis redundancy system to ensure that the resort guarantees a consistent and purified water supply.
“By investing in renewable energy and embracing technology, major players in the hospitality industry can do their part to keep tourism’s purple patch going. In doing so, they will help boost the economy and provide jobs for countless South Africans,” concluded Wachsberger.
