The recent official release of international arrival figures by Statistics South Africa for January to December 2023 underscores the rising momentum of South Africa's tourism sector.

So said Minister of Tourism, Patricia de Lille, on receiving the latest figures for December, published by Statistics South Africa late yesterday (Tuesday, January 30).

International tourist arrivals from January to December 2023 totalled 8.5 million, representing a remarkable 48.9% increase when compared with the same period in 2022.

These were some of the main figures for South Africa’s key source markets:

Africa continues to lead the way

• South Africa welcomed 6.4 million visitors from the rest of the African continent between January and December 2023, marking a significant 75.6% of all arrivals over 2022.
• Zimbabwe and Kenya stood out for their remarkable growth, with Zimbabwe recording a 70.8% increase in tourist arrivals to South Africa when compared with 2022, totalling 2.1 million arrivals. Kenya recorded a 99% surge when compared with 2022, reaching 42 403 arrivals for January to December 2023.

Momentum from the Americas

• Tourist arrivals from the Americas registered at 455 901 reflecting a 39.8% growth compared with the same period in 2022.
• The US saw 353 975 arrivals to South Africa, marking a 35% increase compared with 2022.

Strength in European markets

• From January to December 2023, South Africa saw 1.2 million tourist arrivals from Europe, a 38.2% increase compared with the same period in 2022.
• The United Kingdom remains the top European source market, with 356 160 tourists choosing South Africa, marking a 25.8% growth compared with 2022.
• Germany experienced a 41.6% increase in arrivals compared with 2022, amounting to 245 259 tourists.
• This was followed by the Netherlands, which saw an increase of 45.5% when compared with 2022, amounting to 131 371 tourist arrivals between January and December 2023.
• Russia exhibited a dramatic growth of 74.7% when compared with 2022, contributing 28 357 arrivals in 2023.

Noteworthy growth from the Asia markets

• Asian markets also showed significant growth with a total 199 308 arrivals from the region, representing an astounding 69.1% when compared with the same period in 2022.
• South Africa welcomed 79 774 tourists from India – a 43.7% growth compared with 2022.
• Notably, there were 37 164 arrivals from China, after the Asian country’s citizens were allowed to travel abroad again.

Robust gains in the Middle East

• The Middle East saw a robust increase with 54 339 arrivals in the January to December 2023 period – a 33.7% growth when compared with the same period in 2022.
• South Africa received 16 351 arrivals from Saudi Arabia in 2023, marking an increase of 42.6% when compared with 2022.
• The United Arab Emirates saw 6 511 arrivals to South Africa, a remarkable 110% increase when compared with 2022.

De Lille expressed delight at the impressive numbers from the African continent and highlighted the strategic decisions that contributed to the growth in specific markets.  “Kenya’s remarkable performance can be attributed to the strategic decision by government to simplify the visa regime in 2023 as well as targeted and effective insights-driven marketing campaigns.”

The Minister further noted that the recovery could be attributed to consistent efforts to showcase South Africa as a welcoming, responsible tourism destination, highlighting experiences that aligned with intrepid, green economy-conscious travellers.

Looking ahead, De Lille emphasised the need to unlock barriers such as visa regulations and limited air access and airlift for sustained growth.

She reiterated her commitment to working with partners and government colleagues to facilitate policy and regulation revisions.

Click here to view Tourism Update’s interactive map of the latest inbound statistics.