Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille has welcomed the continued upward trend in South Africa’s international tourist arrivals, with August 2025 recording a 30.2% year-on-year increase, reaching 935,738 visitors. Cumulatively, 6.79 million tourists visited the country between January and August 2025, a 15.8% rise compared to the same period last year.
Regional Highlights:
• Europe saw arrivals grow by 20.8%, led by the UK (+28.9%) and Germany (+33.6%).
• Central & South America surged by 63.6%, with Brazil (+77.2%) and Argentina (+85.5%) showing exceptional performance.
• Australasia rose 38.0%, while Asia grew 21.1%, driven by Indonesia (+100.7%) and Malaysia (+67.8%) despite softer numbers from China and India.
• Middle East arrivals climbed 82.2%, led by Saudi Arabia (+129.3%) and the UAE (+98.3%).
• Africa land arrivals rose 31.8%, supported by Lesotho (+110.2%) and Mozambique (+36.8%), while Africa air arrivals increased 26.3%, driven by Nigeria (+46.6%) and the DRC (+75.9%).
“These numbers tell a story of confidence and recovery. South Africa’s tourism economy is firmly on an upward trajectory, driven by our visa reforms, strong
destination marketing, and the resilience of our industry. Tourism is not just leisure; it is an economic engine that supports nearly two million jobs,” said Minister De Lille.
The increase in international arrivals come as the country prepares to roll out the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). The G20 Leader’s Summit delegates from China, India, Indonesia and Mexico will be the first to use the system. Upon its full implementation, ETA will create between 800 000 to 1 million jobs in the tourism sector.
“This week, I’m off to Türkiye with Deputy President Paul Mashatile and cabinet colleagues for the inaugural South Africa-Türkiye Binational Commission. This working visit presents another opportunity to learn from the world’s 4th most visited country, as South Africa works towards 15 million visitors by 2030” she concluded.
