SA prepares for tourism boon as season sets in

SOUTH Africa is gearing up for a bumper shoulder tourism season starting on September 1, with tourism bodies across the country preparing for a surge in both domestic and international visitors.

- TRACY-LYNN RUITERS

Despite recent negative media coverage around crime and tensions between South Africa and the US, economists and industry leaders say the outlook for the sector remains positive.

Economist Dawie Roodt said the spotlight on South Africa could even help tourism.

“The tension between South Africa and the United States, if that will affect our tourism, I don’t think it will have much impact. In fact, it could even be positive, because by putting the spotlight on South Africa might actually contribute to marketing the country as a tourist destination. I think tourism will remain more or less the same, or may even improve slightly.”

Provinces like Western Cape, Gauteng and the KwaZulu-Natal are all gearing up for a bumper tourism season with Gauteng expected to exceed its R30 billion projection for this season.

In the Western Cape, hotels, guesthouses, and attractions are already reporting strong booking patterns. According to Cape Town Tourism's latest Economic Value of Tourism report, the City recorded a 6% year-on-year growth in international arrivals and a 5% increase in bed nights sold, signalling continued demand for Cape Town as a global destination. This builds on 2024's figures, when 2.4 million overnight visitors contributed R24.5 billion directly to the local economy.