To reach pre-pandemic levels and beyond, South African tourism will have to not only address the volume of visitors but also their spending patterns and overall experience. (Photo by Murat Ozgur Guvendik/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Although there is a positive trend of an increase in the number of tourists arriving in South Africa year-on-year since the pandemic, there is still much to be done for those visits to translate into economic gains for South Africans.
Last year, South Africa received 8.5 million, an increase from the 7.3 million non-resident visitors (same-day visitors and tourists) in 2022, and not too far from the 14.8 million non-resident visitors before the pandemic in 2019, as highlighted by the 2022 census report. These figures plummeted to 2.3 million in 2021 during the lockdown and had devastating economic repercussions for many businesses in travel and tourism.
The visa waiver enabling free travel between African…
