South Africa tourism appeal is slipping

South Africa stays a key player in global tourism discussions, but fewer visitors now express enthusiasm about traveling there or feel inclined to suggest it to friends. This alert came from Sithembile Ndaba, SA Tourism’s Chief Marketing Officer, during the TBCSA Tourism Leadership Conference in Sun City.

The December 2025 SA Tourism study on travel decision-making shows that recognition of South Africa as a destination stayed steady at 68%, matching the 2022 level. Yet, the percentage of travelers with a favorable view dropped from 40% to 37%, and those willing to endorse South Africa as a travel choice fell from 17% to 13%

Ndaba pointed to three key reasons discouraging tourists from selecting South Africa: stronger competition from other destinations, worries about personal safety, and political instability. She also noted harmful publicity, travel advisories, weak digital promotion and visitor support, and poor coordination among marketing efforts as industry hurdles.

Turning interest into reservations is difficult, Ndaba noted. Travelers now delay planning trips more than before—whereas they once booked 18 months ahead, they’re now more hesitant about scheduling visits to South Africa.

David Frost, CEO of SATSA, also expressed doubts about South Africa’s tourism recovery, questioning whether visitor numbers truly reflect progress. Official data shows that arrivals from January to August 2026 reached 94.8% of the 2019 total for the same months.

Frost warned that the industry must view the numbers with a degree of caution, highlighting the potential double-counting of international arrivals. Analysis by some of SATSA’s destination management company members suggests that almost a quarter of arrivals in the relevant dataset may be double-counted, which could mean South Africa’s arrival figures are overstated by an estimated 12.5%.

Frost also stated that the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system has not delivered the expected results. Despite its introduction, arrivals from the four markets tracked by SATSA remained below their January-August 2025 levels, with declines of 61.7% from Mexico, 23.9% from Indonesia, 23.4% from China, and 29.8% from India.

SATSA will host a workshop with the Department of Home Affairs on November 5 to address the ETA system and the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme. They have also used accumulated funds to support a coordinated destination marketing plan structured on five pillars, including priority markets, developing niche sectors, brand campaigns, events, and joint marketing agreements.