South Africa Marks Nearly 49% Surge in Foreign Visitors, Attracting 8.5 Million in 2023

South Africa welcomed nearly 8.5 million tourists in 2023, which is 48.9 more compared to the previous year, South Africa’s Official Tourism Site has revealed.

Of the total, 6.4 million were visitors from other African countries, making up 75.6 percent of the total arrivals, VisaGuide.World reports.

The number of tourists from Zimbabwe reached 2.1 million, representing a 70.8 percent increase compared to 2022. South Africa also saw a significant growth in visitors from Kenya, with their total reaching  42,403 between January and December last year.

Meanwhile, the number of European tourists exceeded 1.2 million, representing a 38.2 percent increase compared to 2022. Within the EU continent, the majority of those who visited South Africa were tourists from the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, and Russia.

In addition, tourists from the Americas amounted to 455,901, 39.8 percent more than in 2022. Of those, 353,975 were from the United States.

Data further show that tourists from Asian countries made 199,308 arrivals, nearly 70 percent more than in 2022. Among other things, the number of Chinese tourists visiting South Africa increased by 204.9 percent compared to the previous year, reaching a total of 37,164.

Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille expressed contentment with the number of tourists from Africa, noting that their strategic decisions contributed to the growth in certain areas.

This recovery can be attributed to consistent efforts to showcase South Africa as a welcoming, responsible tourism destination, highlighting experiences that align with intrepid, green economy conscious travelers.

Patricia de Lille, Minister of Tourism

South Africa has gradually been easing visa rules for African countries, removing the previous criteria for visitors to prove they have enough funds and show return flight tickets. These facilities may also explain the growth in tourist numbers throughout 2023.

In November 2022, South Africa and Kenya achieved a visa waiver agreement. Under this arrangement, citizens from both countries were granted the right of visa-free travel to each other’s nations for more than 90 days within a calendar year.

Furthermore, South Africa reached a similar agreement with Ghana last October, enabling citizens of both countries to enter one another’s territory visa-free.

At present, the South African passport is ranked 97th in the world, according to the VisaGuide Passport Index. This implies that South African passport holders can travel to 71 countries worldwide visa-free. For the rest of the countries, citizens of South Africa are required to apply for a visa before their trip.