Report says tourism employs 1 in 18 South Africans
Statistics South Africa’s Tourism Satellite Account for South Africa shows the sector employed 953,981 people in 2024, accounting for 5.7% of the country’s labour force — the equivalent of one in every 18 jobs.
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Rebound
The report further states that, in 2024 the tourism sector accounted for 4,9% of South Africa economy, surpassing the pre-pandemic contribution of 3,7% in 2019. The sector’s contribution to GDP surpassed, agriculture, utilities and construction.
Tourism demand and expenditure also experienced a rapid rebound, with total spend at R779.2bn:
- Domestic Tourism Expenditure - R665.3bn
- Inbound Tourism Expenditure - R113.9bn
“This once again, reaffirms that domestic tourists are the bedrock of the sector in our country. Contributing significantly to the sectors role in growing our economy and creating jobs while international tourism continues to strengthen,” says Minister Patricia de Lille.
Millions of visitors
Following a record 10,5 million international arrivals in 2025, since the start of 2026 South Africa welcomed nearly two million visitors.
- January 2026 1 133 533 (12,4% increase compared to January 2025)
- February 2026 864 534 (13,1% increase compared to February 2025)
“We expect further growth in international arrivals with the rollout of the Electronic Travellers Authorisation and our marketing strategy as we position South Africa as an affordable holiday and MICE destination of choice,” added Minister de Lille.
Minister de Lille, attributes these achievements to the continued implementation of the cabinet approved Tourism Growth Partnership Plan, which was crafted by the government and the private sector.