After months of recovery, South Africa’s tourist accommodation sector reported an 11,1% increase in total income in July 2025 compared with July 2024, according to Statistics South Africa (Stats SA).

Source: Quang Nguyen Vinh via
PexelsIncome from accommodation specifically rose by 10,4% year-on-year, driven by a 7,9% increase in the number of stay unit nights sold and a 2,4% rise in the average income per stay unit night sold.
Main contributors to year-on-year growth
In July 2025, the largest contributors to the 10,4% year-on-year increase in accommodation income were:
• Hotels: 18,3%, contributing 9,7 percentage points to the overall growth.
• Other accommodation: 2,7%, contributing 1,1 percentage points.
For the three months ended July 2025, income from accommodation increased by 10,2% compared with the same period in 2024. The main contributors were again:
• Hotels: 17,0%, contributing 9,1 percentage points.
• Other accommodation: 2,6%, contributing 1,0 percentage point.
Monthly trends
On a seasonally adjusted basis, income from accommodation decreased by 0,8% month-on-month in July 2025, following a 1,1% decline in June 2025.