South Africa’s ports of entry and exit processed more than 2.35 million travellers in May, according to official data released by Statistics South Africa on Tuesday. This total includes arrivals, departures, and transits.
Statistics South Africa’s latest international tourism report details that 649,610 of these travellers were South African residents, while 1,704,822 were foreign nationals. A closer look at the figures for foreign travellers reveals 881,544 arrivals, 783,999 departures, and 39,279 individuals in transit.
The report indicates that out of the foreign arrivals, 23,774 were non-visitors and 857,770 were visitors. Among the visitors, 208,316 were same-day visitors and 649,454 were overnight visitors, classified as tourists.
The data further breaks down the origins of the tourists in May, showing that 147,428 came from overseas, 488,299 from Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries, 12,629 from other African nations, and 1,098 were from unspecified countries.
The United States, Britain, and India collectively accounted for 45 percent of the overseas tourists. The report also highlights that holidays remain the primary reason for visiting, with 96.4 percent of all tourists travelling to South Africa for leisure purposes.
South Africa has been working to restore its tourism levels to those seen before the COVID-19 pandemic, as global conditions have improved and travel has resumed.
