South Africa welcomed 5,584,473 international tourists during the first half of 2026, marking a 12.3% increase compared to the same period in 2025. The performance highlights sustained resilience across both regional African markets and key overseas source destinations.
Source: ©Brian Jackson via
123RFAccording to Statistics South Africa’s (Stats SA) International Tourism statistical release (P0350), total H1 growth was underpinned by a 14.3% increase in arrivals from the rest of the African continent, while overseas arrivals expanded by 5.6%.
In June 2026 alone, 2,788,901 travellers passed through South Africa’s ports of entry and exit. Foreign arrivals totalled 1,085,557, of which 1,056,076 were classified as visitors and 29,481 as non-visitors.
Among these visitors, 232,711 were same-day visitors, and 823,365 were overnight tourists, representing a 9.8% overall year-on-year increase in tourist arrivals for the month.
Regionally, June tourist arrivals comprised 668,770 travellers from SADC countries, 12,007 from other African nations (reflecting a combined 12.1% year-on-year increase for the continent), and 141,796 from overseas markets.
The United States maintained its position as South Africa's leading overseas source market for the second consecutive month, accounting for 40,566 arrivals in June.
Market diversification yields results
Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille attributed the performance to targeted market development and collaborative commercial partnerships. "Once again, the deliberate decision to diversify our tourism products is yielding positive results.
"The sustained growth in both regional and overseas arrivals reflects the resilience of our tourism sector and the effectiveness of the partnerships we have built with industry and our international markets.
"We will continue strengthening these relationships through joint marketing initiatives across the African continent while expanding our reach into strategic overseas markets," says De Lille.
De Lille added that the positive trajectory reinforces the government's commitment to improving ease of access, expanding air connectivity, and positioning South Africa as a destination of choice for leisure and corporate travel.
