Tourism Minister Patricial de Lille says tourism sustained 954,000 direct jobs in the economy in 2024, meaning tourism now supports 1 in every 18 jobs in South Africa and for every 13 international tourists who arrive, one job is supported.
“South Africa welcomed a record 10.5 million international arrivals in 2025. In the first quarter of 2026 alone, more than 2.9 million inbound travellers were welcomed – representing 12.6% growth compared to the same period last year,” the Minister said.
Delivering her department’s Budget Vote in Cape Town on Tuesday, De Lille said domestic spend reached R111.6 billion, outweighing international spend of R102.2 billion, reinforcing domestic tourism as the bedrock of the sector.
Government and industry have jointly adopted the Tourism Growth Partnership Plan, which the Minister described as a working compact between the public and private sectors with measurable targets, shared accountability and clear implementation plans, not another strategy document gathering dust on shelves.
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“Together, government and industry are pursuing National Development Plan (NDP) 2030 goals, including increasing domestic tourism spend to R139.4 billion, increasing international tourist spend to R115.2 billion, growing international tourist arrivals to 15 million, increasing annual domestic trips to 45.1 million, increasing direct employment to 1 million and increasing indirect and induced employment to 1.5 million,” De Lille said.
De Lille said the Electronic Travel Authorisation system is now live in China, India, Indonesia and Mexico – travellers from these source markets can receive visa outcomes digitally within 24 hours from their homes and cellphones.
“Once fully rolled out, the ETA system is expected to increase arrivals in a way that could create between 80 000 and 100 000 jobs,” the Minister said.
The Minister said new air routes have been launched between Johannesburg and Perth, Cape Town and Mauritius and that soon Madrid and Johannesburg through Air Europa will be launched.
“The Department continues working through the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Visas with the Department of Home Affairs to further expand visa reforms and air access, recognising that if tourists cannot get to South Africa easily, they will simply go elsewhere,” the minister said.
De Lille said the Kgodumodumo Dinosaur Interpretation Centre, a R120 million project developed together with the European Union, has already attracted more than 90 000 visitors since its launch last year, where the world’s oldest dinosaur embryo was discovered.
“A Tourism Infrastructure Facilitation Unit has been established to remove barriers for investors. The second Tourism Infrastructure Investment Summit will be hosted in Gauteng in October 2026, following the inaugural Cape Town summit, where eight projects worth R1 billion were unveiled and three have already secured funding,” De Lille said.
De Lille said the South African National Convention Bureau secured 66 international and regional conferences expected to contribute over R1.2 billion to the economy between 2025 and 2030, with events scheduled across Bela-Bela, Cape Town, Durban, Grabouw, Hermanus, Johannesburg, Makhanda, Mbombela, Polokwane, Skukuza, Sun City and Tshwane, demonstrating geographic spread of business events.
The Department of Tourism has been allocated R2.54 billion for 2026/27, with R1.278 billion transferred to South African Tourism for destination marketing and sector growth.
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