- “In 2023, SA received 8.5 Mn arrivals, to increase this to 10 Mn arrivals by December 2024. We have so far received 6.5 million arrivals between January – September 2024” – Tourism Minister
- South Africa to introduce an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA), enabling individuals to apply directly for visas and streamlining the process.
- The Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS), scheduled to launch in January 2025, will simplify group visa applications and expedite processing times.
South Africa’s Minister of Tourism, Patricia de Lille, and CEO of South African Tourism, Nombulelo Guliwe, embark on a visit to India to commemorate three significant milestones: 30 years of diplomatic relations between the two nations, 30 years of democracy, and the country’s assumption of the G20 Presidency in 2025.
Lille shared the current scenario and way ahead stating, “In 2023, we reached 8.5 million total arrivals for the year and we are working to increase this to 10 million arrivals for the year by December 2024. We have so far received 6.5 million total arrivals between January and September 2024. Indian travellers spending on outbound tourism is expected to grow from $18.82 billion in 2024 to $55.39 billion in 2034. In 2019, arrivals from India to South Africa stood at over 95,000 and this recovered to over 79,700 in 2023. There has been a slight decline of 4% in recent months demonstrating the need for this outreach to engage our partners in India to address barriers to growth. South Africa is seeking to attract 15 million foreign tourists a year by 2030.”
Talking about challenges, Lille further added, “There is no direct flight between the two countries. This has a huge impact on travel as travel becomes costly due to multiple connections.” Lille revealed plans about meeting with India Air, Indigo and Spice Jet airlines to persuade them to launch direct flight between India and SA. Additionally, South Africa is gearing up to host the ICC T20 Cricket World Cup in 2027, leveraging the tournament to attract cricket enthusiasts and capitalize on the rising demand for experience-driven travel.
Lille highlighted initiatives such as the “More & More” brand campaign, multi-city roadshows, Corporate Think Tank, and Learn SA aimed to creatively showcasing the Rainbow Nation to Indian travellers.
In addition, South Africa is set to introduce an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA), enabling individuals to apply directly for their visas and streamlining the process. Additionally, the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS), scheduled to launch in January 2025, will simplify group visa applications and expedite processing times. Currently, Indian tourists represent only 3.9% of total arrivals, with a goal to increase this figure to 10% by next year.
Talking to T3, Nombulelo Guliwe, CEO, South African Tourism, shared, “We are fully awake and present to the potential that India market brings. We have closed the year 2023 with just under 80,000, achieving an impressive 43% increase in travellers from India compared to the previous year, so there’s untapped potential to grow. SA witnessed a significant influx of tourists from India, with a total of 57,992 arrivals recorded from January to October 2024.”
Mentioning about the forecast for 2025, Guliwe mentioned, “We have to grow our figures, nothing less than 10%”. With this momentum, South Africa is ambitiously targeting 100,000 Indian tourists by the end of FY 2024-25. She also added that the introduction of ETA enables individuals apply electronically for visa, cutting out the middlemen, because they saw mostly Indian travellers prefer to do their own travel arrangements.
A trend that she mentioned about Indian travellers is that people want to see places that they’ve seen on film. Besides, food is now an integral part of the holiday and not just holiday activities. “When people ask for a vegetarian meal, it’s a vegetarian meal now that should be a culinary experience. Also, there is growth in cultural tourism”, added Guliwe.
In addition, with regards to market segments on rise, Guliwe noted that historically for SA, leisure has been the higher percentage of arrivals. “But something has happened in the Indian travel market where we’re seeing the rise of MICE. We also understood that sometimes it was easier for groups to get visas than individuals, so maybe that’s the other thing that skewed the numbers. It’s something that we are focusing on.” MICE currently represents 19.1% of Indian travellers within the broader 49.7% MICE and business travel category.
India has emerged as the 7th largest overseas international market for South Africa, reflecting its growing significance in bilateral travel ties. Notably, there has been a 25% year-on-year growth in Indian travellers aged 41–50, alongside a 10% increase in family travel to South Africa. Among Indian visitors to the Rainbow Nation in 2024, Mumbai contributes the largest share at 64.3%, followed by Delhi. Leisure travel constitutes 38.8% of overall Indian arrivals, with 18.3% motivated by Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR).
