Johannesburg, South Africa: Travellers from across Africa are becoming an increasingly important source of growth for South Africa’s tourism industry, with arrivals from the continent rising faster than those from overseas markets during 2026.
International arrivals from African countries increased by 14.3% so far this year, compared with 5.7% growth from overseas markets, according to tourism figures.
South Africa recorded 991,696 international tourist arrivals in July, representing a 12% increase compared with the same month in 2025. The figure brought total international arrivals for the first seven months of 2026 to 6,576,169, an increase of 12.4%.
The stronger performance from African markets is increasingly shaping the country’s tourism strategy, with Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille positioning the growth as an important part of the sector’s future.
The figures also come amid concerns that public debate around immigration could discourage international visitors. However, the strongest growth has been recorded among visitors from neighbouring countries and other parts of Africa.
African demand reaches hotels
National arrival figures show the scale of travel from across the continent, while hotel booking data provides another indication of how visitors are contributing to the hospitality sector.
The Capital Hotels, Apartments and Resorts has recorded rising demand from several African markets across its properties.
Zambia registered growth at eight of the group’s 11 properties where it is recorded as a source market, while Kenya grew at six of 10 properties. Botswana and Eswatini have also recorded upward trends across the portfolio.
“Regional business travel is expanding, and travellers from across the continent have become a genuinely important market for South African hospitality,” said Garnet Basson, COO of The Capital Hotels, Apartments and Resorts.
“Zambia and Kenya are the clearest examples in our own numbers, and they reflect stronger commercial and cultural ties between South Africa and the rest of the continent.”
Regional visitors are contributing alongside a strong domestic tourism market. South Africans account for more than 60% of Booking.com demand across The Capital’s 12 properties.
International markets continue to provide significant business, with the United States remaining South Africa’s largest overseas source market for a second consecutive month in June.
Visitors are staying longer
Hotel data also points to changes in how visitors are using accommodation once they arrive.
The average length of stay across The Capital’s properties was 2.43 nights, unchanged from the previous year. However, the monthly figures showed a shift during the second quarter.
Visitors recorded shorter stays in January and February compared with the same period in 2025. From April, that pattern changed.
In May, the average stay increased from 2.32 nights to 2.57 nights, representing growth of 10.8%.
The longer stays are significant because room night growth exceeded booking growth in several months. This indicates that some of the additional accommodation demand came from travellers extending trips rather than simply from an increase in the number of bookings.
Basson linked the trend to several patterns associated with regional travel, including longer business trips, leisure activities added to work journeys, shorter domestic holidays and the growing popularity of bleisure travel, where business and leisure are combined during one trip.
“A guest who adds two nights to a work trip is worth considerably more to the local economy than the room rate suggests,” he said.
“They eat out, they book a tour, they spend a Saturday somewhere they would otherwise have flown over. That is what regional travel gives us: guests who are close enough to return often, and comfortable enough to stay a little longer each time.”
Booking patterns vary by market
Hotel booking behaviour also differs considerably between visitor markets and properties.
At The Capital’s Zimbali property, the average booking window exceeds 32 nights, while some of its more business focused hotels record booking windows of approximately five to seven nights.
The difference reflects the contrasting behaviour of leisure and business travellers. Leisure visitors tend to plan their trips further ahead, while business travellers are more likely to make bookings closer to their arrival dates.
For hotel operators, the varied booking patterns suggest that a single approach may not work across the tourism sector.
Regional markets can require different strategies covering airline and route partnerships, marketing and the ability of hotels to respond quickly to bookings made only a few days before arrival.
The economic importance of the sector is substantial. Tourism supported 954,000 direct jobs in South Africa in 2024 and contributed 4.9% of the country’s gross domestic product.
Tourism Month traditionally draws attention to international arrival figures, but each visitor also contributes to a wider network of businesses through spending on accommodation, transport, restaurants, attractions and other services.
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