Nearly 1 million tourists flock to South Africa in March
South Africa’s tourism sector has reported an increase in international tourist arrivals in March.
Statistics show that last month almost 1 million people visited South Africa, which is 12,5% increase compared to March 2025.
This shows sustained growth with consecutive month-to-month increases: January 2026 recorded 1,133,533, while February recorded 864,534.
Following the record-breaking 10.5 million arrivals in 2025, South Africa recorded 2.9 million inbound travellers from January to March 2026.
“We welcome this growth, which once again illustrates that the partnership between government and the private sector is yielding positive outcomes," said Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille.
"As we approach Workers’ Month in May, I want to express my gratitude to workers in the sector.
“It is their professionalism and ubuntu that elevate the experience of our visitors”.
According to Statistics South Africa’s Tourism Satellite Account for South Africa report, in 2024, the tourism sector accounted for 953,981 direct jobs, constituting 5,7% of the country’s labour force.
