South Africa's international tourism, number of arrivals was 3.89 million in 2020, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is down 65.61% from 11.3 million in 2010 (10.13% a year on average, compounded).
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 3.89 million | 2020 |
| Five years earlier | 13.95 million | 2015 |
| Ten years earlier | 11.3 million | 2010 |
| Highest | 15.12 million | 2016 |
| Lowest | 3.89 million | 2020 |
| Average since 2011 | 13.17 million | 2011–2020 |
| First recorded | 4.68 million |
What the numbers say
In 2020, South Africa's international tourism, number of arrivals fell 73.7% on 2019 (from 14.8 million to 3.89 million).
Across the 24 yearly changes before that (1996 to 2019), the average change was +5.1% and a typical year strayed about 6.1% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 12.9 standard deviations below that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.
On record, the biggest yearly rise was 18.6% in 2010 and the biggest yearly fall was 73.7% in 2020. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
From 2011 to 2020 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 9% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.
Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.
How it compares
In 2020, South Africa had the 26th highest value of the 130 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 3.89 million | 2020 |
| World | 2.4 billion | 2019 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 56.01 million | 2019 |
| Upper middle income | 573.31 million | 2019 |
Closest to South Africa in the 2020 ranking
What this measures
International inbound tourists (overnight visitors) are the number of tourists who travel to a country other than that in which they have their usual residence, but outside their usual environment, for a period not exceeding 12 months and whose main purpose in visiting is other than an activity remunerated from within the country visited. When data on number of tourists are not available, the number of visitors, which includes tourists, same-day visitors, cruise passengers, and crew members, is shown instead. Sources and collection methods for arrivals differ across countries. In some cases data are from border statistics (police, immigration, and the like) and supplemented by border surveys. In other cases data are from tourism accommodation establishments. For some countries number of arrivals is limited to arrivals by air and for others to arrivals staying in hotels. Some countries include arrivals of nationals residing abroad while others do not. Caution should thus be used in comparing arrivals across countries. The data on inbound tourists refer to the number of arrivals, not to the number of people traveling. Thus a person who makes several trips to a country during a given period is counted each time as a new arrival.
Limitations: Tourism can be either domestic or international. The data refers to international tourism, where the traveler's country of residence differs from the visiting country. International tourism consists of inbound (arrival) and outbound (departures) tourism. The data are from the World Tourism Organization (WTO), a United Nations agency. The data on inbound and outbound tourists refer to the number of arrivals and departures, not to the number of people traveling. Thus a person who makes several trips to a country during a given period is counted each time as a new arrival. The data on inbound tourism show the arrivals of nonresident tourists (overnight visitors) at national borders.
Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a gap-filled total.
All 26 values
| Year | International tourism, number of arrivals |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 3,886,600 |
| 2019 | 14,797,000 |
| 2018 | 15,004,000 |
| 2017 | 14,975,000 |
| 2016 | 15,121,000 |
| 2015 | 13,952,000 |
| 2014 | 14,530,000 |
| 2013 | 14,318,000 |
| 2012 | 13,069,000 |
| 2011 | 12,097,000 |
| 2010 |
International tourism, number of arrivals in nearby economies
- Angola — 218,000 (2019)
- Benin — 337,000 (2019)
- Botswana — 1.83 million (2018)
- Burkina Faso — 67,000 (2020)
- Burundi — 299,000 (2017)
- Cabo Verde — 180,000 (2020)
- Cameroon — 1.02 million (2019)
- Central African Republic — 87,000 (2019)
- Chad — 10,400 (2020)
- Comoros — 7,000 (2020)
More private sector & trade data for South Africa
- Merchandise trade (% of GDP) — 57.23% (2025)
- Insurance and financial services (% of commercial service imports) — 5.66% (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$) — US$128.08 billion (2025)
- Computer, communications and other services (% of commercial service imports) — 44.21% (2025)
- Commercial service imports (current US$) — US$21.49 billion (2025)
- Transport services (% of commercial service imports) — 36.96% (2025)
- Travel services (% of commercial service imports) — 13.18% (2025)
- Insurance and financial services (% of commercial service exports) — 9.81% (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is South Africa's international tourism, number of arrivals?
- 3.89 million in 2020, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1995?
- It is down 17.02% from 4.68 million in 1995 (0.74% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 15.12 million in 2016 and the lowest 3.89 million in 2020.
- How does South Africa rank?
- 26th highest of 130 economies with data for 2020.
- Is the latest change in international tourism, number of arrivals unusual for South Africa?
- In 2020, South Africa's international tourism, number of arrivals fell 73.7% on 2019 (from 14.8 million to 3.89 million). Across the 24 yearly changes before that (1996 to 2019), the average change was +5.1% and a typical year strayed about 6.1% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 12.9 standard deviations below that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.
Source
World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator ST.INT.ARVL, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files, UN Tourism Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.
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