South Africa: International tourism, receipts for passenger transport items (current US$)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2020, South Africa's international tourism, receipts for passenger transport items (current US$) fell 83.8% on 2019 (from US$674 million to US$109 million).

Across the 24 yearly changes before that (1996 to 2019), the average change was +1.8% and a typical year strayed about 12.7% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 6.7 standard deviations below that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 32.6% in 2007 and the biggest yearly fall was 83.8% 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 the straight-line trend is downward, about US$99.04 million a year. A straight line explains 79% of the movement over 10 observed years.

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 53rd highest value of the 117 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.

Closest to South Africa in the 2020 ranking

• Costa Rica — 51st of 117: US$123 million
• El Salvador — 52nd of 117: US$119 million
• Albania — 53rd of 117: US$109 million
• Cambodia — 55th of 117: US$96 million
• Tajikistan — 56th of 117: US$96 million
• Rwanda — 57th of 117: US$92 million

What this measures

International tourism receipts for passenger transport items are expenditures by international inbound visitors for all services provided in the international transportation by resident carriers. Also included are passenger services performed within an economy by nonresident carriers. Excluded are passenger services provided to nonresidents by resident carriers within the resident economies; these are included in travel items. In addition to the services covered by passenger fares--including fares that are a part of package tours but excluding cruise fares, which are included in travel--passenger services include such items as charges for excess baggage, vehicles, or other personal accompanying effects and expenditures for food, drink, or other items for which passengers make expenditures while on board carriers. Data are in current U.S. dollars.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a gap-filled total.

All 26 values

International tourism, receipts for passenger transport items (current US$) in nearby economies

• Angola — US$3 million (2020)
• Benin — US$860,000 (2019)
• Botswana — US$6 million (2020)
• Burkina Faso — US$57 million (2019)
• Cabo Verde — US$10 million (2020)
• Cameroon — US$28 million (2019)
• Comoros — US$500,000 (2020)
• Congo, Rep. — US$1.9 million (2016)

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

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Questions people ask

What is South Africa's international tourism, receipts for passenger transport items (current US$)?

US$109 million in 2020, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1995?

It is down 79.36% from US$528 million in 1995 (6.12% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$1.45 billion in 2007 and the lowest US$109 million in 2020.

How does South Africa rank?

53rd highest of 117 economies with data for 2020.

Is the latest change in international tourism, receipts for passenger transport items (current US$) unusual for South Africa?

In 2020, South Africa's international tourism, receipts for passenger transport items (current US$) fell 83.8% on 2019 (from US$674 million to US$109 million). Across the 24 yearly changes before that (1996 to 2019), the average change was +1.8% and a typical year strayed about 12.7% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 6.7 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.TRNR.CD, 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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