London, UK – New data from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has revealed South Africa’s Travel & Tourism sector is projected to reach a major milestone this year, set to support more jobs than ever before, but wider data points to a sector still in recovery mode.
WTTC has released its latest Economic Impact Research (EIR), in 2025 Travel & Tourism is forecast to support 1.9 million jobs, surpassing 2019 levels and marking an all-time high, underlining its role as a key employer and major source of opportunity, with the sector accounting for 11.3% of all jobs in South Africa.
In 2025, the total domestic visitor expenditure is forecast to be ZAR 445 Billion, 3.8% higher than 2019 levels.
But while employment is set to reach an all-time high and domestic spending continues to grow, Travel &Tourism’s contribution to GDP and international visitor spend, continues to lag.
Travel & Tourism’s total contribution to the economy is projected to reach ZAR 659.8BN, equivalent to 8.9% of national GDP, but still 3.4% shy of the 2019 peak.
While the international visitor spend is expected to continue to grow, it will remain below levels seen before the pandemic at ZAR 128,4BN, lagging behind 2019 by ZAR 37.2BN
South Africa’s Travel & Tourism sector is slowly turning the corner. The recovery is led by jobs, and employment levels are expected to increase, demonstrating the human impact of this sector’s growth. As South Africa takes on the G20 Presidency in 2025, it has a unique opportunity to place Travel & Tourism at the heart of its agenda. WTTC is proud to work with Minister Patricia de Lille – a dynamic and inspiring Minister – to contribute to the G20 Process, including a September Investment Summit. Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO
The Drawing for 2024
In 2024, WTTC South Africa’s Travel & Tourism contributed ZAR 618.7BN to the nation’s economy – 9.4% below 2019, whilst the sector employed 1.8MN people.
Spending by international visitors reached ZAR 116.5BN while domestic spending reached ZAR 430BN.
The Decade of Opportunity
WTTC is convinced that South Africa, under Minister Patricia de Lille’s powerful leadership, can achieve unprecedented growth with the correct national priorities and stronger public-private collaboration.
The global tourism body forecasts strong momentum through 2035, with Travel & Tourism adding an additional 620,000 new jobs, reaching a total of 2.6MN – 13.8% of the country’s workforce.
The economic contribution of the sector could reach ZAR 911.7BN. This represents a 10.3% share in GDP.
Visit the WTTC website for more information, and to download the complete factsheet including WTTC’s latest Environmental Social Research. WTTC’s Research Hub.
About WTTC
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) represents the global travel & tourism private sector. Members include 200 CEOs, Chairs and Presidents of the world’s leading travel & tourism companies from all geographies covering all industries. For more than 30 years, WTTC has been committed to raising the awareness of governments and the public of the economic and social significance of the travel & tourism sector.
