South Africa’s tourism sector is defying the country’s violent crime headlines, recording a sharp rise in international arrivals in 2026 despite growing concerns about visitor safety.
Between January and July 2026, the country recorded 6,576,169 international tourist arrivals – a 12.4% increase compared to the same period in 2025, according to the latest figures.
July alone recorded 991,696 international tourists, up 12.5% from July last year, in a sign that demand for South Africa as a destination remains resilient.
The growth is being driven largely by regional travel. Arrivals from African countries increased by 14.3%, while overseas arrivals increased by 5.7%. The Department of Tourism says the figures show the market is becoming more geographically diversified and less dependent on traditional long-haul markets.
The surge comes at a time when crime continues to cast a shadow over the sector.
Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille acknowledged in an interview on 28 September that violent-crime headlines make it more difficult to market South Africa internationally.
She admitted that some potential visitors have concerns about safety, as mass shootings in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape dominate international news cycles.
The concern is not new. The Department of Tourism’s 2024 White Paper on the Development and Promotion of Tourism in South Africa identifies crime involving tourists and high levels of crime more broadly as factors that can negatively affect people’s desire to visit the country.
The White Paper warns that crime concerns can discourage local tourists from traveling by car or even by public transport.
Yet the latest arrival figures do not show a sector in decline. Instead, they point to continued growth while safety concerns remain part of the tourism debate.
Government says it has introduced several measures to improve tourism safety. These include tourism monitoring at key attractions, closer cooperation between the Department of Tourism and the South African Police Service, a National Tourism Safety Forum, and safety guidance for visitors.
A private-sector safety application that connects tourists with police, private security and medical assistance has also been rolled out as part of efforts to reassure visitors.
Tourism remains a critical part of the South African economy. According to the Department of Tourism, the sector supported 954,000 direct jobs and contributed 4.9% to the country’s GDP in 2024.
That economic weight is why the crime question matters. For now, the numbers show that tourists are still coming in record numbers.
But authorities and the industry still face tough questions about the real impact of crime on the visitor experience – including whether safety concerns are affecting bookings, cancellations, travel routes, or how tourists behave when they are here.
