More than one million international tourists came to South African shores in the month of August 2026, representing a 7.4% growth compared to August 2025.
International tourist arrivals to South Africa has now surpassed 7.5 million between January and August 2026.
Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille said the latest figures demonstrate strong demand for South Africa as a destination and reinforces the importance of translating growing arrivals into greater economic value.
“Welcoming more than one million international tourists in August demonstrates the demand that exists for South Africa.
“Our focus must now be on converting that demand into investment, jobs and economic opportunities. We must give visitors more places to go, more experiences to enjoy and more reasons to stay longer, while ensuring that the benefits of tourism reach more communities across our country,” de Lille said.
According to the department, South Africa’s largest overseas source markets are the United States with 37 134 tourists in August, followed by the United Kingdom with 25 749 and Germany with 14 731.
“The latest figures build on South Africa’s resilient performance during the first half of the year.
“According to UN Tourism, South Africa emerged as the strongest-performing African destination in the first half of 2026, recording 12% growth in international tourist arrivals compared with the same period in 2025. UN Tourism also places South Africa among the top 20 best-performing destinations globally among destinations reporting data for the first half of 2026.
“The growth in demand strengthens the case for expanding and diversifying South Africa’s tourism offering. Through this week’s South African Tourism Infrastructure Investment Summit, government is bringing together investors and tourism stakeholders to help translate tourism demand into new and expanded tourism products, experiences and infrastructure,” the department stated. – SAnews.gov.za
