THE LONG VIEW
Extending visitor journeys beyond South Africa’ s established gateways could support more businesses and jobs, but visibility must be matched by infrastructure and bookable experiences.
By Brian Mpono, tourism and destination-development strategist and business executive
South Africa has a tourism problem that may actually be an opportunity.
We are getting better at bringing people into the country, but are we getting better at encouraging them to explore more of it?
South Africa welcomed 10.5 million international tourists in 2025, exceeding pre-pandemic levels. In the first six months of 2026, another 5.58 million arrived, up 12.3 % on the same period last year. These are millions of people deciding where to sleep, eat, drive, shop, and spend.
The next question should therefore not only be how we attract more tourists. It should also be how we persuade them to add another town, experience or province to their itinerary.
The opportunity is hiding beyond the familiar gateways. Barberton offers gold-rush history and the ancient geology of the Makhonjwa Mountains. Richards Bay combines beaches, wetlands, birding, and mangrove ecosystems. Cullinan, about 50km from Pretoria, brings together diamond-mining history, Victorian architecture, and access to the wider Dinokeng region.
But visibility alone is not enough. You cannot TikTok your way out of poor infrastructure. Technology may create discovery, but the destination must deliver the experience. That requires safe and reliable transport, accommodation, skills, events, and businesses that are visible and bookable.
The economic stakes are considerable. In 2024, internal tourism expenditure reached R779.2 billion, while tourism directly supported 953 981 jobs. Getting more value from existing arrivals could spread that activity further, including to township restaurants, rural guesthouses, local guides and craftspeople.
South Africa does not need fewer visitors in its tourism powerhouses. It needs to become better at selling the journey beyond them. The next tourism boom may lie in giving the people already coming here more South Africa to discover. �
These places do not need to replace Cape Town, Durban, or Johannesburg. They can extend the journey. An additional night means another room occupied, restaurant table filled, guide booked or local product sold.
This year’ s Tourism Month theme,“ Growing South Africa’ s Tourism Sector in the Digital Era”, was timely. Travellers increasingly discover places through search, booking platforms, social media, creators, and artificial intelligence. A destination that cannot be found cannot be considered.
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