South Africa’s tourism sector in the first quarter of 2026 was overwhelmingly driven by holiday travel, with regional African markets forming the backbone of arrivals and the United Kingdom and Germany consistently leading long-haul Western source countries, according to Statistics South Africa.
Between January and March 2026, total tourist arrivals remained strong, recording 1,397,421 in January, 1,100,156 in February and 1,171,740 in March. Across all three months, the main reason for travel was consistently holiday-making, reinforcing South Africa’s positioning as a leisure-led destination.
Regional dominance of African travel
Tourism flows remained heavily concentrated within Africa, with Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries accounting for more than 70% of total arrivals each month. Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Lesotho consistently ranked as the top source markets, underscoring the importance of cross-border mobility and regional tourism circuits.
Other African countries outside SADC contributed a small but steady share of arrivals, led by Kenya, Ghana and Nigeria, though their combined contribution remained below 2% each month.
UK and Germany remain key Western markets
Overseas tourism was comparatively smaller but stable, with the United Kingdom and Germany consistently ranking as the top Western source markets throughout the quarter.
In January, the UK (49, 713) and Germany (38, 306) led overseas arrivals, followed by similar trends in February (UK: 45, 404; Germany: 39, 866) and March (UK: 45, 902; Germany: 39, 913). Alongside the United States of America, these markets formed the core of South Africa’s long-haul tourism base, reflecting sustained leisure demand from established European economies.
Gender patterns remain consistent
Across all three months, male tourists outnumbered female tourists. In January, males accounted for 56,1%, rising to 59,0% in February and 58,8% in March. This pattern held across all regions—SADC, overseas and other African countries—where male travellers remained the majority.
Youthful mid-age profile dominates tourism
The age distribution across the quarter shows a consistently youthful but mid-career dominant tourism profile.
The largest age groups in all three months were travellers aged 35–44 and 25–34, together accounting for roughly half of all tourists each month:
- January: 35–44 (29,0%), 25–34 (23,5%)
- February: 35–44 (28,3%), 25–34 (24,2%)
- March: 35–44 (28,8%), 25–34 (24,1%)
Younger travellers under 25 made up a smaller share, while older age groups (55+) remained a stable minority. The 65+ category consistently represented around 6% of total tourists.
When broken down by region, clear differences emerge. SADC and other African countries were dominated by travellers aged 25–44, reflecting economically active, working-age mobility across the continent. In contrast, overseas markets showed a distinctly older profile, with the 55–64 and 65+ categories often representing the largest or second-largest shares, particularly from the United Kingdom, Germany and other European markets.
Median ages further highlight this divide: overseas tourists consistently recorded median ages in the mid-to-late 40s (46–48 years), compared to 38 years for SADC travellers and between 37–39 years for other African markets.
Overall picture
Taken together, the first quarter of 2026 reflects a tourism sector anchored in regional African movement, underpinned by strong holiday travel demand. The United Kingdom and Germany remain South Africa’s most important Western source markets, providing a stable long-haul base, while intra-African travel continues to dominate overall volumes.
