By Lebone Rodah Mosima
South Africa recorded a 32% year-on-year increase in tourist arrivals in October, Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille told France’s largest travel agency network on Thursday.
Speaking at the Selectour Congress in Cape Town, De Lille said the October figure pushed year-to-date arrivals to 8.56 million, well above the 7.23 million recorded in the first 10 months of 2024.
“October 2025 recorded 927,426 international arrivals – a remarkable 32% increase compared to October 2024. That’s nearly a million arrivals in just one month,” she said in her keynote address.
France remained one of South Africa’s top five overseas markets, with more than 110,000 French visitors arriving in the year to date, she added.
De Lille said the surge was thanks to the country’s successful hosting of the G20 Leaders’ Summit.
“With 42 countries represented at Nasrec, Johannesburg, our country stood proudly on the world stage: united, efficient, secure, and ready to do business,” she told delegates.
She said new measures to ease access, such as the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system, would be expanded early next year.
“Citizens from India, China, Mexico and Indonesia will be among the first … to experience the ability to apply for a visa from the comfort of their homes and get confirmation within 72 hours,” De Lille said.
She also reminded delegates that French hospitality giant Club Med would open its first Southern African resort in KwaZulu-Natal in 2026. This was an indication of international investor confidence, she said.
She also promoted upcoming sporting events, saying that Saudi-backed LIV Golf would stage an event in Johannesburg, and that South Africa would co-host the 2027 Cricket World Cup.
On the business-events front, she said South Africa had already secured conferences worth more than 20 million euros (R415 million) in direct economic impact this year, with potential future bookings worth another 55 million euros (R1.1 billion) through 2031.
Addressing the 50th anniversary congress of Selectour, De Lille thanked delegates for choosing Cape Town and encouraged them to extend stays and explore beyond traditional routes.
“Stay longer. Explore our township experiences, art galleries, culinary journeys, wine routes, eco-lodges, and community projects that offer a deeper connection to the soul of our country,” she said.
“You have come to South Africa at a time when our tourism sector is full of energy, full of confidence, and full of growth.”
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