By Ronalda Nalumango
South Africa’s tourism story is often told through its global icons: Table Mountain, the Kruger National Park, the Garden Route and the Winelands.
These destinations matter, and they continue to draw visitors and foreign revenue.
But if tourism is to become the inclusive economic engine government says it should be, then the test is not only how many tourists arrive in Cape Town, Johannesburg or Durban.
The real test is whether tourism creates jobs, enterprises and dignity in villages, townships and small towns that have long sat on the margins of the mainstream visitor economy.
There are encouraging signs of recovery and resilience in the sector.
International tourist arrivals reached 10.5 million in 2025, a 17.7% increase from 8.9 million in 2024 and 2.6% above pre-pandemic levels recorded in 2019.
The sector contributed R779 billion to gross domestic product, supported 1.8 million jobs and generated more than
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