South Africa’s Travel & Tourism Sector Set to Reach Record Employment in 2025

International

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has announced that South Africa’s Travel & Tourism sector is on course to achieve a historic employment milestone in 2025, with job numbers projected to exceed pre-pandemic levels.

However, broader indicators reveal that the sector’s full recovery is still underway.

According to WTTC’s latest Economic Impact Research (EIR), the sector is expected to support 1.9 million jobs this year—an all-time high—making up 11.3% of total national employment. This highlights the crucial role Travel & Tourism plays in driving job creation and economic opportunity across South Africa.

Domestic tourism remains a pillar of resilience. Spending by domestic travellers is forecast to reach ZAR 445 billion in 2025, exceeding 2019 figures by 3.8%.

Despite this growth in employment and domestic travel, other areas are still recovering. The sector’s total GDP contribution is projected at ZAR 659.8 billion, representing 8.9% of South Africa’s GDP, which remains 3.4% below the 2019 peak.

International visitor spending is projected to grow but remains subdued at ZAR 128.4 billion, trailing ZAR 37.7 billion behind 2019 levels.

Julia Simpson, President & CEO of WTTC, commented:

“South Africa’s Travel & Tourism sector is slowly turning the corner. Jobs are leading the recovery, with employment expected to reach new highs—demonstrating the sector’s powerful human impact.

As South Africa assumes the G20 Presidency in 2025, there is a major opportunity to prioritise Travel & Tourism at the heart of the global agenda. We’re honoured to be working with Minister Patricia de Lille, whose dynamic leadership will play a key role, including through the upcoming Investment Summit in September.”

Context from 2024

In 2024, the Travel & Tourism sector contributed ZAR 618.7 billion to the economy—9.4% below 2019 levels—and supported 1.8 million jobs.

International visitor spending stood at ZAR 116.5 billion, while domestic spending reached ZAR 430 billion.

Looking Ahead: A Decade of Growth

With the right strategic focus and continued public-private cooperation, WTTC forecasts that South Africa could see the sector grow to 2.6 million jobs by 2035, accounting for 13.8% of national employment.

By then, the sector’s economic contribution could reach ZAR 911.7 billion, or 10.3% of GDP.

For more insights, including WTTC’s latest Environmental & Social Research (ESR), visit the WTTC Research Hub.