IMPROVING LIVES THROUGH DATA ECOSYSTEMS

In August 2016, 3 497 070 travellers (arrivals, departures and transits) passed through South Africa’s ports of entry. They were made up of 899 322 South African residents and 2 597 748 foreign travellers.

 
Foreign arrivals, 1 323 775 were made up of 89 276 non-visitors and 1 234 499 visitors.

The visitors were broken down as follows:

• 400 861 who arrived and departed on the same day, and
  
• 833 638 who stayed overnight (tourists).

Tourists increased by 14,0% from 731 248 in August 2015.

They were constituted as follows:

• Overseas tourists, who increased by 22,6% from 165 990 in August 2015. 
  o The highest increase, 66,1% was for tourists from China (from 7 172 in  August 2015 to 11 914 in August 2016), followed by Spain, 51,5% (from 4 038 in August  2015 to 6 117 in August 2016).

• Tourists from SADC, who increased by 11,5% from 548 949 in August 2015.
  o The highest increase, 34,2% was for tourists from Malawi (from 10 735 in August 2015 to 14 410 in August 2016), followed by Zimbabwe, 30,8% (from 140 931 in August 2015 to 188 750 in August 2016).

• Tourists from 'other' African countries, who increased by 14,0% from 15 323 in August 2015.
  o The highest increase, 52,1% was for tourists from Gabon (from 1 108 in August 2015 to 1 685 in August 2016, followed by Nigeria, 23,9% (from 5 241 in August 2015 to 6 494 in August 2016).

• 869 tourists, whose country of origin were unspecified.

About three-quarters, 602 318 (72,3%) of tourists used road transport and more than quarter 231 274 (27,7%) used air transport, while a much smaller number, 46 (0,01%) used sea transport.

The majority of tourists, 805 654 (96,6%) were on holiday compared to 21 659 (2,6%) and 6 325 (0,8%) who came for business and for study purposes respectively. Tourists were made up of 457 414 (54,9%) males and 376 224 (45,1%) females.