Russia saw the highest increase of tourists to SA over the festive season.
While fewer Americans travelled to South Africa during the 2025 festive season, the country recorded a sharp rise in visitors from Russia.
StatsSA released its International Tourism and Migration statistics on Tuesday, showing that nearly four million travellers passed through South Africa’s ports of entry and exit in December 2025.
The data shows that although the United States remained one of South Africa’s top overseas tourism markets in December 2025, the number of American visitors declined compared to the same period a year earlier.
Millions moved through SA’s ports in December
“The routine data collected by the Department of Home Affairs immigration officers at the ports of entry into and out of South Africa shows that a total of 3 962 073 travellers (arrivals, departures and transits) passed through South African ports in December 2025,” StatsSA said.
These travellers included both South African residents and foreign nationals. Of the total number, 1 188 119 were South African residents, and 2 773 954 were foreign travellers.
South African residents accounted for 519 668 arrivals, 667 890 departures, and 561 travellers in transit.
Foreign travellers, meanwhile, made up 1 339 217 arrivals, 1 393 309 departures and 41 428 travellers in transit.
Russia records strongest growth
Among international tourists arriving from outside Africa, the United Kingdom remained South Africa’s leading overseas source market in December 2025.
According to StatsSA, the UK remains the country with the most visitors to SA, 47 634 tourists in December, up from 43 018.
While the US was second-highest on the list last year, with 36 361 visitors, it was overtaken by Germany last month. Germany recorded 33 917, while the United States shed over 2 700 visitors.
The Netherlands (14 539) and Australia (12 357) made up the rest of the top 5.
Russia, while not ranked in the top five, recorded the strongest year-on-year growth in tourist arrivals.
“The Russian Federation had the highest increase of 34.4%, from 3 842 tourists in December 2024 to 5 162 tourists in December 2025,” StatsSA said.
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The Trump effect
The shift comes against a backdrop of heightened diplomatic tensions between South Africa and the United States since President Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025, raising questions about whether political relations may be influencing travel behaviour.
Trump has repeatedly criticised South Africa, accusing the government of human rights violations and a “white genocide” against white farmers, allegations that South African authorities and numerous studies have consistently rejected.
Trump also cut US aid funding to South Africa and granted refugee status to a small number of white Afrikaner South Africans, citing what he described as “bad things happening in South Africa”.
At the same time, South Africa’s political and economic alignment with Russia has deepened through its membership of the Brics bloc, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
Russia has increasingly been viewed internationally as an ally of South Africa.
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African tourists dominate arrivals
Despite the shifts in overseas markets, the overwhelming majority of tourists visiting South Africa in December 2025 came from the African continent.
StatsSA reported that “virtually most tourists from Africa, 738 362 (97.4%), came from Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries”.
Zimbabwe remained South Africa’s largest African tourism market, accounting for 209 927 tourists. Mozambique followed with 181 250, Lesotho with 115 831, Eswatini with 97 914, and Botswana with 54 704.
Outside the SADC, Kenya, Ghana and Nigeria were the leading African source markets.
Tourists from Kenya numbered 6 581 (33.9%), followed by Ghana with 4 352 (22.4%) and Nigeria with 2 474 (12.7%).
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How travellers entered and exited SA
Of the total travellers recorded in December, more than two-thirds entered or exited South Africa by road, highlighting that road travel remained the dominant mode of transport during the festive season.
StatsSA said that road was used by 2 681 630 (67.7%) of the 3 962 073 travellers recorded in December.
Air travel accounted for 1 236 450 travellers (31.2%), while only 43 993 travellers (1.1%) used sea routes.
Among foreign arrivals, 73.1% entered South Africa by road, while just more than a quarter arrived by air. When departing, 76.6% of foreign travellers left by road and 22.9% by air.
“All travellers in transit used air,” StatsSA noted.
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