Tourism statisticsCountry2026

South Africa Tourism Statistics: 8.9M Arrivals in 2024

Q: How many tourists visit South Africa?

South Africa had 8.9 million international tourist arrivals in 2024, according to UN Tourism, via Our World in Data. Domestic trips are not in that count. AirROI estimates 1,022,621 Airbnb stays in South Africa in the 12 months to October 2026, which is a separate count of bookings.

Q: What is the quietest month in South Africa?

June was the quietest Airbnb month in South Africa in the 12 months to October 2026, ranking 12th of 12, and May ranked 11th. Stays in June were booked about 30 days ahead, against 79 days for December.

Q: How long is a typical Airbnb stay in South Africa?

A typical Airbnb stay in South Africa lasted 5.2 nights in the 12 months to October 2026, booked about 54 days ahead. By month, stays ran from 3.9 nights in September to 6.5 nights in January.

South Africa recorded 8.9 million international tourist arrivals in 2024, UN Tourism reports, via Our World in Data. This counts people crossing a border, so domestic trips are not in it. AirROI estimates 1,022,621 Airbnb stays in South Africa in the 12 months to October 2026, with Cape Town the most booked city. The busiest month was December.

Source: AirROI Reviewed by Jun Zhou, Founder @ AirROI Updated November 4, 2026

Airbnb figures are AirROI estimates for the 12 months to October 2026. Read the method

Estimated Airbnb nights: 5,306,117
Typical Airbnb stay: 5.2 nights
Busiest Airbnb month: December
From abroad, among guests who left a review: 46%

Key facts

South Africa Tourism Facts

Each sentence names its place, period and source, so it can be quoted alone.

Official

UN Tourism puts South Africa at 8.9 million international tourist arrivals in 2024, via Our World in Data.

Airbnb stays

AirROI puts Airbnb stays in South Africa at 1,022,621 in the 12 months to October 2026.
AirROI estimates Airbnb stays in South Africa added up to 5,306,117 nights in the 12 months to October 2026.
AirROI estimates a typical Airbnb stay in South Africa lasted 5.2 nights in the 12 months to October 2026, booked about 54 days ahead.

Busiest months

AirROI ranks December the busiest Airbnb month in South Africa in the 12 months to October 2026, followed by March and January, with June the quietest.
AirROI estimates the six busiest Airbnb months in South Africa ran unbroken from October to March in the 12 months to October 2026.
AirROI estimates Airbnb stays in South Africa in December were booked furthest ahead, about 79 days, against 30 days for June, in the 12 months to October 2026.

Guests

AirROI estimates 46% of South Africa Airbnb guests who left a review as of October 2026 came from abroad, led by the United Kingdom at 9% and Germany at 8.6%.

By place

AirROI ranks South Africa first for Airbnb stays among Africa's 28 countries in the 12 months to October 2026.
AirROI estimates Cape Town had the most Airbnb stays of the 77 towns it lists in South Africa in the 12 months to October 2026, at 276,200, ahead of George and Stellenbosch.

Official numbers

How Many Tourists Visit South Africa?

UN Tourism counted 8.9 million international tourist arrivals in 2024, via Our World in Data.

Official tourism figures for South Africa: what each counts, its year and its publisher
Figure	What it counts	Year	Publisher
8.9 millionInternational tourist arrivals	Trips by visitors arriving from abroad who stay at least one night, each arrival counted separately	2024	UN Tourism, via Our World in Data

Airbnb stays

Airbnb Stays in South Africa

South Africa had 60,193 Airbnb homes in the 12 months to October 2026. They took an estimated 1,022,621 stays and 5,306,117 nights. A typical stay lasted 5.2 nights and was booked about 54 days ahead. AirROI's figures cover the 207 towns it tracks in South Africa; places it does not track are not counted, so every total is a floor.

Airbnb homes: 60,193
Airbnb stays, estimate: 1,022,621
Airbnb nights, estimate: 5,306,117
Typical stay: 5.2 nights
Booked ahead: 54 days

Busiest months

When Is the Busiest Time in South Africa?

On Airbnb, December was the busiest month in South Africa in the 12 months to October 2026, then March and January. June was the quietest. The six busiest months run unbroken from October to March.

December ranks first, June last

Airbnb months in calendar order, 12 months to October 2026. The number is the month's rank, and 1 is the busiest. The bar shows its part of Airbnb nights.

Three busiest months
Other months

From busiest to quietest: December, March, January, February, November, October, April, September, July, August, May, June.

Month by month: rank, typical stay and days booked ahead

Airbnb months in South Africa by rank, with share of nights, typical stay and days booked ahead, 12 months to October 2026
Rank	Month	Share of nights	Typical stay	Booked ahead
1	December	11.0%	6.3 nights	79 days
2	March	9.3%	5.2 nights	48 days
3	January	9.1%	6.5 nights	64 days
4	February	9.0%	6.1 nights	59 days
5	November	8.7%	5.6 nights	65 days
6	October	8.4%	4.8 nights	57 days
7	April	8.3%	4.5 nights	48 days
8	September	7.7%	3.9 nights	47 days
9	July	7.6%	5.6 nights	39 days
10	August	7.4%	4.4 nights	46 days
11	May	7.0%	4.6 nights	37 days
12	June	6.7%	5.0 nights	30 days

Share is each month's part of the year's Airbnb nights. Typical stay and days booked ahead are AirROI estimates for stays in each month.

Where guests come from

Where Do South Africa Airbnb Guests Come From?

Among South Africa Airbnb guests who left a review as of October 2026, 46% came from abroad, led by the United Kingdom at 9% and Germany at 8.6%, AirROI estimates. Among the same guests, Cape Town was the top origin city at 13%, ahead of Johannesburg at 7.8%. The figures rest on 2,400,380 reviews, written over many years.

46% from abroad

Among guests who left a review, as of October 2026

Top countries abroad

Among guests who left a review

United Kingdom 9%
Germany 8.6%
United States 5.7%
Netherlands 2.4%

Top origin cities

Among guests who left a review

Cape Town 13%
Johannesburg 7.8%
Pretoria 4.1%
London 2.3%
KwaZulu-Natal 1%

By town

Most Booked Towns in South Africa

Cape Town, George and Stellenbosch took 39% of Airbnb stays in South Africa in the 12 months to October 2026. December is the busiest Airbnb month in 67 of the 77 towns, led by Cape Town, and January in 3, led by Stellenbosch. Among guests who left a review, the share from abroad across the 25 most booked towns runs from 12% in Bloemfontein to 66% in Cape Town.

Most Booked Towns in South Africa: Airbnb stays, nights and typical stay, 12 months to October 2026; with origin among guests who left a review
#
1	Cape Town	276,200	2,005,704	7.3 nights	66%	UK	December
2	George	77,355	366,374	4.7 nights	53%	Germany	December
3	Stellenbosch	40,507	186,105	4.6 nights	65%	UK	January
4	Overstrand Local Municipality	38,667	174,691	4.5 nights	51%	Germany	December
5	Johannesburg	30,657	177,815	5.8 nights	44%	US	December
6	Sandton	28,935	163,519	5.7 nights	44%	US	December
7	Pretoria	24,632	93,694	3.8 nights	24%	US	December
8	KwaDukuza Local Municipality	22,458	107,275	4.8 nights	21%	UK	December
9	Saldanha Bay Local Municipality	21,409	85,384	4.0 nights	36%	Germany	December
10	Gqeberha	21,199	97,362	4.6 nights	27%	Germany	December
11	Durban	18,908	85,661	4.5 nights	18%	US	December
12	Umhlanga Rocks	13,097	56,229	4.3 nights	23%	UK	December
13	Langeberg Local Municipality	12,006	32,388	2.7 nights	35%	Germany	December
14	Nkomazi	11,783	45,655	3.9 nights	53%	UK	December
15	Randburg	11,654	72,631	6.2 nights	33%	UK	December
16	Kouga Local Municipality	11,093	58,336	5.3 nights	42%	Germany	December
17	Midrand	9,949	49,721	5.0 nights	26%	UK	December
18	Hibiscus Coast Local Municipality	9,735	47,735	4.9 nights	17%	UK	December
19	Bloemfontein	9,185	31,210	3.4 nights	12%	Lesotho	December
20	Witzenberg Local Municipality	9,081	21,944	2.4 nights	33%	UK	December
21	Drakenstein Local Municipality	8,755	35,841	4.1 nights	46%	UK	December
22	UMgeni Local Municipality	8,635	28,087	3.3 nights	13%	UK	December
23	Mbombela	8,431	29,168	3.5 nights	40%	Germany	December
24	Dihlabeng Local Municipality	8,392	21,597	2.6 nights	18%	UK	December
25	Ballito	7,861	36,683	4.7 nights	18%	UK	December
26	Emakhazeni Local Municipality	7,275	19,741	2.7 nights	15%	UK	December
27	Milnerton	7,160	50,715	7.1 nights	50%	Germany	February
28	Hout Bay	6,863	53,387	7.8 nights	79%	Germany	March
29	Umdloti / eMdloti	6,494	27,605	4.3 nights	17%	UK	December
30	Theewaterskloof Local Municipality	6,490	20,710	3.2 nights	21%	UK	December
31	Swartland Local Municipality	6,364	23,651	3.7 nights	29%	UK	December
32	East London	6,334	23,337	3.7 nights	13%	UK	December
33	Swellendam Local Municipality	6,154	19,203	3.1 nights	54%	Germany	December
34	Madibeng Local Municipality	5,483	13,921	2.5 nights	15%	UK	December
35	Somerset West	5,383	39,203	7.3 nights	49%	UK	January
36	Simon's Town	5,160	29,657	5.7 nights	66%	UK	December
37	Cederberg Local Municipality	5,070	17,139	3.4 nights	46%	Germany	December
38	Bela Bela Local Municipality	5,069	15,405	3.0 nights	20%	UK	December
39	Cape Agulhas Local Municipality	4,889	20,484	4.2 nights	43%	Germany	December
40	Maruleng Local Municipality	4,599	16,086	3.5 nights	54%	UK	December
41	Ndlambe Local Municipality	4,485	18,932	4.2 nights	28%	UK	December
42	Bellville	4,329	31,977	7.4 nights	30%	UK	March
43	Okhahlamba Local Municipality	4,214	13,895	3.3 nights	36%	UK	December
44	Strand	3,883	25,947	6.7 nights	48%	Germany	December
45	Langebaan	3,879	15,412	4.0 nights	28%	Germany	December
46	Roodepoort	3,646	20,066	5.5 nights	19%	UK	December
47	Knysna	3,573	16,959	4.7 nights	53%	Germany	December
48	Camdeboo Local Municipality	3,488	9,484	2.7 nights	16%	UK	December
49	Plettenberg Bay	3,325	18,212	5.5 nights	56%	Germany	December
50	Mtubatuba Local Municipality	3,297	10,857	3.3 nights	65%	France	December
51	Fish Hoek	3,218	23,405	7.3 nights	69%	UK	January
52	Centurion	3,126	18,005	5.8 nights	16%	UK	September
53	EThekwini Metropolitan Municipality	2,927	11,846	4.0 nights	13%	US	December
54	Marloth Park	2,911	11,189	3.8 nights	44%	US	December
55	Thaba Chweu Local Municipality	2,848	7,448	2.6 nights	65%	France	July
56	Greater Tzaneen Local Municipality	2,797	6,992	2.5 nights	16%	Netherlands	December
57	Prince Albert Local Municipality	2,722	7,121	2.6 nights	28%	UK	December
58	Mogale City Local Municipality	2,709	8,087	3.0 nights	20%	UK	December
59	Noordhoek	2,691	21,324	7.9 nights	74%	Germany	February
60	Breede Valley Local Municipality	2,540	8,621	3.4 nights	31%	UK	December
61	Mossel Bay	2,505	12,622	5.0 nights	45%	Germany	December
62	Kou-Kamma Local Municipality	2,428	7,067	2.9 nights	68%	Germany	December
63	Tlokwe Local Municipality	2,340	9,465	4.0 nights	16%	UK	March
64	Kwa Sani Local Municipality	2,261	6,451	2.9 nights	33%	Germany	December
65	Boksburg	2,231	9,555	4.3 nights	35%	US	December
66	Durbanville	2,052	12,779	6.2 nights	31%	UK	December
67	Bergrivier Local Municipality	2,044	8,666	4.2 nights	29%	Germany	December
68	UMdoni Local Municipality	2,004	9,498	4.7 nights	15%	UK	December
69	Rustenburg Local Municipality	1,965	6,646	3.4 nights	20%	UK	December
70	Kempton Park	1,900	6,817	3.6 nights	45%	US	December
71	Jeffreys Bay	1,883	9,826	5.2 nights	42%	Germany	December
72	Margate	1,648	6,542	4.0 nights	11%	US	December
73	Great Kei Local Municipality	1,630	7,590	4.7 nights	20%	Germany	December
74	Kingsburgh	1,606	7,273	4.5 nights	13%	UK	December
75	Sol Plaatje Local Municipality	1,477	5,124	3.5 nights	14%	US	December
76	Beaufort West Local Municipality	1,352	2,714	2.0 nights	12%	UK	December
77	Germiston	1,153	5,707	4.9 nights	27%	Germany	December

* Among guests who left a review. Stays, nights and other figures are AirROI estimates for the 12 months to October 2026, and cover Airbnb only. South Africa is the top origin in 76 of 77 towns, among guests who left a review, so this column names the top country abroad. Lists the 77 of South Africa's 207 towns with 100 or more Airbnb homes. A town with no tourism page of its own links to its Airbnb market page.

FAQ

Questions About Tourism in South Africa

How many tourists visit South Africa?

South Africa had 8.9 million international tourist arrivals in 2024, according to UN Tourism, via Our World in Data. Domestic trips are not in that count. AirROI estimates 1,022,621 Airbnb stays in South Africa in the 12 months to October 2026, which is a separate count of bookings.

When is high season in South Africa?

The busiest Airbnb month in South Africa in the 12 months to October 2026 was December, then March and January. The six busiest months run from October to March.

What is the quietest month in South Africa?

June was the quietest Airbnb month in South Africa in the 12 months to October 2026, ranking 12th of 12, and May ranked 11th. Stays in June were booked about 30 days ahead, against 79 days for December.

How long is a typical Airbnb stay in South Africa?

A typical Airbnb stay in South Africa lasted 5.2 nights in the 12 months to October 2026, booked about 54 days ahead. By month, stays ran from 3.9 nights in September to 6.5 nights in January.

Where do Airbnb guests in South Africa come from?

Of South Africa Airbnb guests who left a review as of October 2026, 46% came from abroad, AirROI estimates. The largest groups were the United Kingdom at 9% and Germany at 8.6%. Among the same guests, the top origin city was Cape Town at 13%, ahead of Johannesburg at 7.8%.

What is the most booked town in South Africa on Airbnb?

Cape Town was the most booked town in South Africa on Airbnb, with an estimated 276,200 stays in the 12 months to October 2026, ahead of George and Stellenbosch.

Are Airbnb stays the same as tourists?

No. UN Tourism counts international tourist arrivals (8.9 million in 2024). An Airbnb stay is one booking on one platform, however many guests it holds. AirROI's 1,022,621 stays are estimates for the 12 months to October 2026.

Method

How These Numbers Are Made

Official figures come from their publishers, linked above, and were last checked in November 2026. Stays and nights are AirROI estimates for the 12 months to October 2026, built from Airbnb listing data, and cover Airbnb only. Nights add up each town's stays times its typical stay, across 207 towns. Month ranks compare each month's part of Airbnb nights. Origin rests on 2,400,380 reviews and describes guests who left a review, not everyone who stayed. Read the method page.