Africa-Press – South-Africa. South Africa’s tourism sector is attracting more visitors than ever, but signs of strain on the industry are beginning to show.
President Cyril Ramaphosa recently revealed that a record 10.5 million tourists visited South Africa in 2025, surpassing the country’s pre-pandemic high of 10.22 million.
The tourism industry, which reportedly accounts for as much as 9% of the country’s GDP, currently employs around 1.8 million people.
While the president labelled this a positive sign for the industry’s future growth, some experts say early signs of stress are appearing in the country’s tourist hotspots.
North-West University Tourism Management Professor Elmarie Slabbert explained how overtourism can negatively impact a country’s residents.
“In many cases, infrastructure cannot deal with masses of tourists at a specific time, and it is the residents who feel the pressure,” Slabbert said.
“Food prices increase, moving in one’s own residential and retail areas is challenging, and to some extent, one does not feel welcome in one’s own city or town.”
This is already evident in some of the country’s most popular destinations. Seaside cities such as Durban and Cape Town experience heightened road and beach congestion during summer.
When the infrastructure cannot keep up with this, other problems can arise, such as water shortages, waste accumulation, and increased littering.
The country’s wildlife areas, such as the Kruger National Park, often experience road congestion during peak season, which can erode infrastructure and make the game-viewing experience too crowded.
Slabbert said these early warning signs should not be ignored, otherwise the country could face an overtourism crisis akin to those seen in countries like Spain and Italy.
Venice, which receives an estimated 25 million to 30 million visitors a year, introduced a fee in 2024 for day-trip visitors to the city during periods of high traffic.
Residents of Barcelona, meanwhile, have protested against what they see as a degradation in their quality of life as a result of overtourism in the city.
“As popular tourism destinations such as Barcelona and Venice struggle to manage overtourism, tourist numbers in South Africa are growing steadily,” Slabbert said.
“Tourism is an economic driver in South Africa, and although we want to grow tourist numbers, it should not happen at the expense of our natural resources and our people.”
South Africa’s tourism not in crisis yet
North-West University Tourism Management Professor Elmarie Slabbert
Despite the growing pressure on South Africa’s tourism industry from these early pressures, many experts emphasise that the country has not yet reached a tipping point.
In an interview with 702, Nox Cape Town founder Richard Marshall stressed this point, specifically regarding the city and the opportunities tourism brings to it.
Marshall, a member of the Southern Africa Short-Term Rental Association, cautioned against a negative view of the influx of tourists.
“We have to be so careful, because what we have in South Africa and in Cape Town is really an unemployment crisis and not an overtourism crisis,” Marshall said.
“When you compare us to other destinations typically associated with overtourism, what Cape Town is experiencing is an order of magnitude or two less than what they are.”
Marshall said South Africa’s job market benefits greatly from higher tourism. It is estimated that one new job is created for every 10 to 13 visitors to the country.
While he conceded that certain areas of Cape Town faced increased pressure from tourists, such as Camps Bay and Clifton, Marshall said this is not a city-wide issue.
“Barcelona is a city of 1.5 million people that gets 15 million tourists per year,” Marshall said. “Amsterdam is similar, and Venice is far worse. They get 20 million tourists for a city with 300,000 residents.”
“Cape Town gets 2.5 million tourists per year in a city of close to 5 million people. Really, we’re not suffering from an overtourism issue.”
While Slabbert also said South Africa has not reached a crisis point yet, she said better management and diversification of the tourism sector are needed to prevent the country from reaching that point.
Practical strategies she suggests include daily visitor limits for areas such as national parks, and marketing strategies which attract more visitors during non-peak seasons.
“Although not currently a major problem in South Africa, tourists should be managed to ensure they not only visit the hot spots but also venture into rural areas where many tourism gems can be found,” Slabbert said.
“A continuous focus on the same destinations, such as Cape Town, will attract more people to this area, but marketing organisations need to diversify tourism experiences and create more hype about other areas.”
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