Spending by international visitors while visiting a country in South Africa
South Africa: Spending by international visitors while visiting a country was 6.72 billion current US$ in 2024. ▲ Rising
Spending by international visitors while visiting a country in South Africa, 1995–2024
Source: UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in current US$.
Analysis
In 2024, spending by international visitors while visiting a country in South Africa stood at 6.72 billion current US$.
That represents a change of up 12.8% on the previous year and down 35.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, spending by international visitors while visiting a country in South Africa peaked at 11.20 billion current US$ in 2012 and was at its lowest, 2.19 billion current US$, in 2021.
South Africa ranks 48th of 203 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 30 years of available data.
Spending by international visitors while visiting a country in South Africa, year by year
| Year | current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 2.65 billion current US$ | — |
| 1996 | 3.14 billion current US$ | +18.2% |
| 1997 | 3.42 billion current US$ | +9.1% |
| 1998 | 3.42 billion current US$ | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 3.41 billion current US$ | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 3.34 billion current US$ | -2.0% |
| 2001 | 3.26 billion current US$ | -2.5% |
| 2002 | 3.69 billion current US$ | +13.5% |
| 2003 | 6.67 billion current US$ | +80.6% |
| 2004 | 7.57 billion current US$ | +13.4% |
| 2005 | 8.63 billion current US$ | +14.0% |
| 2006 | 9.21 billion current US$ | +6.7% |
| 2007 | 10.23 billion current US$ | +11.0% |
| 2008 | 9.18 billion current US$ | -10.2% |
| 2009 | 8.68 billion current US$ | -5.4% |
| 2010 | 10.31 billion current US$ | +18.7% |
| 2011 | 10.71 billion current US$ | +3.9% |
| 2012 | 11.20 billion current US$ | +4.6% |
| 2013 | 10.47 billion current US$ | -6.6% |
| 2014 | 10.48 billion current US$ | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 9.14 billion current US$ | -12.8% |
| 2016 | 8.81 billion current US$ | -3.6% |
| 2017 | 9.71 billion current US$ | +10.2% |
| 2018 | 9.79 billion current US$ | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 9.06 billion current US$ | -7.4% |
| 2020 | 2.72 billion current US$ | -70.0% |
| 2021 | 2.19 billion current US$ | -19.3% |
| 2022 | 4.96 billion current US$ | +126.4% |
| 2023 | 5.96 billion current US$ | +20.1% |
| 2024 | 6.72 billion current US$ | +12.8% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 6.72 billion current US$ is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.79 billion current US$, 3.8× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 6.72 billion current US$ is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 245.75 million current US$, 27.4× the median. (42 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Spending by international visitors while visiting a country in South Africa changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +126.4% | 2.19 billion current US$ | 4.96 billion current US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.21 billion current US$ | 2.65 billion current US$ | 3.42 billion current US$ | 5 |
| 2000s | 7.05 billion current US$ | 3.26 billion current US$ | 10.23 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.97 billion current US$ | 8.81 billion current US$ | 11.20 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.51 billion current US$ | 2.19 billion current US$ | 6.72 billion current US$ | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More reference data data for South Africa
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.5111 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 8.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 13.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.7468 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 13.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.49 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 41.1 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 63.65 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 4.07 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is spending by international visitors while visiting a country in South Africa?
- Spending by international visitors while visiting a country in South Africa was 6.72 billion current US$ in 2024, according to UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest spending by international visitors while visiting a country recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 11.20 billion current US$ in 2012.
- What is the lowest spending by international visitors while visiting a country recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.19 billion current US$ in 2021.
- How does South Africa rank for spending by international visitors while visiting a country?
- South Africa ranks 48th out of 203 countries with data for 2024.
- Is spending by international visitors while visiting a country rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 35.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Spending by international visitors while visiting a country. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 30 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Money received by the destination country from foreign visitors, including spending on accommodation, food, local transport, entertainment, shopping, and fares paid to the country’s own airlines. The data is expressed in current US dollars and is not adjusted for inflation or differences in living costs between countries.