Whether it’s to walk the length and breadth of Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was held captive, trek through pristine African bush on a 21st century safari or traipse the urban malls in search of Afro couture, more people than ever before are travelling to South Africa.

A record 7.4 million foreign visitors (10.3% more than the previous year) entered the country in 2005 and since the first democratic elections in 1994, tourism has almost doubled in volume.

And according to environmental and tourism minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk, the boom looks set to continue all the way to the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup.

Speaking on World Tourism Day, Van Schalkwyk said South Africa had emerged ‘as a star performer in the world arena’ and was reaping the benefits of an ‘elevated international profile’ since being named as the host country for the biggest sporting event on the global calendar.

Tourism already accounts for 8.15% of South Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP) and this is expected to rise to 12% by 2014, so it’s little wonder that it’s being called ‘the new gold’. At the 2006 tourism Indaba in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka made it clear that government views South Africa’s burgeoning tourism industry as a cornerstone of economic growth. It has, in fact, outstripped all other sectors of the economy in recent years.

In 2005 tourism added R55.9 billion to South Africa’s coffers – R28 billion more than gold exports. In the first quarter of 2006, the income from tourism was a whopping R12.7 billion. Direct foreign spending, excluding pre-booked accommodation, activities and flights, is up 17%.

Foreign visitors are spending their money on everything from once-in-a-lifetime African safaris to consumer items for resale in their own countries. The latter accounts for the 15.5% rise to 5.3 million travellers from South Africa’s neighbouring states and the rest of the African continent.

America, Japan and Canada lead the way for the rest of the world, with 25 258, 4 193 and 3 648 more citizens respectively arriving in South Africa from those countries in 2005 than the year before. American visitors were up 12% for the fourth consecutive year and Canadians showed consistent growth of 9.8%. The most frequent length of stay for those who fly in is seven days, followed by 10, 14 and 21 days.

The highest increase in tourists was from Nigeria (23.6%) followed by Japan (18%), the US (12.1%), Canada (9.8%), Kenya (6%), Australia and Italy (2%). And the United Kingdom, which represents SA’s biggest overseas market, grew by 2.9% to 469 599 visitors.

Brazilian visitors were up by 11.3%, possibly as a prelude to the expected influx of tourists from the soccer-mad country in 2010.

Almost half of the tourists in 2005 were visiting for the first time, while 22% were on their second or third trip and 15% were returning for up to the tenth time.
Most people (30.8%) still come to South Africa on holiday rather than to visit friends or family and rank scenic beauty, people and hospitality as their top memories and experiences. Shopping, nightlife, natural attractions, culture, beaches and wildlife are the most popular activities. The three provinces that attract 75% of the foreign tourist spend are Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Province.

The tourism boom has seen a 3.5% increase in the number of new jobs created, amounting to employment for more than one million people.

Already renowned for its matchless opportunities to view the Big 5 (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino) in the bush, South Africa is rapidly also becoming the favoured destination of world travellers seeking experiences that satisfy all five senses and allow them to:

• SEE: Namaqualand in full bloom after the first spring rains; the changing landscape from the Blue Train, one of the last truly luxurious hotels on rails; gabled Cape Dutch architecture; the majestic peaks and valleys of the Drakensberg; whales splashing in the seas off the rugged southern Cape coast; a blazing orange sunset; the spectacular view from Table Mountain; the Kgalagadi desert’s sculpted dunes; the bright colours of an  Ndebele village or exquisite hand-made beadwork.

• HEAR: The roar of a lion on a starry Bushveld night; waves crashing against rocky Cape Point; traditional drums signalling dinner at ultra-luxurious game lodges; the melodious song and rhythmic clapping of tribal music.

• TOUCH and FEEL: The soft kiss of the sun on bare shoulders; an invigorating mid-winter day on the Highveld; the adrenalin rush of a bungee-jump off the 216m-high Bloukrans bridge.

• SMELL: The heady aromas of Durban’s spice market; the flat, rich Free State earth after a summer storm; the bouquet of an award-winning Cabernet Sauvignon amid the vineyards where its grapes were grown; indigenous wood on a roaring fire in a traditional reed boma.

• TASTE: Gourmet cuisine, typical township fare or the exotic local flavours of crocodile, bobotie, Karoo lamb, biltong and mopani worms; some of the finest wines in the world; oysters fresh from the sea at Knysna’s annual festival; marula liqueur from lush Limpopo, South Africa’s Eden. 

There truly is something for everyone in South Africa, as more than seven million foreign visitors found out in 2005. Apart from blue skies, sunny days and spectacular natural scenery, the history and the people themselves are draw cards for anyone seeking a holiday laden with happy memories.