Tourism Satellite Account for South Africa, final 2014 and provisional 2015 and 2016

The Tourism Satellite Account for South Africa, final 2014 and provisional 2015 and 2016 "covers updated and new provisional figures for the reference years 2015 and 2016 as well as the final results for 2014. It provides an overview of the role that tourism plays in South Africa and provides information on the contribution by tourism to the South African economy in terms of expenditure and employment.

The tourism sector directly employed 686 596 persons in 2016, an increase of 2,7% or 17 945 employees compared with 2015. The tourism share of total employment increased from 2015 (4,2%) to 2016 (4,4%). The year 2016 saw 15 121 328 non-resident visitors to South Africa compared with 13 951 901 nonresident visitors in 2015 and 14 529 542 non-resident visitors in 2014. Of the 15 121 328 non-resident visitors in 2016, 5 077 165 (or 33,6%) were same-day visitors and 10 044 163 (or 66,4%) were tourists.

The total internal tourism consumption in cash for South Africa in 2016 was R265 758 million (inbound tourism consumption R121 400 million [45,7%] and domestic tourism consumption R144 358 million [54,3%]). The main expenditure items for internal tourism were 'non-specific products' (22,2%), 'road passenger transport services' (20,5%), 'accommodation for visitors' (14,9%) and 'air passenger transport services' (13,2%)."