Namibia has emerged as the leading African source market for air travellers visiting Cape Town, contributing a notable 1,917 passengers in April 2024. This marks a significant development as highlighted by recent data from South Africa’s Department of Statistics. Following Namibia, Zimbabwe recorded the second highest number of nationals visiting Cape Town via air, with nationals from Angola, Kenya, and Mozambique rounding out the top five positions.
While the overall number of Namibians travelling to South Africa experienced a slight dip in April 2024, with 12,614 travellers compared to 14,065 in April 2023, air travel saw a significant rise. In April 2024, air travel accounted for 4,234 of these passengers, a notable increase; whereas road travel saw 8,364 passengers and sea travel remained minimal with just 16 travellers. This shift underscores a growing preference for air travel among Namibians when visiting South Africa.
A deeper dive into the motivations behind Namibian travel reveals that holiday travel is the primary driver. In April 2024, 9,033 Namibian travellers were categorized under holiday travel, reflecting a strong inclination towards leisure and tourism. Additionally, 3,188 passengers travelled for business purposes, and 381 for study purposes. These figures suggest a balanced mix of travel motivations, though leisure clearly dominates.
On a larger scale, 51,726 Namibians visited South Africa in total between January and April of 2024. Compared to the same period in 2023, when 50,357 Namibians traveled, this indicates a modest rise. Even though it is slight, the growth year over year shows Namibians’ consistent interest in traveling to South Africa, which may be enabled by better air links and possibly better travel circumstances after the epidemic.
This surge in Namibian air travellers is part of a larger trend observed at Cape Town International Airport, which has maintained a positive trajectory moving into the second quarter of 2024. There was a 13% year-on-year increase in total tourist arrivals via air between January and April 2024, reaching 405,021 tourists. This figure not only represents robust growth but also surpasses the 2019 pre-pandemic figure of 350,020, highlighting a strong recovery and growth in international tourism.
Internationally, the United Kingdom led as the top overseas air market to Cape Town, with Germany a very close second. The United States of America, the Netherlands, and France also featured prominently, completing the top five overseas source markets. This diverse influx of international travellers underscores Cape Town’s broad appeal and its strategic importance as a global tourist destination.
The increase in air travellers, both from African countries and overseas, can be attributed to several factors. Enhanced flight connectivity, increased marketing efforts targeting key source markets, and the overall appeal of Cape Town as a destination with its rich cultural heritage, scenic beauty, and vibrant lifestyle all play pivotal roles. Additionally, improvements in travel infrastructure and services at Cape Town International Airport likely contribute to this positive trend.
The rise of Namibia as the top African source market for air travellers to Cape Town is a significant development in the regional travel landscape. This, coupled with the overall growth in international tourist arrivals, paints a promising picture for Cape Town’s tourism industry in 2024. As air travel preferences shift and tourism numbers continue to climb, Cape Town remains a key destination for both African and global travellers, solidifying its status as a premier tourist hotspot.
