south africa tourism board uk

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• Passports, travel and living abroad
• Travel abroad
• Foreign travel advice

South Africa

Entry requirements.

This advice reflects the UK government’s understanding of current rules for people travelling on a full ‘British citizen’ passport from the UK, for the most common types of travel.

The authorities in South Africa set and enforce entry rules. If you’re not sure how these requirements apply to you, contact South Africa’s High Commission in the UK .

COVID-19 rules

Countries may restrict travel or bring in rules at short notice. Check with your travel company or airline for changes.

If you test positive for COVID-19, you may need to stay where you are until you test negative. You may also need to seek treatment there.

Visit TravelHealthPro (from the UK’s National Travel Health Network and Centre) for general COVID-19 advice for travellers .

Passport validity requirements

To avoid problems at immigration, your passport should:

• be valid for at least 30 days beyond your intended date of exit from South Africa
• have 2 blank pages

You can read more about South Africa’s  Immigration Regulations on the Department of Home Affairs’ website .

Dual nationals

If you hold South African citizenship, you must use your South African passport to enter and exit the country. It is illegal for a South African citizen aged 18 or over to enter or leave the country on a foreign passport. For more information about South African passports, see the South Africa Department of Home Affairs .

Visa requirements

You do not need a visa to visit South Africa for tourism or business for up to 90 days.

Check the expiry date of your visa or entry stamp and ensure you do not overstay.

For more information on visas, contact the South African High Commission .

Travelling with children

There are special requirements for travelling to South Africa with children under 18, and for unaccompanied children entering South Africa. The South African Department of Home Affairs has more information .

Vaccination requirements (other than COVID-19)

At least 8 weeks before your trip, check the vaccinations and vaccination certificates you may need on TravelHealthPro.

Customs rules

Check UK customs requirements before buying products to take back to the UK.

Taking money into South Africa

There are limits on how much currency you can bring into South Africa:

• cash in South African rand – up to 25,000 rand per person
• combinations of cash in other currencies – up to 10,000 US dollars (or equivalent)

If you’re taking more than this, you need to declare it when you enter South Africa.

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TOURISM BUSINESS COUNCIL OF SOUTH AFRICA

• [email protected]

OUR MISSION

The work of the tbcsa.

The TBCSA unites the diverse South African travel and tourism sector and contributes to a competitive, inclusive, and sustainable economy. We bring together all the key industry stakeholders from the private and the public sectors that share common objectives to oversee issues affecting the industry. 

As part of our strategic objectives, we work with industry players to drive transformation and promote inclusion and diversity in the travel and tourism sector. The TBCSA is the voice of travel and tourism businesses in South Africa that supports growth by shaping policy and providing insights to the private and public sectors.

Provide a gateway for engagement between the public and private sectors:

The public and private sectors share a common goal to ensure the sustainable growth of the local travel and tourism industry. The role of the TBCSA is to ensure the priorities and interests of the private sector are advanced. It provides insights framed to inform government policy and create a platform for ongoing engagement.

Keep abreast of legislative and policy considerations:

The TBCSA board recognises legislative and policy frameworks as significant considerations in growing a sustainable travel and tourism sector. Thus, the TBCSA is mandated to update all its members on any amendments and developments in the legislative and policy frameworks that pertain to the travel and tourism industry in South Africa. As the voice of the travel and tourism industry, the TBCSA must stay ahead of trends and be aware of the impact of various issues on members and other stakeholders in the industry.

Manage and grow the Tourism Levy South Africa:

The Tourism Levy South Africa (TOMSA) is a 1% voluntary levy that businesses in the travel and tourism industry contribute. The TBCSA is the selected administrator of TOMSA that collects the funds and hands them over to South African Tourism (SAT), the official marketing organisation of Destination South Africa.  Some of the funds collected through TOMSA support South African Tourism to sell Destination South Africa to the world. The funds are also used to fund projects that support the good of tourism through the collaborative fund. TOMSA contributes 10-12% to South African Tourism’s marketing budget.

Ensure member engagement and communication:

Growing a sustainable South African travel and tourism industry is the work of both the public and private sectors. Thus, constant, and ongoing communication and engagement is a strategic imperative in achieving this goal. The TBCSA is mandated to ensure that communication channels between the business fraternity, public sector, and other stakeholders are always open.

Play a role in influencing the marketing of Destination South Africa:

TBCSA is a critical stakeholder in selling Destination South Africa to the world. As part of our mission, and through our participation in direct marketing the country through the TOMSA levies, we play a role in marketing the country. We support innovation, creativity, and efficient strategies that help develop the South African travel and tourism industry.

There is an urgent need for communication of relevant economic, policy, and other industry research to members. To fulfil its mandate, TBCSA partners with experts, academic scholars, and consultants that conduct and develop research that benefits members and the travel and tourism industry.

HISTORY OF THE TBCSA

The Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) was established in February 1996, borne out of a need for a unitary body to represent private sector interests in the travel and tourism industry in South Africa. Leading travel and tourism businesses and associations integrated into a unitary structure, with a mandate to provide a platform to enable engagement with the government in crucial policy matters.

Before the formation of the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA), the South African travel and tourism sector did not have a unitary body that could engage and collaborate with the government on behalf of the private sector. Individual sector formations had worked separately to tackle key macroeconomic issues affecting the travel and tourism industry.

Industry bodies before the formation of the TBCSA:

• ASATA (Association of Southern African Travel Agents);
• FEDHASA (Federated Hospitality Association of South Africa);
• SATSA (Southern African Tourism Services Association);
• SAVRALA (Southern African Vehicle Rental & Leasing Association;
• SAACI (Southern African Association for the Conference Industry)

MEMBERSHIP & LEADERSHIP

As the mother body, the TBCSA focuses on macroeconomic developments impacting the sector, while the work of the sub-sector entities centres on the microeconomic factors affecting their operations. Industry Association Members:

• AASA – Airlines Association of Southern Africa
• AAVEA - African Association of Visitor Experiences and Attractions
• ASATA – Association of Southern African Travel Agents
• BARSA – Board of Airline Representatives of South Africa
• FEDHASA – Federated Hospitality Association of South Africa
• Drakensberg Experience Tourism Association
• Wildlife Ranching SA (WRSA)
• NAA –SA – National Accommodation Association of South Africa
• PHASA – Professional Hunters Association of South Africa
• SAACI – Southern African Association for the Conference Industry
• Cape Town Tourism
• SABOA – Southern African Bus Operators’ Association
• SATSA – Southern Africa Tourism Services Association
• SAVRALA – Southern African Vehicle Rental Association
• SEEZA - Tourism SME Network
• VOASA - Vacation Ownership Association of Southern Africa
• Agri-Tourism SA

An elected management board that serves a two-year term governs the TBCSA, while a dedicated team under the leadership of a Chief Executive Officer oversees operations.

Keeping up with rapidly growing global trends

The TBCSA must ensure unity among the various stakeholders in the private sector. Since its formation, the TBCSA has guided the private sector to unprecedented growth and development. The Council has entered an era of maturity and development aligned with the country’s democracy.

In 2006, ten years after its establishment, the TBCSA Board embarked on a new approach to travel and tourism that is on par with global trends and technology. The Board identified the following ten macro priorities for the TBCSA:

• Airlift and Air Access
• Land and Infrastructure Development
• Safety and Security
• Skills Development
• Transformation and Empowerment
• Service Excellence
• Knowledge Management and Market Intelligence
• Responsible Tourism
• Investment Promotion
• Destination Marketing

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What are you looking for?

South africa, introduction.

Travellers from South Africa made 5.2 million outbound visits in 2019, with a total international tourism expenditure of less than US$4.1 billion.

In 2022, the UK welcomed 206,839 visits from South Africa. During the travellers’ visits, their total expenditure was £275.03 million, with an average spend of £1,330 per person.

Discover visitor behaviour, travel trade insights, detailed data visualisations for this market – and more. The statistics in this market report are collated from a range of sources such as the Office for National Statistics (ONS), as well as sponsored questions and our own research. For further details, see How we source this information .

Explore the inbound data in full

Use our visualisations to see data from this market in greater depth and clarity. Compare annual statistics, and filter by age group, gender, trip duration and more. Includes seasonality, trip purpose and regional spread of visitors to UK destinations. This data is based on the International Passenger Survey, conducted by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Please click on the button below and select the country you are interested in.

Perceptions of Britain in the South African market

South African perceptions of Britain continued to be very strong in 2022; respondents in the Anholt-Ipsos Nation Brands Index ranked Britain 1st out of 60 countries across a range of attributes.

Among these, Britain scored 1st for ‘people’ and was also the most desired destination if ‘money was no object’.

South African respondents consider Britain as being ‘exciting’, ‘educational’, and ‘fascinating’, and they hold high regard for British films, music, museums, and sports.

Global context

Top-level statistics relating to the population, GDP, tourism expenditure and popular destinations for this market. For greater detail on inbound tourism flows from this market to the UK, see our data visualisations .

Key demographic and economic data

Access to britain from south africa.

The key routes and transport modes that connect this market with the UK.

In 2023, two airports in South Africa serve two British airports: London Heathrow and London Gatwick.

Of all the airlines to operate the South African to Britain route in 2023, British Airways serves the most departing seats, with a 79% share.

In 2023, the highest share of departing seats came from the Johannesburg to London Heathrow route, with a 67% share.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic led to a 66% reduction in direct seat capacity from South Africa to the UK in 2020, and 2021 was 90% behind pre-COVID levels. In 2022, seat capacity was 43% behind pre-pandemic levels.

In 2023, direct seat capacity from South Africa to the UK is set to recover to 75% of pre-pandemic (2019) capacity.

The current reduced rate of Air Passenger Duty for visitors departing Britain for South Africa is £91.

Further resources

South africa aviation profile.

Outbound travel to the UK

Where visitors from South Africa to the UK reside in their own country - Published 2016

Published 2016

How we source this information

We work with a number of data sources to provide a rich and insightful picture of our key inbound source markets. This includes, but is not limited to, data provided by Oxford Economics, the UNWTO, Apex, Anholt-Ipsos Nation Brands Index and from our own surveys and ad-hoc research. The largest share of these data comes from the International Passenger Survey (IPS) by the ONS.

Visit our About the International Passenger Survey page for more information on how this data is collected and analysed. 

Discover more

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See the latest market data for Malaysia – including traveller visits and spend, length of stay, behaviours and preferences.

See the latest market data for Thailand – including traveller visits and spend, length of stay, behaviours and preferences.

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Reach new customers and increase your profitability. Drive sales with our tools, events and training, find out about quality assessment and get expert guidance from the England Business Advice Hub.

Build sustainable and valuable growth. Learn about England’s new destination management structure, find expert advice, and boost your proposition with our training and toolkits.

Access resources for business events to support your business development and event strategy. Discover England, Scotland and Wales' business event offering for your next conference, incentive, exhibition or event.

Discover our media centres, image and video library and latest press releases, plus contacts for our corporate and consumer press teams.

Studying tourism at school, college or university? We’ve gathered essential resources and data for students of tourism, plus information about our internships.

Home » Coronavirus (Covid-19)

By Gareth Cotterell

Digital Editor

4 minute read

18 Sep 2021

‘A kick in the teeth’ – Tourism woes to continue as SA stays on UK red list

The uk revised its red list but kept south africa on it - which affects trade and tourism between the two countries..

Image: iStock

Travel between the United Kingdom (UK) and South Africa will remain restricted after the UK kept South Africa on its red list of countries.

Travellers from red list countries are banned from entering the UK.

The UK revised the list on Friday, removing eight countries – but South Africa was kept on, meaning travellers from the country are banned from entering the UK.

Egypt, Kenya, Bangladesh, Turkey, Pakistan, Oman, Maldives and Sri Lanka were taken off the list.

ALSO READ: SA to UK: A travel influencer’s guide to UK Covid travel protocols

Tourism numbers paint a different picture than official statements

The UK has until now used a traffic light system to rank countries according to the Covid-19 risk each nation might pose.

Travellers from the green list could travel freely, while those on the amber list were required to quarantine for 10 days if they are not fully vaccinated.

The UK’s Transport Secretary Grant Shapps on Friday said the amber and green lists will be scrapped from 4 October, leaving a single red list. He added that the red list will remain, but it has been downsized.

In addition, EIGHT countries and territories will come off the red list 🔴 from Weds 22 Sept at 4am, incl. TURKEY, PAKISTAN and MALDIVES. — Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) September 17, 2021

Trade and tourism

The travel restrictions have severely impacted trade and tourism between South Africa and the UK.

At least 450,000 British passport holders travel to the country per year.  

Inbound travel body, the  Southern Africa Tourism Services Association (Satsa), said more 1.5 million local livelihoods are at risk if the restrictions continues. The World Travel and Tourism Council  also warned that South Africa’s economy stands to lose R181 million a week if it remains on the red list.

ALSO READ: Petitions of no use in getting South Africa off British govt’s travel red list

On 5 August, Satsa started a petition to convince UK authorities to move South Africa to the amber list. The  British government, however, said  that South Africa would be kept on the red list because “it is considered a high public health risk to the UK from known variants of concern”.

‘A kick in the teeth’

Satsa labelled the decision on Friday “a kick in the teeth for 1.5 million South African tourism workers” and called on more people to sign its petition.

This is a kick in the teeth for 1.5 million South African tourism workers who were relying on UK visitors this spring. There isn’t a shred of scientific evidence to support keeping #SouthAfrica on the #redlist . Get us to 100k https://t.co/GRR913CWHw — SATSA (@satsa_sa) September 17, 2021

Tulio de Oliveira, director of the KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), was also critical of the UK’s decision, calling it “really unscientific”.

“Many European countries allow travel from South Africa… we have a smaller number of infections than the UK, similar variant dominating, advanced genomic surveillance, and transparency on science and policy. So why this discrimination?” he added.

Really unscientific decision on keeping South Africa on the red list of travel from the U.K. Fact 1 – SA is one of the most vaccinated countries in Africa. Fact 2 – SA has advanced genomics surveillance (more advanced than many of the countries not on the red list) 1/5 tweets — Tulio de Oliveira (@Tuliodna) September 17, 2021

Really unscientific decision on keeping South Africa on the red list of travel from the U.K. Fact 3 – Number of daily infections are 10x less than U.K. (30k UK vs 3k SA). Fact 4 – Variants are the same (99% Delta in SA and 99% in the UK) 2/5 tweets — Tulio de Oliveira (@Tuliodna) September 17, 2021

Really unscientific decision on keeping South Africa on the red list of travel from the U.K. Fact 5 – Transparency of science driving the pandemic response (more than the UK). 3/5 Tweets — Tulio de Oliveira (@Tuliodna) September 17, 2021

Really unscientific decision on keeping South Africa on the red list of travel from the U.K. Fact 6 – U.K. has exported more infections out of the country than SA (Alpha variant spread more than Beta) and more Delta was widely exported from U.K. 4/5 Tweets — Tulio de Oliveira (@Tuliodna) September 17, 2021

NOW READ: SA tourism sector heaves sigh of relief over level 2

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Release Summary

NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

Fresh torture claims made against Prince Harry’s African charity

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New allegations have surfaced against Prince Harry ’s African conservation charity , including claims of torture and rape.

It comes after an investigation by Dutch journalist Olivier van Beemen which details alleged abuse by former and current staff at African Parks charity.

One former ranger claimed he and his colleagues beat suspected poachers as they were tied up and dangling in the air, a brutal method known as ‘the swing’.

Prince Harry was promoted to the organisation’s governing board of directors last year after being the president of the charity for six years, The Times reports.

His duties include taking part in the organisation’s policy and supervising the management of 22 national parks across the continent.

Now the Duke of Sussex is likely to face pressure to step down following the allegations, The Times said.

African Parks bosses allegedly debated whether Harry was still a useful connection after his departure from the royal family.

A source told Van Beemen they were concerned at the time of the royal exit whether the ‘controversies surrounding the prince’ could pose ‘a risk’ to the charity, Time Times reports.

Torture allegations by African Parks rangers

This is not the first time the charity is at the centre of abuse allegations.

In January, it announced a probe into separate allegations of rape and torture by its guards in the Republic of Congo.

Van Beemen’s book, Entrepreneurs in the Wild, includes testimonies of the alleged brutality by staff who were on African Parks payroll.

Over the three-year investigation, he interviewed victims and those who claimed to have carried out the abuse.

Foster Kalunga worked as an African Parks ranger in Zambia for five years until 2022.

The rangers interrogated suspected poachers in the Liuwa Plain national park using a torture method kampelwa, ‘the swing’, Kalunga claimed.

He told the author: ‘Sometimes we use  kampelwa.  Then you tie someone up, hands and feet tied together, behind his back, and you hang him on a stick between two branches. And then you spin him around while you hit him.

‘It doesn’t last long because it hurts a lot. When he hangs there he says everything you want, even things he doesn’t know.’

African Parks denied they had any knowledge of the torture method being used by its rangers.

It claimed Kalunga had been discharged for gross misconduct.

Etienne Koliwa, who worked for ten years in Garamba national park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, claimed instructors taught them a poacher is ‘the enemy’ who must be ‘neutralised.’

Often these instructors, many of them white and from Israel, France or South Africa, taught an aggressive and militarised approach to wildlife protection, The Times reports.

But African Parks claimed Koliwa was sacked for poaching a buffalo and a warthog during patrol.

Van Beemen decided to investigate the organisation due to its pride at having a ‘business approach to conservation,’ including bonuses paid to staff in the case of armed confrontations with poachers and confiscations of meat and weapons, The Times reports.

African Parks has confirmed incentives were standard practice to motivate its rangers.

The journalist said: ‘My investigation shows that African Parks is an opaque organisation with numerous human rights allegations made against them, including torture and rape, but is not open to external criticism.

‘I think Prince Harry and others on the board should question the organisation’s model, its practices and governance and reconsider their own roles.’

African Parks said the author was biased, adding that his book was ‘deeply flawed.’

It said in a statement according to The Times: ‘African Parks has been in operation for more than 20 years, with long-term agreements with 12 different sovereign governments and numerous traditional authorities.

‘We have received funding from most of the global institutions … all of which require detailed vetting processes, as well as intermittent grant audits.’

African Parks employs more than 5,000 people, with 97% of those nationals of the countries on the continent, according to its website.

Metro.co.uk contacted African Parks and the Duke of Sussex for a comment.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected] .

For more stories like this, check our news page .

MORE : Prince William reveals sweet promise for Kate after being quizzed by volunteer

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