South Africa’s tourism and hospitality sector is reporting tangible effects from recent anti-immigration protests sweeping the country, even as official data points to a strong post-pandemic rebound.
According to Statistics South Africa, the country’s international tourism sector recorded a robust recovery in 2025, surpassing pre-pandemic levels for the first time since global travel disruptions. Tourist arrivals stood 2.6% higher than in 2019, signaling continued resilience in the industry.
However, industry stakeholders caution that perception remains critical to the sector’s health, and ongoing unrest is beginning to undermine confidence. Representatives from the Federated Hospitality Association of South Africa warned that the protests are affecting both international and domestic markets.
“We have somewhat started to see a decline in our regional market, more especially from your SADC countries,” a spokesperson noted. “We understand it’s a perception issue, but it’s something that can pay off very quickly.”
The association emphasized that while unemployment is a legitimate underlying concern, the tourism and hospitality sector is uniquely positioned to drive economic growth and absorb job seekers. Disruptive actions, they argued, risk broader negative consequences.
“People might think they gain a few jobs by chasing a few people out of shops, but the broader economic effect unfortunately is negative,” the spokesperson added. “When people see protests going on in towns, they don’t travel. That directly affects weekend getaways, spending at resorts, hotels, and restaurants.”
The United Township Business Alliance reported that some foreign-owned shops in townships have closed due to fears of deportation. However, the alliance noted a mixed impact: while some establishments remain shuttered, locally owned businesses are seeing increased foot traffic as customers redirect their spending.
“Some businesses, those not locally owned, have had to close down due to fear,” a Soweto United Township Business Alliance representative stated. “But for our local business partners, business has been fairly consistent. They are getting a few more customers because of some of the closed stores.” The representative added that intervention remains necessary, as many stores remain closed following previous waves of foreign-owned business influxes.
Meanwhile, guest house operators say their segment has been largely insulated from the protests, attributing current challenges to broader economic conditions rather than unrest. They noted that protests typically occur outside areas where guest houses are concentrated, and travelers rarely cancel bookings due to road disruptions.
“That doesn’t bother us really,” said a guest house owner representative. “Most times where they do the protests, it’s not in the vicinity of where guest houses are. People don’t cancel a trip because there’s a protest and they can’t get through the roads to where they need to stay.”
As the sector navigates these headwinds, stakeholders across the industry are calling for measured dialogue to protect tourism’s role as a key engine for economic recovery and job creation.
