South Africa is a tourist destination and the industry accounts for a substantial amount of the country's
revenue. The official marketing agency for the country South African Tourism is responsible for marketing South
Africa to the world. According to the World Travel & Tourism Council, the tourism industry directly contributed
ZAR 102 billion to South African GDP in 2012, and supports 10.3% of jobs in the country. The official
national marketing agency of the South African government, with the goal of promoting tourism in South Africa
both locally and globally is known as South African Tourism.
South Africa offers both domestic and international tourists a wide variety of options, among others the
picturesque natural landscape and game reserves, diverse cultural heritage and highly regarded wines. Some of
the most popular destinations include several national parks, such as the expansive Kruger National Park in the
north of the country, the coastlines and beaches of the KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape provinces, and the major
cities like Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban.
According to Statistics South Africa's latest Tourism and Migration Survey, almost 3,5 million travellers passed
through the country's ports of entry in August 2017. The top five overseas countries with the largest number
of tourists visiting South Africa were the USA, UK, Germany, the Netherlands and France. Most of the tourists
arriving in South Africa from elsewhere in Africa came from SADC countries. Zimbabwe tops the list at 31%,
followed by Lesotho, Mozambique, Eswatini and Botswana. In addition, Nigeria was the country of origin for
nearly 30% of tourists arriving in South Africa. South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is
the southernmost country in Africa.
South Africa is a biodiversity hotspot, with unique biomes, plant and animal life. With over 60
million people, the country is the world's 23rd-most populous nation and covers an area of 1,221,037 square
kilometres (471,445 square miles). South Africa has three capital cities, with the executive, judicial and
legislative branches of government based in Pretoria, Bloemfontein, and Cape Town respectively. The largest city
is Johannesburg.