Number of Nigerians visiting South Africa for tourism grow 20%, says regional director

Tourism from Nigeria to South Africa has grown by 20 percent over the past year, according to Thekiso Rakolojane, regional head of South African Tourism in West Africa. This increase has contributed to the 95.1 billion rand ($5.3 billion) in direct spending recorded from international visitors during the 2023-24 financial year.

“The bilateral relations between Nigeria and South Africa from a tourism perspective have started to bear fruit,” Rakolojane told Nigerian and South African businessmen at a reception hosted by the South African Consul General on Tuesday. “With all the challenges we’ve been experiencing in the market, Nigerians continue to visit South Africa for holiday. Tourism arrivals to South Africa from Nigeria have grown an average of 20 percent.”

The outlook in South Africa

This year, Tourism to South Africa rose 9.7 percent to about 3.8 million arrivals between January and May, compared with a year ago, tourism minister Patricia de Lille told Lawmakers in July.

According to her, the overall contribution of tourism to the nation’s economy was even higher. Tourism is expected to contribute 8.8 percent to South Africa’s GDP this year from 8.2 percent in 2023.

Rakolojane credited the collaborative efforts of the Nigerian Consulate and South Africa Tourism with Nigerian banks for the growth seen. UBA, for example, facilitated visits to the Western Cape for 240 of its employees for tourism purposes, while the embassy helped arrange a similar trip for 200 Access Bank staff in December 2023.

The visa problem

Despite the high number of Nigerian visitors to South Africa, travellers still face hurdles at visa processing, which they require to be allowed access into the country, sometimes risking rejection.

Earlier this year, the South African consulate faced backlash after Nigerian singer Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe, known as ‘Ayra Starr,’ cancelled her Johannesburg and Cape Town performances when her visa application was denied. Nigerian U-18 boys’ basketball players also encountered delays in September, arriving late for the AfroBasket Men’s U-18 competition in South Africa due to visa issues.

South Africa Tourism confirms it is working to resolve its issues in collaboration with the embassy.

Tensions and delayed agreements

While South Africa offers visa-free travel to citizens of 32 African countries for up to 90 days, no such agreement exists with Nigeria due to delayed negotiations.

“Nigeria is one of ten African countries currently negotiating visa agreements with the Department of Home Affairs,” said the Tourism minister. She mentioned she is actively following up on a deal with the tourism minister in Nigeria. A successful agreement could help both countries further explore their bilateral strength.

“We’ve received about 16,000 visitors from Nigeria in the first quarter of this year,” de Lille said. “There is movement, but it’s taking too long for Nigerians to obtain their visas.”

Nigeria and South Africa account for nearly a third of Africa’s economic power and have driven much of the conflict management initiatives in the continent over the last two-and-a-half decades. The inability of Nigerian companies to penetrate the South African market has all added up to fuel political and economic tensions between both countries.

Rakolojane, who has lived in Nigeria for six years, suggested that Nigeria could take a more active role in speeding up discussions. He is confident these are largely confined to online spaces. “The tensions are online. Nigerians are still travelling to South Africa,” he reassured. “Our country remains open to you.”

Ultimately, the decision on visa agreements rests with both countries. “It’s really up to the countries to decide what to do,” said the Tourism minister.