Travel services in South Africa
South Africa: Travel services was 38.0% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Travel services in South Africa, 1960–2025
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of service exports, BoP.
Analysis
In 2025, travel services in South Africa stood at 38.0%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.0% on the previous year and down 28.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, travel services in South Africa peaked at 66.0% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 22.8%, in 2021.
That places South Africa 94th out of 198 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Travel services in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % of service exports, BoP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 63.1% | — |
| 1961 | 64.1% | +1.6% |
| 1962 | 62.0% | -3.4% |
| 1963 | 62.0% | +0.1% |
| 1964 | 60.6% | -2.3% |
| 1965 | 59.8% | -1.3% |
| 1966 | 60.0% | +0.3% |
| 1967 | 57.7% | -3.8% |
| 1968 | 55.8% | -3.3% |
| 1969 | 56.4% | +1.0% |
| 1970 | 56.4% | +0.1% |
| 1971 | 59.0% | +4.6% |
| 1972 | 56.5% | -4.4% |
| 1973 | 57.9% | +2.5% |
| 1974 | 59.2% | +2.3% |
| 1975 | 61.0% | +3.1% |
| 1976 | 58.4% | -4.3% |
| 1977 | 58.4% | -0.0% |
| 1978 | 56.1% | -4.0% |
| 1979 | 55.2% | -1.6% |
| 1980 | 56.7% | +2.6% |
| 1981 | 56.4% | -0.5% |
| 1982 | 56.6% | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 63.9% | +12.9% |
| 1984 | 62.7% | -1.9% |
| 1985 | 54.9% | -12.3% |
| 1986 | 53.4% | -2.8% |
| 1987 | 58.8% | +10.1% |
| 1988 | 60.9% | +3.6% |
| 1989 | 56.5% | -7.3% |
| 1990 | 53.4% | -5.4% |
| 1991 | 57.9% | +8.4% |
| 1992 | 54.0% | -6.8% |
| 1993 | 56.8% | +5.2% |
| 1994 | 55.0% | -3.2% |
| 1995 | 46.0% | -16.3% |
| 1996 | 51.6% | +12.1% |
| 1997 | 52.8% | +2.4% |
| 1998 | 52.9% | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 53.7% | +1.6% |
| 2000 | 53.0% | -1.3% |
| 2001 | 53.0% | -0.0% |
| 2002 | 57.2% | +7.9% |
| 2003 | 66.0% | +15.3% |
| 2004 | 63.9% | -3.2% |
| 2005 | 63.5% | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 63.2% | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 60.0% | -5.1% |
| 2008 | 57.6% | -4.0% |
| 2009 | 58.8% | +2.0% |
| 2010 | 56.1% | -4.5% |
| 2011 | 54.4% | -3.0% |
| 2012 | 55.9% | +2.6% |
| 2013 | 54.0% | -3.3% |
| 2014 | 54.3% | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 53.1% | -2.2% |
| 2016 | 52.9% | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 53.3% | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 52.6% | -1.3% |
| 2019 | 52.7% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 30.1% | -42.9% |
| 2021 | 22.8% | -24.4% |
| 2022 | 36.9% | +61.9% |
| 2023 | 39.3% | +6.5% |
| 2024 | 39.5% | +0.6% |
| 2025 | 38.0% | -4.0% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 38.0% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 48.1%, 79% of the median. (55 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 38.0% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 39.4%, 96% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Travel services in South Africa changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +61.9% | 22.8% | 36.9% |
| 2020 | -42.9% | 52.7% | 30.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 60.2% | 55.8% | 64.1% | 10 |
| 1970s | 57.8% | 55.2% | 61.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 58.1% | 53.4% | 63.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 53.4% | 46.0% | 57.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 59.6% | 53.0% | 66.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 53.9% | 52.6% | 56.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 34.4% | 22.8% | 39.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More economy & growth data for South Africa
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 0.4836 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 1.4 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps -4.01 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit -0.0094 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita -61.95 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled -2.16 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual -192.73 % change on previous year (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit -0.0051 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita -33.37 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 16.18 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is travel services in South Africa?
- Travel services in South Africa was 38.0% in 2025, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest travel services recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 66.0% in 2003.
- What is the lowest travel services recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 22.8% in 2021.
- How does South Africa rank for travel services?
- South Africa ranks 94th out of 198 countries with data for 2025.
- Is travel services rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Travel services (% of service exports, BoP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Travel services cover goods and services for own use or to give away acquired from an economy by nonresidents during visits to that economy, or acquired from other economies by residents during visits to these other economies. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of service exports which are services provided by residents to non-residents.