KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape lose out on local tourism

According to recent data by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA), overnight stays in KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape declined.

These coastal provinces recorded the sharpest decline in domestic tourism.

What’s happening?

South Africans shift spending to other provinces

The most recent data from Stats SA shows fewer South Africans are spending time in KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape.

Overnight stays declined 6.4% in 2025.

The Western Cape has been worst affected, recording back-to-back declines in domestic tourism.

In 2023, the coastal province had a 15.9% share of domestic overnight stays. That has dropped to 14.1% in 2025.

In 2023, the Western Cape recorded 2 587 000 overnight stays.

Then, in 2024, it recorded 2 482 000.

By 2025, only 2 368 000 South Africans were taking overnight trips to Western Cape destinations.

Things aren’t as bad in KwaZulu-Natal.

Despite recording a decline in domestic overnight stays, it still performed better than in 2023.

In 2024, the province recorded 2 942 000 overnight stays. That dropped 7.98% to 2 707 000 in 2025.

However, in 2023 it only had 2 482 000 overnight visitors.

Province2024 Overnight Stays2025 Overnight StaysDifferenceKwaZulu-Natal 2 942 0002 707 000-235 000Western Cape2 482 0002 368 000-114 000Gauteng2 273 0002 224 000-49 000

The Western Cape is too expensive for domestic travellers

Day trips are also declining in the Western Cape.

In 2024, 4 892 000 South Africans took a day trip to a Western Cape destination, down from 4 921 000 in 2023.

By 2025, the province has lost 1 million day-trip tourists.

But the Western Cape tourism industry isn’t feeling the pinch.

Instead, the province relies on international tourism to boost the industry.

During peak periods, Cape Town International Airport landed 2 direct-route flights from Heathrow and Charles de Gaulle.

The province also recorded a 38.3% increase in international tourism in 7 years.

Domestic Tourists Find an Alternative

While the Western Cape is courting international tourists, locals are finding alternatives.

According to the latest Stats SA data, the North West recorded the highest increase in overnight stays between 2024 and 2025.

Overnight stays increased 36.2%, rising from 970 000 in 2024 to 1 321 000 in 2025.

Next is the Northern Cape, where overnight stays rose 31.83%, followed by the Free State with a 13.32% rise.

In the Eastern Cape, overnight stays rose 6.21%.

In Limpopo, overnight stays rose 1.65%.

But the province is the most visited, with 2 824 000 stays, accounting for 16.8% of total overnight stays.