South Africa’s inbound tourism industry has warmly welcomed the introduction of expanded Airbus A380 services to South Africa from major international airlines, which are expected to boost the recovery of arrivals from key source markets.

Launched at the end of September, Qantas’ new A380 service from Perth to Johannesburg will expand passenger capacity between the two cities by 130 000 seats per year, almost doubling total capacity to 280 000 seats. This follows Emirates’ September 1 relaunch of its second daily A380 service between Dubai and Johannesburg.

British Airways, meanwhile, has announced the A380 will be flown on both of the airlines’ double-daily London to Johannesburg flights from June 2025, increasing existing capacity on the route by 30%.

“Direct flights from the UK and Australia – including the newly introduced A380 services – are crucial for driving South Africa’s tourism growth and economic upliftment,” SATSA CEO David Frost told Tourism Update.

Frost said the expanded capacity would have a role to play in recovering arrivals from both markets, which are lagging notably behind 2019 levels.

“With the UK market back at 82% and Australia at 87% of pre-pandemic levels, these connections are indispensable for maintaining momentum and unlocking our tourism potential. Our next move must be to fully capitalise on these new flight connections. This means not just bringing visitors in but giving them compelling reasons to stay longer and explore more of South Africa.”

Superboost for surge from Australia?

Rebuilding air access from Australia – including reintroduction of SAA’s Perth-Johannesburg route – has helped to fuel a significant increase in arrivals from the market this year. For the January to August period, the 61 023 arrivals from Australia were 10.2% higher than in 2023, according to Statistics South Africa’s latest international tourism report.

“This increase is a clear indicator of the market’s robust and growing demand and the expanded capacity offered by the Qantas A380 on this route is expected to further fuel this growth,” said Frost.

SAA’s announcement of frequency ramp-ups for its Perth-Johannesburg flights, slated to start in December, are set to provide further growth impetus that should take the market beyond pre-COVID levels.

The exciting future prospects for Australia are underscored by South Africa’s leading tour operators who previously told Tourism Update they are seeing strong forward bookings from the market through to 2026.

Speed up for UK recovery?

British Airways’ A380 introduction is a tentative marker of the vitally important UK market’s growing confidence, which has been slower to recover to pre-COVID levels. Stats SA’s figures show a 2.1% year-on-year decrease in arrivals for the January-August period in line with muted sentiment for outbound travel overall from the UK.

“Several factors contribute to this including ongoing economic uncertainty and the cost of living crisis in the UK as well as lingering post-pandemic travel hesitancy. Despite this slower recovery, the UK remains an important source market for South Africa,” said Frost.

The UK is South Africa’s second-largest overseas source market (behind only the US) this year, contributing 223 946 arrivals between January and August.

“The introduction of the new British Airways A380 service is a positive step toward accelerating recovery in this market.”

Passport control delays need attention

With South Africa entering its tourist high season and expanded capacity from international airlines kicking into full gear, Frost underlined the need for efficient processing at ports of entry.

“This is critical for creating a positive first impression of South Africa as a travel destination. Efficient border processing is not just about convenience; it directly impacts visitor satisfaction and can influence their overall perception of the trip. As we anticipate a surge in tourist numbers during the high season, it's essential that government addresses these staffing issues promptly,” said Frost, stressing that SATSA is actively engaging with relevant authorities to address these issues.

“We are advocating for increased staffing and enhanced processes to ensure a smooth entry experience for visitors.”

He said, while increased flight capacities and ongoing marketing efforts promoting South Africa as a top destination are encouraging signs ahead of the high season, there are still multiple areas requiring attention.

“While government has made strides in preparing for the season, some challenges remain particularly in safety and security, infrastructure, staffing at key points of entry and NPTR issues, which continue to bedevil the tourism industry.”

Frost said effective public-private sector engagement remains a key priority.

“SATSA has repeatedly emphasised the need for structured engagement to ensure the public and private sectors are working in unison. While some progress has been made since the formation of the Government of National Unity and with key tourism-related portfolios, the missing link is a consistent, no-nonsense approach to engagement so that we can get the job done.”

However, SATSA is encouraged by the recent finalisation of the white paper on the development and promotion of tourism in South Africa, which calls for stronger partnerships and stakeholder engagement to achieve tourism goals.

Up to August this year, tourist arrivals in South Africa totalled just over 5.8 million, representing a 7% year-on-year increase. The Department of Tourism is targeting 10.7 million arrivals by the end of the year.