Shopping tourism or tourists shopping? A case study of South Africa's African tourism market

Tourism to South Africa has increased consistently over the last 15 years and the country has become one of the most popular tourist destinations, not only in Africa, but also in the world. With 10 million tourists visiting South Africa, tourism has grown to become an important industry, contributing more than 8% to the country's gross domestic product (GDP); it has even surpassed earnings from gold exports as an important source of foreign exchange. A closer inspection of the arrivals statistics reveals that the majority (75%) of tourists are from Africa. In addition, 75% of all African tourists are from South Africa's neighbouring countries. However, most research on tourism to South Africa focuses on intercontinental arrivals. Among the reasons cited for the exclusion of African tourists is that these tourists visit South Africa for reasons other than tourism, such as shopping, business and study. This research addresses this shortcoming by analysing the trends in arrivals and spending by African tourists to South Africa. The paper sheds light on the reasons why African tourists travel to South Africa and shows the important role of South Africa as a wholesaler for Africa. It is postulated that the link between trade and tourism is much stronger for South Africa and its neighbours than is the case for other countries.