Did you know that South Africa is one of the most visited countries in the world? It’s true. With very little effort, we can imagine South Africa being one of the tourist capitals of the world. For good reason, South Africa definitely has a lot to offer its visitors.
In 2012, the tourism industry contributed over 100 billion Rand to South Africa’s GDP. The tourism industry is also responsible for 10.3% of the jobs in the country – which to be honest is pretty impressive. Food, culture, diversity, the beaches, the nightlife, the scenery, wildlife, game reserves, the great outdoors and wines are among the country’s highest appeal.
Frankly, it wouldn’t be out of place to assert that there’s something for everyone in South Africa. Although the nationals parks (like the Kruger National Park, for example) are among the countries highest attractions, there are other captivating places as well. In case you were still wondering, we’ll list out some of the reasons why South Africa attracts just so many tourists and visitors.
The National Parks
Let’s start with everyone’s favourite part of visiting South Africa.
Boasting quite the number of national parks, this section of South African tourism gives you an opportunity to explore some of the most beautiful parts of Nature. It’s also worth noting that many of these parks come with some pretty amazing hotels too. If you love the outdoors or have ever wanted to get close to some of the rarest fiercest animals alive then this is for you. This is why so many tourists love visiting South Africa, it offers the kind of rare experience you can’t find anywhere else in the world (except maybe Australia). Below is a list of just 10 of South Africa’s many, many parks that you should consider visiting:
- Kruger National Park
- Addo Elephant National Park
- Bontebok National Park
- Garden Route National Park
- Mountain Zebra National Park
- Tankwa Karoo National Park
- Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
- Karoo National Park
- Table Mountain National Park
- West Coast National Park
A Piece of History
South Africa is rich in history. To be perfectly honest, South Africa’s very ‘colourful’ history has been well documented all over the world. So it makes sense that people from all over the world will travel to South Africa to catch a glimpse of historical sites and walk the same paths the likes of Demond Tutu and Nelson Mandela have walked. It makes sense that people will choose to be reminded about how far humanity has come in just a few decades. This is just one reason why people flood South Africa – to be connected to their history, to be connected to their roots, to be connected to their humanity. Here’s a list of some of the most visited historical sites in South Africa:
- The Company Garden
- iSimangaliso Wetland Park, Kwa-Zulu Natal
- The Castle of Good Hope, Western Cape
- The Battlefields Route
- Cradle of Humankind, Gauteng
- Robben Island, Western Cape
- Church Street Tulbagh
- Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape, Northern Cape
- Nelson Mandela Capture Site near Howick
- uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, KwaZulu-Natal
- Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape
- Pilgrim’s Rest, Mpumalanga
- Vredefort Dome, Free State
The Beaches + The Weather
It’s a known fact that South Africa probably has the best weather on the African continent. Regardless of when you decide to visit South Africa, the weather is never too harsh and is always inviting. However, if you decide to visit South Africa in the summer, make sure to visit these beaches:
| Camps Bay | Hobie Beach | Umhlanga Beach |
| Buffels Bay | Strand Beach | Gonubie |
| Clifton | Cape Vidal | Durban, South Beach |
| Durban, North Beach | Santos Beach, Mossel Bay | Gordon’s Bay |
| Plettenberg Bay | Ballito Beach | Nahoon |
| Sodwana Bay | Diaz Beach, Mossel Bay | Muizenberg |
| Paternoster | Bloubergstrand |
Diversity in Culture
South Africa, the rainbow nation. The country earned this moniker for being one of the most diverse and culturally accepting places in the world. Is that so surprising in a country with 11 official languages and 8 more recognized dialects? And that’s just the languages alone. Just so you have a clear picture of what to expect when you visit the country, below is a list of some of South Africa’s different tribes. Keep in mind that each of these tribes come with their different histories, practices, arts, modernizations, cuisines, wines, music literature and architecture.
- Zulu
- Xhosa
- Pedi
- Tswana
- Sotho
- Ndebele
- Venda
- Swati
- Tsonga
- Pondo