Minister Patricia de Lille concludes Singapore outreach

Tourism from Singapore to South Africa continues to gain momentum, powered by leisure and business travel/MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions). In 2025, leisure tourists made up the bulk of travellers from Singapore, growing by 4.7 percent from 2024. Last year South Africa reached a record-breaking tourist season, with 10.48 million international arrivals between January and December of 2025, of which over 9,827 were from Singapore. 

The average spend by tourists from Singapore remained stable at R26,393 for the first half of 2025 when compared to pre-pandemic levels of R27,137 (approx. SGD 2,149.37) recorded in 2019, making the destination a strong value-driven option for travellers. 

At a briefing on the Singapore leg of South Africa’s Minister of Tourism Patricia de Lille’s Southeast Asia outreach visit on 2 February 2026, the Minister highlighted recent developments in South Africa’s tourism landscape that would appeal to local travellers such as the Kgodumodumo Dinosaur Interpretation Centre, where the oldest dinosaur embryo in world was discovered. 

The Minister noted that the centre had seen over 80,000 visitors since it opened last year June and revealed French luxury brand ClubMED’s will open its first resort in Southern Africa in June this year, on the warm the coastline of KwaZulu natal. 2 South Africa has also seen its profile raised as a destination for sports tourism, with the LIV Golf tournament making its debut next month at Steyn City and the Cricket World Cup planned for next year.

On the back of a successful G20 leaders’ summit in South Africa last year, the country will also host the World Economic Forum’s Special Meeting, next year. It’s the second time this event will take place in the history of WEF. 

While Singapore passport holders do not need a visa to visit South Africa, the roll out of the Electronic Travel Visa authorization that processes applications within 24 hours or less will benefit travellers from China, India, Indonesia and various other countries. Minister de Lille said, “South Africa offers a natural fit for travellers looking to integrate work and holiday in a single itinerary. 

Business travellers arriving for meetings or events in Gauteng or Cape Town can seamlessly extend their stay to enjoy our world‑class lifestyle, food and wine, wildlife, nature experiences and cultural attractions. While leisure was the primary reason for most Singaporeans who visited in 2025, the strength of business‑driven repeat visitation gives us a powerful foundation to grow longer‑stay, higher‑spend leisure travel. 

These strengths make South Africa an especially relevant destination for Singapore’s globally mobile workforce, multinational companies and regional headquarters, while also offering investors a strong rationale for consideration.
” While in Singapore, the Minister and her delegation also held several meetings with key officials from the Ministry of National Development, the Singapore Tourism Board, and the Changi Airport Group to deepen trade and tourism cooperation between the two countries as well as with investment groups where the team presented several potential tourism investment projects. 

In 2025 South African Tourism Department, launched the Tourism Infrastructure Investment Summit, with 8 3 bankable projects and Minister invited investors to the second instalment planned for September 2026. “Singapore and South Africa share a longstanding relationship dating back to the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1993. Over the years, we have seen strong interest not only from Singaporean travellers, but also from Singaporean companies looking to invest in South Africa and establish a presence in our economy. 

In addition, Singapore is an important air-hub for us, offering connectivity for travellers coming from Southeast Asia,” she concluded. Minister de Lille’s South East Asia outreach programme continues in Malaysia and concluding in Indonesia, where South Africa will also participate at the ASTINDO Travel Fair on Friday 6 February 2025. 

Enquiries: 
Aldrin Sampear
E-mail: asampear@tourism.gov.za 
Cell: +27 67 138 3487

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