South Africa’s January-July 2025 arrivals from Germany remain 13% behind 2019 figures for the same period amid concerns about perceptions of the destination slowing recovery.
“Germans are the most worried travellers on this planet. The main factor seems to be an overall ‘fear’, trusting most of the fake news about South Africa,” explained René Roseburg, MD and Founder of The Passionist. “Post-COVID travel recovery from Germany is one of the slowest worldwide,” he said.
“They are worried about potential risks in South Africa such as unpredictable weather patterns and viral illnesses.”
Booking behaviour shifts
Booking patterns for Germany remain inconsistent. “German clients have very unpredictable booking lead times and travel patterns. Sometimes leads come in quite an amazing flow and then it’s quiet for weeks, which is very different to previous travel patterns,” said Roseburg.
German tourists are showing greater interest in remote destinations and private concessions for luxury safaris while avoiding the Kruger area.
When considering value for money, South Africa has strong standing against competitor destinations. “Nowhere else in the world offers such high value for money, including amazing culinary experiences for very reasonable prices. It is much better than any competitor,” Roseburg said. “However, within the German market, overall fears and worries about travelling and the ‘What happens if’ questions are always present.”
Recent economic, geopolitical and health-related global events have also shaped German travellers’ approach to long-haul destinations such as South Africa, he added.
On steps towards market recovery, Roseburg advised: “There should be less mainstream advertising in the German media as it mostly showcases the usual Garden Route, Cape Town and Kruger highlights. Instead, South Africa should partner with smaller, unique niche-travel companies to create B2C events, shared social media campaigns and print advertisements in a more experiential way to attract the right people and to encourage other clientele to visit South Africa.”
