This year marked 10 years since the launch of the Cape Town Air Access (CTAA) public-private initiative designed to grow and strengthen the region’s international air connectivity – a milestone that offers an opportunity to reflect on how far Cape Town’s global connectivity and the region have come.
As the Western Cape heads into its traditionally busy summer season and thousands of visitors prepare to arrive, it is an opportune moment to take stock of a decade of deliberate, coordinated effort to open the province more fully to the world.
A decade ago, Cape Town’s skies were far quieter. Travelling there from New York, São Paulo or much of the African continent often meant long layovers and complex connections through Johannesburg, Dubai or European hubs. The region’s growing reputation as a destination for business and leisure was not matched by direct air access. Our global reach was constrained and the economic potential that comes with seamless connectivity remained largely untapped.
The establishment of CTAA – a catalytic project housed within Wesgro, the official tourism, trade and investment promotion agency for Cape Town and the Western Cape – marked a turning point. What began as a practical response to a structural constraint has, over 10 years, evolved into one of South Africa’s most effective examples of public-private collaboration, illustrating how strategic connectivity can unlock wider economic opportunity.
Today, Cape Town and the Western Cape are directly connected to 31 international destinations with 25 airlines operating on 36 routes. Passenger numbers are at record levels and each new route strengthens the region’s link to global markets. Air access drives trade, jobs, investment and inclusive growth. Every flight carries opportunity.
Connectivity as an economic driver
Direct air routes power growth: they create jobs, attract investors and expand export markets. The results are tangible. Cape Town International Airport handled over 3.1 million international passengers in 2024 – its strongest year on record. Air cargo grew by 25%, moving more than 75 000 tonnes. Each of those numbers represents livelihoods supported and industries sustained.
Air connectivity is one of the strongest enablers of economic participation. It allows regions to integrate into global value chains, move skills and attract new industries. Yet across Africa, connectivity remains a significant challenge.
Although home to 1.4 billion people, the continent accounts for less than 3% of global air traffic. It is often easier and cheaper to reach Europe than to travel between African cities. Visa restrictions, fragmented regulation and high operating costs continue to limit intra-African mobility. Business leaders, including Aliko Dangote, have spoken about the frustration of needing multiple visas to visit neighbouring countries while travellers from other regions move freely.
Africa’s potential is vast yet too often limited by the barriers within its own systems. Air access is a gateway to markets, skills and opportunity. Cape Town’s progress shows how targeted collaboration can begin to unlock that potential.
Housing CTAA within Wesgro provided a strong foundation and a single point of contact that positioned aviation within the broader context of tourism, trade and investment. From the start, public-sector partners – including the Western Cape government, City of Cape Town, Airports Company South Africa, SA Tourism and Cape Town Tourism – joined forces with the private sector to co-invest and share resources. This collaboration built trust, agility and credibility with global airlines and established a framework for resilience when COVID brought international travel to a halt.
Within weeks of the shutdown, the Air Access team had developed a recovery plan and maintained direct engagement with airlines. Cape Town’s rebound was among the fastest in the world with passenger volumes recovering ahead of major hubs such as London and Paris. The recovery showed how preparation and cooperation can turn crisis into progress.
The approach has been recognised internationally with CTAA twice receiving the Routes World Destination Award – the highest distinction in route development and destination marketing. More importantly, it has demonstrated that strategic partnerships can deliver sustained growth.
The past 10 years have brought challenges beyond the pandemic. Shifting airline strategies, capacity shortages, rising costs and a more competitive global environment have required constant adaptation. Cape Town and the Western Cape’s response has remained focused: data-led, coordinated and forward-looking.
The lesson is that collaboration and communication create resilience. Evidence-based planning builds credibility. When the public and private sectors align around shared objectives, progress follows.
Measuring up and moving forward
Even with record growth, there is room to expand. Cities of similar scale, such as Lisbon, attract around 30 million two-way international passengers annually. Morocco and Egypt each see between 28 million and 38 million. South Africa records about 12 million of which three million move through Cape Town.
What sets Cape Town and the Western Cape apart is the depth of the visitor experience. In 2024, 1.4 million international travellers spent an average of 12 nights there and contributed more to the local economy than in most African destinations. The next phase is about scaling responsibly – increasing arrivals while ensuring that every new route strengthens local communities. The goal is to double international visitors by 2035, reaching almost 2.8 million, and to build stronger links across Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
Growth will depend on innovation rather than replication. Airlines seek destinations that combine stability, yield and long-term demand. Our region’s strength lies in its diversified economy, modern infrastructure and growing role in logistics. With rising global demand for perishables, biotech and e-commerce, the region can become a premium logistics hub connecting Southern Africa to global markets.
Connectivity now extends beyond aviation. Digital infrastructure, skills mobility and sustainability have become equally important. The future of trade will depend on the movement of data as much as on the movement of goods. For Cape Town and the Western Cape, this means viewing connectivity as a complete ecosystem – one that links air routes, technology, investment and talent.
The region’s journey highlights a broader opportunity for Africa. The continent’s aviation growth will come from cooperation not competition. Initiatives such as the Single African Air Transport Market provide a framework for progress but success will depend on consistent implementation, open visa regimes and modern infrastructure.
Governments, investors and industry leaders share a responsibility to treat air access as a strategic investment in competitiveness. Without stronger intra-African connectivity, the continent will continue to fall short of its potential. Cape Town’s experience shows what can be achieved when strategy, partnership and measurable outcomes are aligned.
The success of CTAA reflects the combined effort of multiple stakeholders. Airlines, funders, government and the Air Access team have all contributed to a collective achievement that strengthened the region’s global standing. The decade ahead will require the same level of commitment and ambition.
