All set to add two more cities to its annual India Roadshow next year
South Africa is experiencing a robust recovery in Indian visitors, with arrivals reaching 80% of pre-pandemic levels, totalling 75,541 in 2024.
Speaking to TravelBiz Monitor during the final leg of its roadshow in Mumbai, Gcobani Mancotywa, Regional Manager for Asia, Australia, and the Middle East at South African Tourism, expressed optimism about this year’s performance. He believes that they will either meet or exceed pre-COVID visitor numbers. The pre-pandemic figure was 99,000 visitors from India.
To further attract more Indian tourists, South African Tourism plans to add two more cities to its annual India Roadshow next year. “We understand that the Indian market offers immense potential. With this in mind, we will be adding at least two more cities to our annual India Roadshow next year—Bengaluru and Ahmedabad,” Mancotywa revealed.
Out of the 75,541 visitors in 2024, Mumbai alone contributed 63.6%. “Bollywood and cricket-two of India’s greatest passions continue to be at the core of our strategic outreach. From hosting film productions to leveraging cricket’s deep-rooted influence, we aim to create stronger cultural connections that inspire more Indian travellers to experience the magic of South Africa,” he said.
Mancotywa acknowledged that while India’s outbound travel market is enormous, South Africa’s current share is only a small fraction, indicating significant room for growth.
To streamline visa processing, South African Tourism has introduced the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS). Under this scheme, accredited travel operators can directly process visa applications. “The role of TTOS is to simplify the visa application process. When a traveller submits their application to a TTO, the operator verifies and validates the documents, then uploads them to the Home Affairs website. If everything is in order, the department processes the visa and sends it back to the TTO within 24 hours. The maximum processing time is three days,” Mancotywa explained.
He also mentioned that the number of documents required for submission by a traveller has been significantly reduced, from eight or nine to just four. “Now, a traveller only needs to submit their passport, air tickets, hotel bookings, and bank statement for the visa,” Mancotywa said.
Currently, South African Tourism has appointed 14 TTOS in India. “In the first phase, we aim to appoint 100 TTOS in India,” he added.
Regarding connectivity, Mancotywa shared that discussions are ongoing to establish direct flights between the two countries. “This time, South African Airways has participated in the roadshow, and they are gathering market intelligence to support the route. If direct flights are launched, they will likely operate from Mumbai,” he revealed.