A long rise, with a return still taking shape.
Residents of South Africa accounted for 108,707 recorded U.S. arrivals in 2025. Follow the years to see how this relationship has changed—and decide which business question deserves a closer look.
Swipe the chart sideways, or open the numbers below.
View the numbers behind this chart
| Year | Arrivals | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 116,113 | Source annual status not separately assessed |
| 2001 | 94,882 | Source annual status not separately assessed |
| 2002 | 73,910 | Source annual status not separately assessed |
| 2003 | 72,029 | Source annual status not separately assessed |
| 2004 | 78,433 | Source annual status not separately assessed |
| 2005 | 89,102 | Source annual status not separately assessed |
| 2006 | 89,017 | Source annual status not separately assessed |
| 2007 | 93,719 | Source annual status not separately assessed |
| 2008 | 93,692 | Source annual status not separately assessed |
| 2009 | 78,934 | Source annual status not separately assessed |
| 2010 | 80,174 | Source annual status not separately assessed |
| 2011 | 93,247 | Source annual status not separately assessed |
| 2012 | 101,056 | Source annual status not separately assessed |
| 2013 | 112,121 | Source annual status not separately assessed |
| 2014 | 115,857 | Source annual status not separately assessed |
| 2015 | 125,543 | Source annual status not separately assessed |
| 2016 | 115,243 | Source annual status not separately assessed |
| 2017 | 124,486 | Source annual status not separately assessed |
| 2018 | 134,042 | Source annual status not separately assessed |
| 2019 | 130,313 | Source annual status not separately assessed |
| 2020 | 25,284 | Source annual status not separately assessed |
| 2021 | 17,546 | Source annual status not separately assessed |
| 2022 | 80,652 | Source annual status not separately assessed |
| 2023 | 108,691 | Source annual status not separately assessed |
| 2024 | 120,034 | Source annual status not separately assessed |
| 2025 | 108,707 | Source annual status not separately assessed |
2000
116,113Recorded arrival events2018
134,042Recorded arrival events2020
25,284Recorded arrival events2025
108,707Recorded arrival eventsWhat changed over a decade—or two?
Compare the exact years shown. A missing or zero starting value is not used to invent a percentage change.
125,543 in 2015
→ 108,707 in 2025
89,102 in 2005
→ 108,707 in 2025
116,113 in 2000
→ 108,707 in 2025
-11.8% against the same eight months.
Keep this eight-month view separate from full-year totals. July and August 2026 are preliminary.
- 2025 · January–August
- 73,217
- 2026 · January–August
- 64,598
Turn the pattern into a purposeful conversation.
Read the direction.
South Africa’s 2025 recorded total was -16.6% relative to 2019. Ask which traveler groups and U.S. destinations matter to your offer.
Check demand for your offerPlan the calendar.
December had the highest average monthly arrivals in the complete 2023–2025 source window. Check this pattern with local hosts when planning meetings, visitor services, or an event.
Find the people behind the place.
Pair the travel story with South Africa’s country facts, available U.S. community views, and organizations that can arrange introductions. Keep visitor trips and resident populations as separate evidence.
Build your business questionThe wider history around these years
These events provide background. They do not establish the cause of a change in South Africa’s travel series.
Aviation disruption
The FAA ordered a nationwide ground stop after the September 11 attacks.
FAA historyAn economic downturn
The U.S. recession lasted from December 2007 through June 2009.
BLS historical reviewThe pandemic period
WHO characterized COVID-19 as a pandemic on March 11, 2020.
WHO pandemic historyA new travel-policy phase
A new U.S. international air-travel policy took effect on November 8, 2021.
Archived CDC announcementThe 2021 link describes historical rules, not current entry requirements.
Sources, definitions, and the complete historical record
- Measured relationship
- South Africa residents arriving in the United States. National arrival events, not unique people, citizenship counts, or city visits.
- Source and release
- NTTO I-94 Country of Residence · NDS presentation V1.0.1 · Frozen monthly release through August 2026; annual source through 2025.
- What the changes mean
- Long-view and reference-year changes are calculated by NDS from the unchanged source values. They are separate from source-published YoY records. Full years compare with full years; January–August compares with January–August. A zero baseline has no calculated percentage change.
- Names and geography
- Website name: South Africa · Source label: South Africa. The source navigation code matches the existing country key. Historical source definitions and country boundaries can change; a name link does not adjust that history.
- Rankings and conclusions
- Any rank shown is the stored NDS arrivals-volume rank, with its original period and denominator. It is not an official NTTO rank or a commercial-diplomacy score. Travel activity can guide research; it does not attribute visits or sales to a chamber, trade mission, or Sister City agreement.
Original source profile SHA-256: 1c9985e70078d6692920e157dca70aa270e2c69bb4e9ffcdef012b348017e1ec
CSV downloads retain the original monthly and annual arrivals, raw values, source statuses, and record coordinates. The full JSON also includes stored year-to-date records, volume rankings, and source notes. Missing records are not filled with zero. NDS release validation is not government endorsement. Existing CDI, Country Readiness, and Sister City scores remain unchanged.
What could this mean
for your work with South Africa?
Choose one goal. Use the evidence to prepare a better conversation.
Who might buy?
64,747,319 residents · 2025GDP per person was $6,598 in 2025. Use the scale of this market to frame your question, then check demand for your specific offer.
Investigate customersHow could you deliver?
60.91% of GDP in trade · 2025Exports and imports together make up this share of South Africa’s economy. Check the product rules, suppliers, transport costs, and service requirements that apply to your offer.
Investigate suppliersWhat could you build together?
-0.51% of GDP in net foreign investment · 2025The source records net disinvestment in this year. Ask which sectors or projects changed, then assess a named partner and a realistic shared project.
Explore investment & researchWho could open the door?
5 Global Chamber™ location recordsThe supplied 2026 reference lists Cape Town and Durban and other locations. Ask about current services, introductions, and who will follow up.
Explore the location recordsEconomic facts: World Bank WDI, with each observation year shown. Location records: supplied Global Chamber™ 2026 reference; current services require confirmation. Country averages and community estimates help frame questions; they do not identify a qualified buyer or establish an active partnership.
Move goods.
Connect people.
Physical connections help make international opportunity practical. Airports and ports show gateways to investigate. Road and rail links help explain how goods and people can reach a business, a meeting, or a community beyond the gateway.
91 covered airport references.
The supplied lookup includes airport locations for South Africa. Use their names, codes, and recorded types to choose where to investigate passenger or cargo access.
- AGZ: Aggeneys Airport · Aggeneys
- ALJ: Alexander Bay Airport · Alexander Bay
- ADY: Alldays Airport · Alldays
- ASS: Arathusa Safari Lodge Airport · Arathusa
- BIY: Bisho Airport · Bisho
What connects the gateway to your destination?
Road: Who can handle pickup, delivery, border crossings, and the last mile?
Rail: Is there a freight or passenger connection that fits the route and timing?
Transfers: Where will goods change hands? Who handles customs, storage, insurance, and follow-up?
These route questions help turn infrastructure evidence into a costed plan. This source package does not contain road or rail network measurements.
Plan a supplier and transport conversation →Ports connect the market to the wider world.
The supplied port-link reference includes 6 port codes for this geography and links to 40 other countries or territories. Use the connections to prepare questions about shipping, suppliers, and routes to market.
179 distinct port pairs involve this geography: 170 cross-border and 9 domestic pairs. Mirrored and repeated records are consolidated before counting.
View all 6 source port codes
ZACPTZADURZAELSZAPLZZARCBZAZBA
Linked countries and territories in the reference
Before choosing a route: the archive does not state its observation period or flow unit. These links are research leads; confirm service, capacity, cost, and timing with a carrier or logistics provider. No flow value enters an index score.
Across the complete file: 20,554 records, 9,995 distinct port pairs, 836 port codes, 169 country or territory codes. Source: supplied port_flows shapefile; agency and methodology not stated in the archive.
Download country link counts and source review ↗Airport lookup: 9,057 source records across 237 country codes, plus 31 without a country code. Reviewed October 23, 2026; source observation date not supplied. Locations and recorded types support infrastructure research. Confirm current services and capacity with the relevant operator. This reference enrichment does not recalculate index scores.
Owner research preview · 2023 reference evidence · Public and commercial release under review
AI preparedness
and digital participation.
Can people and businesses take part in the AI economy? Explore the conditions for tools, skills, new ideas, and responsible use. Then ask what a useful local partnership would need.
Four weighted contributions form the overall measure. Each available value below keeps the source’s scale. They are contributions to AIPI, rather than four percentage scores. A missing total stays missing even when some contributions are available.
Digital infrastructure
0.1240Can partners get the internet access and tools they need?
Human capital and labor-market policies
0.1199Who can help workers learn, practice, and adapt?
Innovation and economic integration
0.1102Which firms and schools could build or share useful ideas?
Regulation and ethics
0.1427How will partners handle data, contracts, and accountability?
All contribution bars use the same 0–1 scale. Display values are rounded to four decimals; the original full-precision values and source text are retained.
What could you do with this context?
Start with a business need. You might need a training partner, a digital supplier, a research team, or someone who can explain the market’s rules. These are NDS planning questions, not opportunities proven by an index value.
A preparedness value describes conditions in a country. To decide whether to do business, also check customers, costs, industry evidence, and people who can help you follow through.
The U.S. companion covers business survey evidence. It does not describe AI use in this country.
Check the source, dates, and review status
Source: International Monetary Fund, AI Preparedness Index (AIPI), 2023 reference year. Open the official dataset · Read the methodological note.
The official note confirms 2023. NDS recorded this check on 2026-10-22. The preserved database’s original vintage flag remains “PENDING”; its source records were not rewritten. This website’s additive review records the confirmed reference year.
- Source country label
- South Africa · ZAF
- Workbook and worksheet
- aipidata.xlsx · AIPI
- Source and sheet IDs
- AIEXP_009 · 2
- Original Excel row
- 109
| Measure | Cell | Original source text | Retained value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall AIPI | D109 | 0.4967651441693306 | 0.4967651441693306 |
| Digital infrastructure | E109 | 0.12399415671825409 | 0.12399415671825409 |
| Human capital and labor-market policies | G109 | 0.1199115514755249 | 0.1199115514755249 |
| Innovation and economic integration | F109 | 0.11019236594438553 | 0.11019236594438553 |
| Regulation and ethics | H109 | 0.14266707003116608 | 0.14266707003116608 |
Original workbook SHA-256: 35eb38b8b692771f2a58d3c9a8db3411365873ebc11ec2e8e8f690835f9f5f17
Coverage: Overall value available. The module does not assign an AI leadership rank, estimate local adoption, or change any CDI or Sister City score.
Release status: prepared for owner-private review. Public/commercial reuse approval is not recorded. IMF reuse terms apply; source data are available free from the IMF. No IMF endorsement is implied.
Data edition: 1.0.0-owner-review. Full-precision import matched to the existing ISO3 country code.
Where people born in South Africa live in the United States.
Community presence can help you choose where to begin listening, learning, or planning a visit. Start with the people and places behind the number. A resident estimate is a way to explore an area; participation begins with a willing person or group.
These birthplace rankings use the published 2024 ACS five-year estimates. The first 10 areas appear below. Open the complete covered list to explore more city markets.
Top 10 by estimated population · 858 published city markets with positive estimates.
| Published rank | U.S. city market | Estimated residents | Local population share | My research |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York, New York | 4,959 | 0.06% | Explore a city pathway → |
| 2 | Los Angeles, California | 3,339 | 0.09% | Explore a city pathway → |
| 3 | San Diego, California | 2,076 | 0.15% | Explore a city pathway → |
| 4 | Houston, Texas | 1,636 | 0.05% | Explore a city pathway → |
| 5 | Seattle, Washington | 1,017 | 0.14% | Explore a city pathway → |
| 6 | Chicago, Illinois | 888 | 0.03% | Explore a city pathway → |
| 7 | Sandy Springs, Georgia | 862 | 0.80% | Explore a city pathway → |
| 8 | Austin, Texas | 859 | 0.08% | Explore a city pathway → |
| 9 | Dallas, Texas | 858 | 0.07% | Explore a city pathway → |
| 10 | Boca Raton, Florida | 771 | 0.31% | Explore a city pathway → |
Source: Follow Your Heart community publication · B05006_117E · Download this version’s JSON feed.
A city market groups ZIP areas assigned to a primary city and state. These are not municipal-boundary or CBSA metro totals. The source’s public market threshold is 50,000 residents. Only published positive estimates appear; smaller, missing, or unlisted areas are not assigned zero. Margins of error are not supplied for these rollups, and nearby ranks may not represent a meaningful statistical difference.
Explore this country’s available community views · Explore Indigenous identity views · Search ZIP community summaries.
Community feed version 1.0.0. The existing Commercial Diplomacy, Sister City, and Follow Your Heart index scores remain unchanged.
What does South Africa
buy from abroad?
Start with import demand. Add economic growth and price changes to put that market size in context.
Make the national picture useful. Goods imports show the market’s purchases from abroad. Check the product categories, buyers, and rules that matter to what you sell. Service imports cover commercial services and can help frame a question about cross-border work.
See the calculation for South Africa
| Component | Input | Percentile | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Import demand | $143.28B | 74.50 | 50% |
| Economic growth | 0.53% | 12.08 | 25% |
| Price stability | 4.36% | 32.21 | 25% |
Import demand adds goods and commercial service imports. Price stability ranks the negative absolute CPI change, so smaller price changes score higher. All four observations must be present. Missing inputs: None.
Weights are NDS choices: demand 50%, growth 25%, price stability 25%. This national screen helps you plan research; it does not identify qualified buyers or attribute trade to a diplomatic relationship.
Read the full formula and source rulesWhat changed after the annual snapshot?
These are the latest available monthly or quarterly records in the supplied Global Economic Monitor files. Read each date. They provide context beside the fixed 2024 score.
No observation in this release
monthly seriesCheck whether the volume of goods bought from abroad is growing.
No observation in this release
monthly seriesExplore producer and supplier activity alongside your own industry research.
2025 Q4
Compared with 2024 Q4Check whether the wider economy is growing from the same quarter a year earlier.
Source values and period
118,535 million constant 2010 US$ · 2025 Q4
Seasonally adjusted. Baseline: 116,750 · 2024 Q4.
Source label: South Africa
GEM workbook: GDP at market prices, constant 2010 US$, millions, seas. adj..xlsx
February 2026
Reported year-over-year rateAsk how changing prices may affect customers, costs, and payment terms.
Source values and period
2.838837 % year over year · February 2026
Seasonally adjusted.
Source label: South Africa
GEM workbook: CPI Price, % y-o-y, nominal, seas. adj..xlsx
February 2026
Compared with February 2025Look for changes in production, then check the industries that matter to your business.
Source values and period
9,380,000,000 constant 2010 US$ · February 2026
Not seasonally adjusted. Baseline: 9,640,000,000 · February 2025.
Source label: South Africa
GEM workbook: Industrial Production, constant 2010 US$, not seas. adj..xlsx
January 2026
Compared with January 2025Use volume growth to explore consumer activity. Index levels do not compare wealth across countries.
Source values and period
62.76594 source index · January 2026
Seasonally adjusted. Baseline: 53.50549 · January 2025.
Source label: South Africa
GEM workbook: Retail Sales Volume Index, seas. adj..xlsx
April 2026
Compared with April 2025A rise means more local currency units per U.S. dollar. Check currency changes and redenominations before pricing a contract.
Source values and period
16.80143 local currency units per US$ · April 2026
Period average. Baseline: 18.89739 · April 2025.
Source label: South Africa
GEM workbook: Official exchange rate, LCU per USD, period average.xlsx
Source: World Bank WDI and Global Economic Monitor · NDS presentation, October 23, 2026. A frozen reference, with dates that vary by measure. Country Readiness uses its separate release and method.
What did doing business
require in South Africa?
Business rules and support shape the path from a first introduction to a working project. The Doing Business archive adds historical measures for starting a company, trade paperwork, electricity, credit, and contracts.
2019 source column: Overall source score 67.02 / 100. Overall source rank 84 of 190 economies. These are source results from the historical release, separate from the 2024 NDS scores.
Explore South Africa’s measures and full definitions ↗World Bank Doing Business · supplied CSV year labels through 2019. The program ended in 2021 following reviews of data irregularities. Use the record to ask informed questions, then check today’s requirements with local sources.
A measured starting point.
Trade, foreign investment, internet use, and logistics describe four conditions for doing business across borders.
12 of 12 reported indicator series have observations in the connected country snapshot. The readiness score requires all four components at the specific periods below.
| Measure | Period | Source value | Percentile | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trade intensity% of GDP | 2024 | 61.65% | 32.50 | 25% |
| Foreign investment% of GDP | 2022–2024 | 1.29% | 27.50 | 25% |
| Internet use% of population | 2024 | 78.36% | 34.17 | 25% |
| Logistics1–5 | 2022 | 3.70 | 84.17 | 25% |
View the underlying observations and source notes
The score compares measured country conditions. It does not measure the activity or results of a Sister City partnership. The wider six-pillar framework covers additional relationships and services.
Explore the published Sister City research leads
The numbers behind the market.
World Bank WDI country context. Each value carries its observation year.
GDP
$427.18B2025 · current US$Trade as a share of GDP
60.91%2025 · % of GDPForeign investment, net inflows
-0.51%2025 · % of GDPInternet use
78.36%2024 · % of populationSee all 12 indicators and four calculated measures
These are the latest available values for this country in the reviewed snapshot. Years differ. Use the Country Data Lab to compare countries in the same year.
| Measure | Value | Period and unit |
|---|---|---|
| GDPReported indicator | $427.18B | 2025current US$ |
| GDP per personReported indicator | $6,598 | 2025current US$ per person |
| GDP growthReported indicator | 1.11% | 2025annual % |
| PopulationReported indicator | 64,747,319 | 2025people |
| Trade as a share of GDPReported indicator | 60.91% | 2025% of GDP |
| Exports as a share of GDPReported indicator | 31.41% | 2025% of GDP |
| Imports as a share of GDPReported indicator | 29.50% | 2025% of GDP |
| Foreign investment, net inflowsReported indicator | -0.51% | 2025% of GDP |
| Internet useReported indicator | 78.36% | 2024% of population |
| International tourism arrivalsReported indicator | 3,886,600 | 2020 · Historicalarrival events |
| International tourism receiptsReported indicator | $2.72B | 2020 · Historicalcurrent US$ |
| Logistics Performance IndexReported indicator | 3.70 | 20221–5 |
| Tourism arrivals per 100 residentsCalculated by NDS | 6.42 | 2020 · Historicalarrivals per 100 residents |
| Export–import share differenceCalculated by NDS | 1.91 pp | 2025percentage points of GDP |
| Foreign investment: three-year averageCalculated by NDS | 0.36% | 2023–2025% of GDP |
| Internet use: five-year changeCalculated by NDS | 8.66 pp | 2019–2024percentage pointsSource notesIT.NET.USER.ZS · 2019: Source and notes: ITU estimate., |
Read complete indicator definitions and methods
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators · API updated October 8, 2026 · snapshot retrieved October 20, 2026. NDS calculated the four derived measures. Country context supports research; the six-pillar place score remains in development.
Start with a city.
Plan a useful first talk.
Find source names, location, time zones, population fields, and place types.
Explore cities and placesLanguages listed for this country
Zulu (zu), Xhosa (xh), Afrikaans (af), Pedi (nso), English (en-ZA), Tswana (tn), Southern Sotho (st), Tsonga (ts), Swati (ss), Venda (ve), South Ndebele (nr)
GeoNames country context. This is not a city language count. Ask each partner which language they prefer.
13,529 populated-place records under source code ZA. This is a source count, not a count of city governments or partners.
Global Chamber™
5 location records are listed for this geography in the supplied 2026 reference file. Explore the names and ask the chamber about the help available today.
- Global Chamber™ Cape Town
- Global Chamber™ Durban
- Global Chamber™ Johannesburg
Additional research areas
These six pillars describe the wider framework. Their broader relationship and service measures are separate from the four country-readiness components.
Trade Readiness
- Export activity and market diversity
- Trade corridors and logistics access
- Port, rail, road, and air connections
Investment Attraction
- Industry and workforce alignment
- Investment support and site readiness
- Foreign investment relationships
Global Relationship Capacity
- Active international partnerships
- Institutional participation and follow-through
- Chamber, university, and diaspora networks
Tourism & Visitor Markets
- International visitor and convention activity
- Hospitality and access infrastructure
- Destination visibility and cultural exchange
Business Access
- Export assistance and market-entry support
- Small business participation pathways
- Procurement and business matchmaking
Global Storytelling
- International media and destination visibility
- Clear place identity and market positioning
- Cultural diplomacy and public narrative
Put the relationships in context.
Discuss the sources, institutions, and business questions that matter for this place.
CommercialDiplomacyIndex.com · Country Readiness V1.0.0 · 2024 reference edition · Readiness 44.58 / 100 · V1