South Africa: Visa-free travel leads to surge in Kenyan visitors | In an era where intercontinental collaboration has become crucial, the recent surge in tourism from Kenya to SA shows the transformative power of strategic policy-making and targeted marketing efforts.
From January 1 2023, Kenyans have enjoyed visa-free travel to SA for 90 days in a year. The scrapping of visa requirements for travellers between the two countries symbolises more than an administrative adjustment.
It marked a milestone in fostering closer ties for African countries, serving as a precursor for a new era of ease in travel and cultural exchange.
The impact of this change, coupled with SA Tourism’s marketing strategies, has been profound, with SA experiencing a surge in visitors from Kenya.
Between January and December 2023, Kenya recorded a 99% increase compared with 2022, reaching 42,403 arrivals. A comparison of seasonal trends shows that in 2023, arrivals exceeded 2019 arrivals. In 2022, arrivals peaked over 2019 in October.
This is an incredible number of Kenyan tourists who chose to explore SA above any other destination. Overall, SA welcomed 6.4-million visitors from the rest of Africa between January and December 2023, marking a 75.6% of all arrivals.
In 2023, Kenyan tourists spent over 20% more than what they spent in 2019. The influx has had economic and cultural impact. Tourism is a significant economic driver, not just in revenue generation, but also as a catalyst for job creation, cultural exchange and strengthening international relations.
SA Tourism welcomes this with immense pride, and this is reflected in the marketing approach in Kenya,, which is multifaceted, dynamic and highly targeted.
Kenyans have an appetite for new experiences. The current campaign — “There’s So Much More to See” — has successfully tapped into this sentiment, highlighting the lesser-known yet equally captivating variety of products and experiences led by SA Tourism’s warm, culturally diverse team.
Digital campaigns have further leveraged Kenya’s robust social media landscape, achieving impressive engagement metrics including more than 100-million impressions, over 9-million video views and 615,675 clicks.
These figures are a testament to the power of digital storytelling and the importance of authentic brand stories. South Africa: Visa-free travel leads to surge in Kenyan visitors
