South Africa ‘a magnet’ for Russian travelers – envoy

South Africa is the most popular destination for Russian tourists in Sub-Saharan Africa, Russian Ambassador Ilya Rogachev told TASS on Sunday. 

“More than 28,000 of our compatriots visited the country in 2023 – 75% higher than the figures for 2022,” he said.

Cape Town remains the most attractive tourist destination for Russian tourists, Rogachev added.

However, the ambassador noted that a lack of direct air routes between the two nations is a major challenge to further growth in tourism. Ukraine-related sanctions are also making cross-border transactions nearly impossible using payment systems such as SWIFT, as Russian bank cards do not work in Pretoria.

He also noted that individual and family trips to South Africa are traditionally more popular than large tourist groups.

Meanwhile, the association of Russian tour operators (ATOR) reported in December that Sub-Saharan African countries, including Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa, are now in high demand among Russian travelers. The African countries offer combinations of sightseeing and beach vacations, and are pulling in visitors with their large nature reserves, ATOR reported.