South Africa's cruise industry sets new record for 2024/25

South Africa’s cruise industry is experiencing substantial growth and making notable contributions to the economy.

Cape Town's Wesgro has announced that the city and the Western Cape have set new records for cruise-liner visits, passenger numbers, and economic contributions for the 2024/25 season.

According to preliminary data from the Western Cape Cruise Liner Industry Report, commissioned by Cruise Cape Town and powered by Wesgro, the cruise season contributed R1.79 billion to the Western Cape’s GDP-R, an increase from R1.32 billion in 2023/24.

"This growth is attributed to 79 cruise ship arrivals (83 vessel arrivals) between September 2024 and June 2025, marking an 18% increase from the 67 ships recorded in the previous season," said Wesgro in a statement.

Wesgro also noted that passenger numbers rose to 127 000, reflecting a 16% increase compared to 2023/24.

"Long-haul 'world cruises', which connect multiple continents, accounted for 42 port calls, further enhancing Cape Town’s reputation as a premier destination on global itineraries. Each vessel brings thousands of international travellers, whose spending benefits accommodation, restaurants, cultural attractions, retail and wine farms."

The total expenditure generated by vessels and passengers for the 2024/25 season reached R1.99 billion, representing a 32% increase from the previous season’s R1.5 billion.

Commenting on the findings, Wesgro CEO Wrenelle Stander said the 2024/25 season has been a successful year for Cape Town and the Western Cape’s cruise industry.

"With record passenger numbers and expenditure, the industry is demonstrating its capacity to create jobs and stimulate growth across the province.”

The 2024/25 season created 1 234 direct full-time equivalent jobs in the Western Cape, increasing to 2,345 when considering multiplier effects.

The largest share of these jobs was in retail and markets (44%), followed by hotels and restaurants (27%), tour operators and other services (9%), and fuel bunkering (8%).

At the national level, nearly 3 000 jobs were supported, with international passenger spending accounting for almost two-thirds of this growth.

On the east coast of South Africa, KZN Tourism & Film - Visit KZN reported that following the launch of the Nelson Mandela Cruise Terminal, Durban welcomed 243,000 cruise passengers during the 2023/24 season.

The terminal can handle up to 4 000 passengers daily and generated 10 000 local construction jobs upon its opening.

Additionally, the authority said that 78 cruise calls are already scheduled for 2026, while Richards Bay welcomed 25 cruise liners in the last season, bringing thousands of mostly international guests to the City of Umhlathuze.