The StatsSA reports on Accommodation, Food and Beverage and Tourism performance in South Africa are showing continued signs of recovery for the tourism and hospitality sector.
While this is good news, the industry is still very much carrying the weight of COVID-19 lockdown and travel restrictions, with some major players are still cancelling services they used to use for years.
Please see below a breakdown of the latest figures for Tourist Accommodation and the Food & Beverages sectors for December last year.
Key findings: Tourist Accommodation December 2021
Measured in nominal terms (current prices), total income for the tourist accommodation industry increased by 46,6% in December 2021 compared with December 2020. Income from accommodation increased by 18,4% year-on-year in December 2021, the result of an 11,5% increase in the number of stay unit nights sold and a 6,3% increase in the average income per stay unit night sold.
In December 2021, positive contributors to the 18,4% year-on-year increase in income from accommodation were:
- hotels (45,1% and contributing 20,2 percentage points); and
- guest-houses and guest-farms (45,7% and contributing 2,3 percentage points).
Income from accommodation increased by 38,7% in the fourth quarter of 2021 compared with the fourth quarter of 2020. The main contributors to this increase were:
- hotels (61,4% and contributing 28,7 percentage points); and
- other accommodation (16,9% and contributing 7,6 percentage points).
Seasonally adjusted income from accommodation increased by 7,7% month-on-month in December 2021. Positive month-on-month growth rates were recorded for:
- guest-houses and guest-farms (17,8%); and
- hotels (14,8%).
Key findings: Food and Beverage December 2021
Year-on-year percentage change in food and beverages income at constant 2015 prices by type of income
Measured in real terms (constant 2015 prices), total income generated by the food and beverages industry increased by 20,3% in December 2021 compared with December 2020. The largest annual growth rate was recorded for food sales (23,8%).
Year-on-year percentage change in food and beverages income at constant 2015 prices by type of enterprise
In December 2021, the main contributors to the 20,3% year-on-year increase were:
- takeaway and fast-food outlets (29,4% and contributing 9,7 percentage points); and
- restaurants and coffee shops (14,3% and contributing 7,7 percentage points).
Food and beverages income at constant 2015 prices for the latest three months by type of enterprise
Total income increased by 21,3% in the fourth quarter of 2021 compared with the fourth quarter of 2020. The main contributors to this increase were:
- takeaway and fast-food outlets (28,5% and contributing 9,4 percentage points); and
- restaurants and coffee shops (17,8% and contributing 9,3 percentage points).
Seasonally adjusted income for the food and beverages industry decreased by 3,8% in December 2021 compared with November 2021. This followed month-on-month changes of -0,1% in November 2021 and 7,3% in October 2021.
Key findings: Tourism and Migration December 2021
In December 2021, 1 171 244 travellers (arrivals, departures, and transits) passed through South Africa’s ports of entry/exit. They were made up of 424 900 South African residents and 746 344 foreign travellers. Foreign arrivals, 347 188 were made up of 35 078 non-visitors and 312 110 visitors. The visitors consisted of 49 002 same-day visitors and 263 108 overnight visitors (tourists). The breakdown of the tourists by region is as follows: 51 516 from overseas; 206 349 from the SADC countries; 4 860 from ‘other’ African countries and the country of residence of 383 tourists was classified as unspecified.
For more information and the full reports, please click on the links below:
Tourist accommodation –
Key findings http://www.statssa.gov.za/?page_id=1856&PPN=P6410&SCH=72926
Tourist accommodation –
Full publication http://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P6410/P6410December2021.pdf
Food & Beverage –
Key findings http://www.statssa.gov.za/?page_id=1856&PPN=P6420&SCH=72928
Food & Beverage –
Full publication http://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P6420/P6420December2021.pdf
Tourism and Migration publication – December 2021
Full publication – http://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P0351/P0351December2021.pdf
Key Findings – http://www.statssa.gov.za/?page_id=1856&PPN=P0351&SCH=73262
