President Cyril Ramaphosa’s call to restore direct flights between South Africa and India has been welcomed by the tourism industry, which says improved air connectivity could help reverse declining arrivals from the Indian market and unlock greater tourism, business and investment opportunities.
In the latest From the Desk of the President newsletter, Ramaphosa said South Africa was “keen to restore direct flights between South Africa and India” as the two countries look to strengthen trade, investment, tourism and people-to-people ties.
The call comes as Indian tourist arrivals in South Africa remain well below pre-pandemic levels.
According to the Southern Africa Tourism Services Association (SATSA), South Africa recorded 29 525 Indian visitors between January and July 2026, down 30.8% from the 42 656 recorded during the same period in 2025.
Indian arrivals have recovered to just 50.7% of the January-to-July 2019 level, according to SATSA chief executive David Frost.
This contrasts with overall overseas arrivals, which grew by 5.7% during the same period, with several major source markets already exceeding their pre-pandemic levels.
Direct flights could boost Indian tourism
Frost said air connectivity was “probably the biggest single barrier” to growing the Indian market.
Indian travellers currently need to connect through another international hub when travelling to South Africa, adding time and often cost to the journey.
“A direct service would make South Africa more competitive with other long-haul destinations and give the travel trade more reason to invest in the market,” Frost said.
However, he stressed that direct flights alone would not be enough. Better connectivity would need to be supported by stronger destination marketing, trade engagement and tourism products designed around Indian travellers’ changing expectations.
Research commissioned by South African Tourism highlights significant potential in the market.
The research identified five priority segments for South Africa: Seasoned Explorers, Family Adventures, Aspirational Explorers, Scenic Adventurers and Jetsetters. Together, these segments account for 35% of the Indian travel market, according to South African Tourism.
Indian travellers are increasingly looking for experiences rather than traditional sightseeing, with wildlife, nature, food, culture, adventure and local experiences among the attractions influencing destination choices.
South Africa is well positioned to tap into this demand because visitors can combine a safari, cities, food and wine, adventure and coastal experiences in a single trip.
South African Tourism chief operating officer Ismail Dockrat said the current decline in Indian arrivals did not change the long-term outlook.
“While Indian arrivals for January to July 2026 are below the same period in 2025, the long-term outlook for the market remains positive,” he said, pointing to positive forward bookings, outbound travel growth, increasing consumer confidence and sustained interest in long-haul travel.
Hospitality sector sees wider economic benefits
The potential benefits of restoring direct flights extend beyond visitor numbers.
FEDHASA national chairperson Brett Tungay said direct connectivity would make South Africa more accessible to the large and growing Indian market and could increase spending across hotels, restaurants, attractions and other tourism businesses.
He identified leisure, luxury and safari tourism, as well as business, events and wedding tourism, as areas with particular potential.
Could Durban get a direct India flight?
The push for connectivity is not limited to Johannesburg.
Durban Direct, the KwaZulu-Natal Routes Development Committee, says it has been engaging with airlines capable of serving the Indian market from hubs in India, the Middle East and Africa.
Hamish Erskine, CEO of Dube TradePort Corporation and co-chair of Durban Direct, said a direct Durban-India flight would provide a significant opportunity for KwaZulu-Natal’s tourism sector and broader economy.
He said improved connectivity could stimulate existing tourism and air-cargo flows while strengthening business relationships between the two regions.
Erskine also pointed to the expansion plans of Indian carriers Air India and IndiGo as encouraging developments, saying increased fleet availability could make future direct services more feasible.
SAA not yet announcing India return
South African Airways (SAA), which previously operated the Johannesburg-Mumbai route, has welcomed Ramaphosa’s comments but is not yet announcing a return to India.
SAA executive for Group Corporate Affairs Mphilo Dlamini said the airline continues to assess opportunities as part of its network planning and growth strategy.
“Whilst SAA is not currently able to announce the resumption of direct services between South Africa and India, including its former Johannesburg-Mumbai route, the airline regularly assesses market opportunities,” Dlamini said.
He said any future return to India would need to be supported by sufficient operational capacity, fleet availability and capital resources.
The prospect of improved connectivity also comes ahead of the 2027 Cricket World Cup, when South Africa will host matches and is expected to attract increased interest from the Indian market.
For the tourism industry, the message is therefore clear: restoring direct flights could remove one of the biggest barriers to growing Indian tourism, but South Africa will need the right products, marketing and trade partnerships in place to convert that access into arrivals.
zamandosi.cele@nationalmg.co.za