More people visit South Africa over festive season

13 January 2016The 2015/16 festive season recorded a 5.3% increase in traveller movement
compared to 2014/15, Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba said in Johannesburg yesterday."From 1
December 2015 to 7 January 2016 a total number of 5390856 travellers went through our borders,
much higher than the total earlier reported for 1 December 2015 to 3 January 2016, that is,
4798183," said the minister at a media briefing on 12 January.ArrivalsHe said 1487148 of the total
were South African citizens, and 3903708 were foreign nationals."There were 2003509 arrivals of
foreigners and 706365 arrivals of citizens, bringing total arrivals to 2709874," said the minister. The
increase in volumes in terms of arrivals was 7.6% for foreigners and 0.3% for citizens.it is quite clear
that the 2016 peak period had notable increases in traveller movement compared to 2014 and 2015.
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Malusi Gigaba (@mgigaba) January 12, 2016There was also an increase of 4.9% in travellers from
Africa, 6.1% from Europe, 7.8% from North America, 15% from Asia, 2.5% from Australasia, 21%
from the Middle East, and a decrease of 1% in arrivals from South America.Gigaba said the top
nationalities arriving in South Africa over this period were from Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Mozambique,
Swaziland, Botswana, United Kingdom, Germany, USA and Namibia.DeparturesOf the 2680982
departures, foreigners accounted for 1900199 and South African citizens numbered 780783."I thank
all travellers and our citizens for their conduct in this period, in spite of challenges in some areas,
including long queues. This is receiving our undivided attention," Gigaba said.Source: South African
Government News Agency
http://www.southafrica.info/about/government/traveller-volumes-130116.htm