Cape Town International Airport Boosts Western Cape Economy by R24 Billion

Cape Town International Airport has played a pivotal role in driving the Western Cape's economy during 2022. According to joint findings released by Cape Town Air Access and Western Cape Tourism, Trade and Investment Promotion Agency, Wesgro, over R24 billion (£1.28bn) was injected into the Western Cape's economy as a result of international arrivals to the airport during the year.

In 2022, the airport welcomed 605,000 international passengers. Each 100 travellers contributed R2.1 million (£111k) in direct tourism spending. The same number of passengers accounted for the movement of R1.4 million (£74k) worth of air cargo. For every 100 passengers, R500,000 (£26k) was injected into the provincial GDP, which in turn created two local jobs.

The visitor demographics revealed that 39% of the passengers were South African nationals, with the remaining 61% hailing from foreign countries. Key source markets were identified as the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States, the Netherlands, and Namibia.

James Vos, Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth at the City of Cape Town, stressed the vital role aviation plays in Cape Town's tourism offering. Mireille Wenger, Western Cape Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities, echoed this sentiment, pointing out aviation's growing significance as a major catalyst for economic development.

Anticipations for the 2023 summer season forecast a surge in passenger levels that could exceed those of 2019. This would further improve economic prospects as the Western Cape continues its recovery and growth.