Cape Town Airport shatters records with 11.1M passengers in 2025

SOUTH AFRICA – Cape Town International Airport has notched a historic high, handling 11.1 million two-way passengers throughout 2025.

December capped the year with 1.12 million total travelers, smashing festive benchmarks for the city and province.

International arrivals hit 364,000, up 10% year-on-year, while domestic volumes rose 7% to 754,000, reflecting Cape Town’s magnetic pull amid global travel resurgence.

Air cargo surged 42% over the first 10 months, cementing the hub’s logistics prowess for perishables and e-commerce bridging Africa-Europe routes.

Annual internationals reached 3.3 million, a 7% climb from 2024, underscoring South Africa’s tourism rebound.

Wesgro CEO Wrenelle Stander affirmed these stats position Cape Town to double visitor numbers by 2035, with each arrival igniting economic ripples, job creation, and competitive edge across communities.

Provincial Minister Dr. Ivan Meyer echoed that tourism fuels employment and provincial opportunities, while Alderman James Vos stressed direct flights as tourism accelerators supporting businesses.

Looking to 2026, Cape Town Air Access rolls out LATAM Airlines’ São Paulo nonstop from July, plus Air Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam-Victoria Falls-Cape Town triangle.

Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Ethiopian Airlines ramp frequencies, enhancing long-haul feeds. Stander credited Airports Company South Africa, South African Tourism, Western Cape Government, City of Cape Town, Cape Town Tourism, V&A Waterfront, and DHL for the triumph.

For hospitality operators, this influx spells bounty: 11.1 million passengers prime QSR zones in terminals, where grab-and-go outlets like Nando’s peri-peri or Woolworths Café thrive on transit rushes, posting 15-20% holiday spikes.

Table View and Sea Point hotels see occupancy lifts from V&A stays, blending beach escapes with Waterfront dining.

Cargo booms stabilize F&B supply chains, fresher seafood for resort grills, flowers for event spaces, mirroring Dubai’s 2025 model where logistics hubs drove 12% eatery growth.

Investors eye 2026 routes for yield: LATAM opens Brazil’s 2 million-strong middle class to Cape Winelands, while Ethiopian’s adds East African MICE flows.

Airport retail expansions, projected ZAR10 billion capex (about US$1 billion), signal QSR franchises like KFC or Starbucks scaling lounges.

As Africa’s leisure gateway, CPT’s ascent validates mid-tier hotel bets, with RevPAR trajectories rivaling Johannesburg’s 8% gains. This record cements Cape Town’s trajectory, channeling festive momentum into year-round hospitality dominance.

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