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Kenya is eying South African market to boost its Africa’s tourism presence
Currently Africa contributes about 42% of the total arrivals into the country with South Africa accounting for 39,700 arrivals in 2024, up from 28,000 in 2022, reflecting a growth of approximately 34%.
By Phyllis KONRAD
Kenya is capitalizing on the South African market to expand its tourism presence on the African continent, whose market share has been experiencing an upward trajectory.
The campaign, unveiled by Kenya Tourism Board (KTB), aims to position Kenya as the premier beach, cultural, and safari destination for South African travellers, leveraging a 360-degree communication strategy combining digital advertising, influencer collaborations, retail travel agent activations, and a series of roadshows across Cape Town, Durban, and Johannesburg.
The campaign in partnership with, one of South Africa’s leading holiday travel brands, Thompsons Holidays, also involves active engagement with their extensive client base through website activations, consumer promotions, and incentive programs.
“We are excited to deepen our engagement with the South African and African travel markets. “Through this partnership with Thompsons Holidays and strategic initiatives like the upcoming Magical Kenya Travel Expo, we are committed to growing Kenya’s appeal and accessibility to millions of travelers on the continent.” said Acting Kenya Tourism Board CEO, Allan Njoroge.
Key highlights of the campaign include spotlighting Kenya’s diverse coastal destinations such as Mombasa, Diani, Malindi, Watamu, and Lamu, showcasing the country’s pristine beaches, rich Swahili culture, vibrant marine adventures, and world-class safari experiences in Tsavo and Amboseli.
Kenya continues to record encouraging growth across African source markets. In 2023, Kenya welcomed over 1.6 million tourists from Africa, reflecting a significant resurgence and positioning Africa as a vital pillar for tourism growth. South Africa, in particular, showed a 33% rise in leisure and beach holiday arrivals to Kenya from 2022 to 2023, signaling strong demand and market potential.
This campaign aims to capitalize on this momentum, further expanding Kenya’s market share in South Africa and the broader continent.
Complementing the marketing campaign is the upcoming 2025 Magical Kenya Travel Expo scheduled for later this year.
This premier event will bring together tourism stakeholders from across Africa and beyond, offering a key platform to showcase Kenya’s diverse attractions, foster business partnerships, and drive inbound travel. The Expo will serve as a crucial lever to deepen Kenya’s footprint in African markets through targeted B2B engagements, educational sessions, and experiential activations.
The campaign targets affluent middle-income holidaymakers, honeymooners, families, and experience-driven travelers looking for exotic alternatives to traditional Indian Ocean destinations. With direct flight connections and competitively priced packages secured through partnerships with Kenya Airways and Jambojet, the campaign emphasizes affordability, accessibility, and convenience.
Thompsons Holidays will facilitate trade engagement through workshops, virtual training sessions, and travel agent incentives including retail vouchers, to empower the travel trade with in-depth knowledge about Kenya’s diverse offerings.
Additional campaign activations will include: paid social media campaigns, media partnerships, influencer partnerships, direct consumer activations with in-store promotions, competitions, and branded vehicle advertising in major South African cities.
Also, as part of the campaign, Thompsons Holidays will host a 5-night educational familiarization trip for top agents to experience Kenya’s hospitality firsthand, further boosting destination expertise.