Innovative domestic SA airline, LIFT, is gearing up for one of its busiest festive seasons yet – supported by rising domestic demand, strong early bookings and positive outlooks from leading tourism organisations in the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
With December already tracking as one of the year’s highest demand periods, LIFT has added two additional aircraft to its fleet from November to support peak travel on the Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban routes, known as the Golden Triangle.
Cilliers Jordaan, Chief Commercial Officer at LIFT, says the early signs show clear confidence from South African travellers. “Across all three regions in the Golden Triangle, early bookings have already been shaping the season,” he says. “Travellers have been locking in holiday plans sooner, and most appear to want to stay longer and travel in larger groups. The trends suggest a strong finish to the year, and our added fleet capacity allows us to serve that demand.”
Jordaan adds that the combination of rising international arrivals and steady regional movement is helping to lift domestic volumes across the board. “South Africa continues to attract international visitors, and many of those travellers then move between Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. This creates healthy demand on core domestic routes, which is exactly where LIFT is focused,” he explains.
The picture from South Africa’s key tourism regions supports Jordaan’s optimism. Wesgro reports that domestic seat capacity into Cape Town for December and January is projected to reach 98.8% of pre-pandemic levels. Wesgro CEO, Wrenelle Stander, says that last summer was a record period for flights between Cape Town International Airport and SADC countries, and early indicators suggest that this season is set to surpass that by nearly 10%. She points out that both domestic and international interest in the province remains strong. “Demand from our established global markets like the UK, Germany, the USA, the Netherlands and France remain solid,” Stander says. “At the same time, we are seeing growing attention from India, China, ASEAN countries, Brazil and the Middle East. It reflects a global appetite for the Western Cape and the experiences it offers – and the province is ready to welcome all its valued visitors.”
She adds that travellers appear to be broadening their itineraries this summer. “People still love the Cape Town icons; but we are also seeing growing interest in smaller towns and regional destinations and experiences. From the West Coast and the Winelands to the Karoo, the Overberg, and the Garden Route, visitors want authentic, community-based experiences.” She says that Wesgro is encouraging travellers to act on their curiosity and explore widely so that the economic benefits of tourism can be shared across the province and the country.”
KwaZulu-Natal Tourism echoes this positive outlook. The province is projecting up to 1.1 million domestic travellers over December and January, along with an estimated 34 000 international arrivals. Sibusiso Gumbi, Interim CEO KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film says that, while this season may not break records, the trends point to a stronger performance than in 2024, with KZN already leading the country in domestic trips for the first half of 2025 at 4.3 million – which means the province enters the season with solid momentum. “KZN continues to be a favourite for local travellers,” he explains. “Our culture, coastline, events, and family friendly activities keep travellers coming back year after year and our projections for December and January show steady, healthy demand.”
Gumbi highlights that visitor spending remains a major contributor to the regional economy. “We expect around R13 billion in visitor spend this season, which will support jobs, small businesses and tourism operators across the province.”
Jordaan says this is exactly why the Golden Triangle remains the country’s most important domestic network. Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban power South African tourism and business travel. Strong links between these cities support the entire value chain and bolster national economic growth. “With our extra aircraft in place, LIFT is in a strong position to help keep these routes moving and deliver valuable tourism spend across the country.”
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