The internal tourism consumption of South Africa's railways passenger transport services illustrates a notable upward trajectory over the last decade, with values rising from 363.0 million ZAR in 2013 to 745.0 million ZAR in 2023. The consumption saw marked fluctuations, such as the significant 33.14% increase in 2019 and a dramatic -19.76% decline in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent years show recovery and steady growth with 12.65% in 2021, 15.27% in 2022, and 3.47% in 2023. The five-year CAGR from 2018 to 2023 averaged at 7.5%, indicating persistent growth.
Moving forward, projections suggest continued growth, with forecasts showing values reaching 872.91 million ZAR by 2028. However, the five-year CAGR forecast is modest at 2.6%, reflecting an expected slower growth rate of 13.68% over this period. Future trends to watch for include potential impacts of economic policies, infrastructure investments, and the broader recovery of the global travel industry post-pandemic.
