Johannesburg, South Africa, 13 October 2025: As travel between Africa and Asia grows, it’s becoming clear that the two regions share more than just trade routes. No longer content with the familiarity, many South African travellers are seeking journeys that go beyond sightseeing and allow them to connect with culture, tradition and heritage. As such, Asia, once seen as distant or difficult to reach, is becoming a natural extension of South Africans’ travel horizons.
In fact, in 2024, tourist arrivals from across Asia to South Africa jumped by 4.2%, reaching 207,718 visitors. China alone recorded an 11.4% increase, with 41 651 arrivals, fuelled by targeted promotions and stronger flight networks bridging the two regions like never before.
Similarly, Asia is more accessible for South African travellers than ever before, thanks to stronger flight networks that open new gateways to Asia. Cathay Pacific operates daily flights between Johannesburg and Hong Kong, which places South Africans at the doorstep of one of Asia’s most dynamic hubs. From Hong Kong, seamless onward connections extend across the region, linking Johannesburg to destinations such as Shanghai, Beijing, Tokyo, Seoul, Bangkok, Phuket, Bali, and also connects to destinations in the wider Greater Bay Area and, supporting both economic growth and cultural exchange. Infact, the airline flies to 23 destinations in the Chinese Mainland, including their newly launched service to Urumqi, a key hub in Northwestern China connecting Belt and Road destinations in Central Asia.
The growing relationship between South Africa and Asia is also reflected in the continued strengthening diplomatic ties between the regions. Many Asian countries are opening their doors to South Africans, with some like Cambodia, Nepal and Malaysia offering visa-on-arrival options or others like Thailand and Indonesia waiving visa requirements altogether, making travel easier and more inviting than ever.
Shared values and stories
The appeal goes deeper than convenience, with Asian and African cultures sharing a number of unexpected similarities. Family, food, and tradition anchor both regions and meals are an expression of togetherness and heritage, whether it’s a South African gathering around a potjie or a family banquet in Beijing. For many travellers, discovering these echoes of home in unfamiliar settings makes the experience feel authentic, grounding and transformative.
For South Africans of Asian descent, travel east can also be a journey into family history, providing the opportunity to reconnect with ancestral homelands, languages and traditions that may feel distant in daily life. For others, it offers a chance to explore landscapes, philosophies and rituals that resonate with their own values, from mindfulness practices to a shared reverence for community.
At the same time, Hong Kong itself has become a destination that bridges both East and West. Its layered identity, vibrant food scene and thriving cultural landscape mirror South African cities’ own energy and diversity, making it an appealing first step into Asia for South Africans.
Building connection
While the aviation industry is still adjusting to post-pandemic realities, the expansion of direct routes between South Africa and Asia is a bold signal of the deeper connections, more meaningful exchanges and greater accessibility that lies ahead.
“The flight to Hong Kong is an invitation to explore Asia’s vast and varied cultures, rediscover shared heritage and to see how, across continents, values like family, tradition and hospitality create a common language,” says Shanna Docherty, Country Lead South Africa and Regional Head of Trade sales MEA.
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