PRETORIA, South Africa

The number of South African tourists visiting Türkiye each year is steadily increasing as South Africans have become more interested in exploring the country’s beautiful sites, experiencing its culture firsthand, and enjoying cuisine, the Turkish ambassador to Pretoria said. 

“In 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of travelers from South Africa was 4,742. In 2022, the number of tourists climbed to 61,154 and this year, just a few months ago, 58,672 South Africans visited Türkiye,” Aysegul Kandas told Anadolu in an interview on Monday, hoping that the number of tourists in 2023 will surpass the previous year figure.

Kandas said the Turkish series, which has been broadcast on several South African television channels, has sparked local interest in visiting Türkiye and experiencing the beautiful sites, food, and culture firsthand.

“Turkish Airlines also has direct flights from South Africa to Istanbul and some South Africans traveling to other destinations transit through Istanbul and spend some time there,” she said.

She applauded three Turkish state-run organizations affiliated with the embassy, including the Yunus Emre Institute, Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), and Maarif Foundation, for their community outreach projects in South Africa.

"Yunus Emre helps us in promoting Turkish culture through teaching language courses, art, showcasing cuisine, and showing movies to South Africans, thus increasing interest in the country and promoting cultural integration with South Africa," she said.

Kandas said the Maarif Foundation strengthens bilateral educational relations as it has a school in Johannesburg and plans to open another in Cape Town in January next year.

“TIKA Pretoria Office has finished 15 projects in 2022 and 17 projects this year in different provinces. It has invested 50 million Rand (about $2.7 million) since 2017. Most of the projects are geared towards women and youth,” the diplomat explained.

She said Türkiye’s visibility in South African rural communities and townships has mainly been primarily from the activities of its state agencies.

She stated that TIKA has built community libraries, water treatment projects for schools, and other projects that have made Türkiye known in various communities throughout the country.