South Africa - Net Migration





South Africa: Net Migration

Mnemonic NM.IZAF
Unit #, NSA
Adjustments Not Seasonally Adjusted
Monthly 23.77 %
Data Feb 2024 955,283
Jan 2024 1,253,216

Series Information

Source Statistics South Africa (Statistics SA)
Release Tourism and Migration
Frequency Monthly
Start Date 1/31/2014
End Date 2/29/2024

South Africa: Demographics

Reference Last Previous Units Frequency
Net Migration Feb 2024 955,283 1,253,216 #, NSA Monthly
Births 2021 1,023,693 1,003,307 # Annual
Deaths 2018 454,014 446,544 # Annual
Birth Rate 2016 20.98 21.3 # per Ths. pop. Annual
Death Rate 2016 9.79 10.1 # per Ths. pop. Annual

Release Information

This data release reports the number of arrivals, departures and in transit travellers of both South African residents and foreign travellers by mode of travel. The purpose of travel of overnight visitors are provided as well.

Data routinely collected by immigration officers at all road, air and sea entry ports on all travellers (South African residents and foreign travellers) arriving into or departing from South Africa are captured into the Department of Home Affairs (DHA)'s population Movement Control System (MCS). The counts/statistics relate to the number of individual movements, rather than to the number of people. Hence, the multiple movements of individual people during the calendar month are each counted separately. Generally the data are collected directly from travel documents either by scanning or capturing onto the port's electronic database. No forms or cards are used (except in rare occasions when the capturing system is down) to collect information from travellers. Individual ports regularly transmit data onto the national database at the head office of the DHA.

Statistics South Africa (Statisticss SA) downloads the data covering a particular calendar month from the mainframe of the State Information Technology Agency (SITA), where the DHA stores its data. Stats SA then processes and publishes this information.

In 2015, South Africa's ports of entry implemented a new Movement Control System (e-MCS), requiring changes to the way tourism data are reported. Rather than reporting "in transit" as a purpose of travel, it is now reported as a direction. Previously, in transit travellers were included with arrivals; starting from January 2014, separate categories are reported for arrivals and in transit. Note that all figures for tourists exclude travellers in transit.

Traveller
Someone who moves between different geographical locations for any purpose and any duration.
Visitor
Any person travelling to a place other than that of his/her usual environment for less than 12 months and whose main purpose of the trip is other than the exercise of an activity remunerated from within the place visited.
Same-day visitor
Visitor who visits a place for less than one night.
Tourist (overnight visitor)
Visitor who stays at least one night in collective or private accommodation in the place visited.
South African resident
South African citizen or a non-South African citizen with a South African permanent residence permit.
Foreign traveller
A traveller who is not a South African citizen nor a permanent resident.

Yes, as necessary.

Prior to April 2022, the mnemonic "VSQTR2GOTUM.IZAF" was previously defined as "Tourism by purpose: Other - Overnight visitors, (#, NSA)".