The number of tourists from South Africa traveling to Türkiye each year has seen a steady rise as South Africans have become more interested in exploring the country’s beautiful sites, immersing themselves in local culture and savoring the local food, a Turkish diplomat said Monday.
"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," Ayşegül Kandaş, Turkish ambassador to Pretoria said in an interview with Anadolu Agency (AA), hoping that the number of tourists in 2023 will surpass the previous year figure.
Kandaş 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 (THY) 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 (YEE), 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.
Kandaş 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 toward 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 also 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.