V&A’s stellar December: Three million visitors, R1.4bn In sales recorded for the precinct

Three million-plus visitors, R1.4 billion in sales, and a New Year’s Eve party with 200,000 revellers and a global audience of tens of millions.

Announcing the V&A milestones, CEO Graham Wood says these are encouraging indicators for a neighbourhood that supports more than 83,000 direct and indirect jobs and contributes more than 1.5% of Western Cape’s GDP.

“We welcomed 25 million visitors in 2025, matching the previous year despite significant development, construction and infrastructure upgrades across the precinct,” he says.

“Even without the completion of our luxury retail wing, the V&A achieved more than R11 billion in retail sales in 2025, up 7%, another year of excellent growth.”

The year culminated in a New Year’s Eve party livestreamed by one of the world’s most popular internet personalities, IShowSpeed (Darren Jason Watkins Jr). “His YouTube stream of the event had more than 47 million views, this was incredible exposure for the V&A, Cape Town and South Africa,” says Wood.

The reopening of the InterContinental Table Bay Cape Town in December after a 10-month conversion was a fillip for the precinct’s accommodation offering, says Wood.

“Demand across our 13 hotels remained robust over the festive period, with December occupancies a healthy 69%, reinforcing the V&A Waterfront’s strength as a global tourism destination.

“Looking ahead to 2026, we will be the opening of the luxury retail wing. In addition, a key milestone will the opening of the EDITION, Cape Town hotel in quarter three, which will deliver a new benchmark in contemporary luxury, interfacing seamlessly with our new superyacht basin scheduled to open in October.”

In 2025, the Cape Town Cruise Terminal at the V&A welcomed 74 vessels, 126,000 passengers and 45,000 crew. “Despite the short-term impact of geopolitical developments on cruising, there is long-term growth potential in the cruise market,” Wood says.

After being named as the best City in the world for 2025 by the prestigious Telegraph Travel Awards and Time Out, Cape Town’s December international arrivals were 11% higher than a year earlier, and Wood says Cape Town’s Air Access initiative plays a key role in bringing 230 international flights to Cape Town International Airport every week.

“This is a great example of collaboration between Government and industry, and there is an opportunity for the Tourism Business Council of South Africa and SA Tourism to work together to further increase international air arrivals, since the country is losing ground to East Africa in particular,” he says.

“Tourism is a key economic driver, contributing 9% of GDP, supporting about 1.8 million jobs across hospitality, transportation, retail, and services. The V&A is proud of its leading role in the sector, and we are committed to continue setting world-class standards and sharing our experience with the industry.”

“Innovation is the key that will unlock further growth, and it’s at the heart of what we do at the V&A,” he says. “Where we lead, we encourage and support others to follow. We confidently expect 2026 to be another year of growth, with benefits for jobs, small businesses, and the economy.”