In just two years, the way South Africans discover new travel destinations has flipped entirely. Back in 2023, travel company websites and platforms like YouTube and TripAdvisor shaped most itineraries. But in 2025, Facebook takes the lead at , with YouTube and TikTok following close behind, signaling a major pivot from curated to crowd-sourced, from official to personal. The fall of travel websites (now just ) is not a failure of content, it is a shift in trust. Social media now acts as the algorithmic compass, pointing users to destinations through reels, comments, and shared nostalgia. TikTok’s rapid rise, nearly matching YouTube, reflects a younger, mobile-first generation craving raw, unfiltered travel previews.
For a deeper dive into the topic, explore Key travel planning methods among South African travelers, South African travelers’ lodging preferences, top travel destinations for South Africans.
