Durban and Cape Town are leading the way in metro tourism social media engagement. This is according to the latest TourismX Index, powered by Gerom Media, which has released its findings on the social media performance of South Africa’s metropolitan tourism agencies for the period January to May 2025.
The Index evaluated each agency’s Facebook presence using measurable metrics, including content output, follower growth, interaction rates, likes, comments, reshares, and total engagement to determine which cities are best connecting with digital audiences around the world.
Durban Tourism emerged as the clear frontrunner, topping the rankings with an impressive 33% Page Performance Index. With over 338,000 followers and a 2.15% growth rate, Durban’s consistent posting and high interaction rate cement its position as the most effective city in engaging online audiences.
Following closely is Cape Town’s tourism agency, Love Cape Town, with a strong 13% performance score and a large follower base of 578,000. The city’s rich media content and steady stream of engaging posts earned it over 90,000 interactions, making it one of the top digital destinations in the country.
Buffalo City Tourism also stood out with a strong interaction rate of 0.80%, generating 13,000 interactions from just 121 posts, a sign of a highly engaged, albeit modest-sized, audience.
Similarly, Nelson Mandela Bay recorded a notable 1.20% interaction rate, though it lagged in total engagement volume.
In contrast, Johannesburg Tourism underperformed in terms of both reach and engagement. With less than 350 total interactions each over several dozen posts, these metros show a clear need for strategic repositioning and content revitalisation to keep pace with the leaders.
According to Gerrit Davids, MD, Gerom Media, ‘The TourismX Index serves as a benchmark for tourism marketers to assess how well they’re leveraging social media as a tool for tourism growth, destination branding, and stakeholder value.’
‘The results of the Index also allow tourism agencies to enhance their online engagement to be shortlisted for the upcoming sector-wide TourismX Social Media Awards, taking place later this year,’ said Davids.
GEROM MEDIA
www.gerommedia.co.za
