Are airports South Africa’s most valuable out-of-home assets?

As South Africa’s travel sector grows, so does the opportunity for brand engagement

South Africa’s airports are becoming some of the country’s most valuable commercial and communication assets, says Mzukisi Deliwe, deputy CEO of Provantage and head of Airport Ads.

As air travel surges across both business and leisure segments, Airports Company South Africa reports sustained growth across its key hubs, with passenger volumes rising from 31.5-million in 2022 to 37.8-million in 2024, a 20% increase over two years. Privately owned Lanseria International Airport reflects a similar upward trajectory, growing from 549,000 passengers in 2023 to 633,000 in 2024, a 15% year-on-year gain that demonstrates its continued rise as the preferred business and regional hub for Gauteng’s northern corridor.

This growth matters economically. Travellers are spending more per trip, on flights and accommodation, but also across airport retail, dining and other experiences. It’s a high-value audience with the disposable income and intent that advertisers are chasing.

Deliwe says airports deliver something that most media environments can’t: time and attention. “The average traveller spends over an hour in the terminal and sees approximately 11.9 digital advertising screens during any visit, moving through a series of predictable touchpoints from check-in, security, boarding and arrivals to baggage claim. Each stage provides minutes, not seconds, of exposure, offering a potential 10-million viewed impressions per month.”

That’s why, he says, airports have become South Africa’s most premium out-of-home property. “It’s a safe and trusted environment. Travellers are in an anticipatory mindset, planning, exploring and often spending on impulse. For brands in sectors such as financial services, telecoms, automotive and lifestyle, that mindset translates into conversion.”

The average traveller spends over an hour in the terminal and sees approximately 11.9 digital advertising screens during any visit—  Mzukisi Deliwe

Airport media has evolved far beyond static signage. The network of digital screens, large-format LED billboards and experiential activations now available represents a connected, data-rich ecosystem, while real-time audience measurement analytics provide VACs, tracking dwell time, frequency and exposure.

“This level of audience measurement has made airport out-of-home one of the most quantifiable and verified media environments in the country,” he says.

“Programmatic scheduling enables time-sensitive campaigns, adjusting creative to match flight schedules, destinations or dayparts. A financial services brand, for example, can run messaging aligned to morning business departures, while a tourism campaign can trigger on weekend leisure routes.”

For marketers navigating tighter budgets and demanding return on investment, that linkage between exposure and data is crucial. It bridges physical and digital, turning out-of-home into an omnichannel performance asset.

Deliwe points out that the airport audience profile sets it apart from other media environments, with frequent flyers representing South Africa’s most mobile, connected and economically active consumers: business decision-makers, entrepreneurs, professionals and aspirational families, representing an audience that is open to new products and less price-sensitive.

“As brands increasingly integrate their marketing ecosystems, airport media offers one of the few truly omnichannel bridges. The journey from home to gate to destination can now be mapped, measured and retargeted with consistent creative exposure across touchpoints. For example, a brand could target travellers on the freeway en route to the airport with roadside billboards and reach them again in the airport environment.”

As South Africa’s travel sector grows, fuelled by business mobility, domestic tourism and new international routes, so does the opportunity for brand engagement and, with it, measurable economic value.

“While airports will remain vital to mobility and economic connectivity, they represent high-value customer ecosystems in motion for marketers. For brands that understand the traveller mindset, the airport remains the most powerful place to begin that conversation,” says Deliwe.

The big take-out: The linkage between exposure and date bridges physical and digital, turning out-of-home into an omnichannel performance asset