Remember January 2025? You probably thought your biggest travel worry would be whether the hotel Wi-Fi actually worked. Fast-forward eleven months, and you’ve navigated everything from geopolitical chess games to having AI transform how you plan and manage business trips.
If you’re a South African business traveller reading this as we close out 2025, chances are you’ve got stories. The missed connections during the FlySafair strike. The last-minute rerouting when Middle East airspace closed. That moment when you realised your visa appointment for Toronto was scheduled for some time in 2027.
“We have identified nine defining moments of 2025 that make it clear we’re not going back to the old way of doing business travel,” says Mummy Mafojane, FCM General Manager. “The visa chaos, geopolitical shocks, and technology revolution have fundamentally changed what success looks like. Companies that adapted to this new reality are already ahead of the game for 2026.”
Here’s a roundup of the year when business travel grew up…fast.
The Trump tariff chaos
Trump’s return wasn’t just American news. When he slapped 10-60% tariffs on global imports in April, South African companies felt the uncertainty immediately. “Suddenly, that routine New York sales trip wasn’t just about closing deals; it was about navigating trade policy uncertainty and potential supply chain disruptions,” explains Mafojane.
The aviation sector was among the most impacted by the tariff announcement, with airline stock prices dropping as much as 15% the following day. Companies started reconsidering US travel because of what might be coming next in an increasingly unpredictable trade environment.
The visa wait-time showdown
If you tried applying for a US or Canadian visa this year, you know the pain. Interview wait times in 2025 stretched to over three months in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban, with estimates between 100 and 120 days for non-immigrant visas, and even longer for other categories. Applications to Canada have taken as long as 568 days in some cases, with consultants reporting near standstills and extreme frustration.
For South African business travellers, tight schedules and last-minute deals suddenly seemed impossible if a North American visa was required. Companies were left booking appointments well in advance, often factoring in extra months just for paperwork, and sometimes re-routing meetings to markets with easier entry requirements. The message? Spur-of-the-moment trips to the US or Canada became all but impossible; strategic, long-term planning was the only way to guarantee face time with international partners.
When geopolitics crashed the party
The Gaza conflict and ongoing Ukraine war meant flight cancellations, rerouted itineraries, and 3am calls from stranded colleagues. Middle East airspace closures in June meant that routine business trips suddenly required creative routing through Istanbul or Athens.
GPS spoofing incidents affecting up to 900 flights daily became the new normal, keeping South African risk managers permanently on edge. “Risk management stopped being the travel manager’s problem and became everyone’s problem,” notes Mafojane.
The FlySafair strike that shook domestic travel
July brought home the reality that disruption doesn’t always come from abroad. FlySafair pilots went on strike for two weeks, temporarily limiting seat availability and driving domestic prices up just when business travel was hitting its stride. The strike served as a wake-up call about South Africa’s vulnerability to labour disputes affecting critical travel infrastructure.
In-flight batteries, Wi-Fi & new realities
Two major changes transformed the flying experience this year. First, IATA’s new lithium battery rules banned power banks from checked luggage and prohibited charging devices mid-flight. For South African business travellers on 14-hour flights to London, this initially felt like a productivity nightmare.
But then came the game-changer: airlines finally cracked the code on free Wi-Fi. Suddenly, nowhere was safe from that urgent Teams call; but it also meant you could actually work productively at 35,000 feet (as long as your power bank was in your carry-on and fully charged before take-off).
“We started seeing specific requests for ‘power management strategies’ and ‘offline flight preferences’ in travel bookings,” laughs Mafojane. “Some execs embraced the always-on connectivity; others desperately wanted their enforced downtime back.”
AI takes its seat at the corporate travel table
While everyone was watching the geopolitical drama, artificial intelligence quietly revolutionised how South African companies actually managed travel. According to industry data, 90% of business travel managers were using AI by year-end, though many struggled to scale their efforts effectively.
AI started predicting disruptions, suggesting alternative routes, and providing real-time safety updates. Companies using AI-enhanced travel management experienced significantly fewer disruptions and faster rebooking times during crises.
“AI took us from reactive to proactive,” explains Mafojane. “When FlySafair went on strike, smart systems were already suggesting alternatives before clients even knew there was a problem. It’s not about replacing human expertise – it’s about making that expertise more powerful and responsive.”
Business travel boomed
Despite all the chaos, South African business travel hit remarkable heights in 2025. The market grew 17%, more than double any other African market, driven by pent-up demand for face-to-face connections and new opportunities across the continent.
Companies weren’t just travelling more; they were travelling smarter. Bleisure became budget line items, wellbeing got written into policies, and sustainability moved from nice-to-have to must-have. “Demand was back with a vengeance,” says Mafojane. “But so was competition for seats, rooms, and visa appointments.”
G20 was our moment to shine (despite Trump’s theatrics)
November will be remembered as the month South Africa hosted its first-ever G20 Summit, and absolutely nailed it, despite some diplomatic tensions with the new Trump administration. “The G20 effect was immediate and lasting,” notes Mafojane. “We saw international focus on Africa as a business destination reach levels we’d never experienced before.”
The summit catalysed investment in MICE infrastructure and positioned South Africa as a serious player for international conferences. Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille emphasised how the summit drove demand for conference hotels, guided tours, cultural experiences, and luxury accommodation. Even with some political drama around trade policies, the business community recognised Africa’s potential, leading to a surge in follow-up meetings and investment discussions that will extend well into 2026.
Sustainability got serious
South Africa’s Climate Change Act 22 of 2024 was a wake-up call. Suddenly, every corporate travel policy needed carbon budgets, emission tracking, and supplier accountability.
Smart technology helped companies navigate this shift, with AI algorithms suggesting lower-emission routes and providing real-time insights into travel footprints. “Sustainability went from nice-to-have to must-have overnight,” notes Mafojane. “The companies that got ahead of this curve are the ones thriving as we head into 2026.”
What 2025 taught us about 2026
As we head into the new year, the lessons are crystal clear:
- Agility beats everything. The companies that succeeded weren’t those with the cheapest travel policies – they were the ones that could pivot fastest when plans changed.
- Technology amplifies human expertise. AI-enhanced services didn’t replace consultants. They made them more effective, responsive, and valuable to their organisations.
- People matter most. All the tech in the world doesn’t matter if you’re not taking care of your travellers. Wellbeing, flexibility, and genuine support became table stakes.
“2025 was the year we learned that business travel isn’t just about getting from A to B anymore,” reflects Mafojane. “It’s about getting there safely, sustainably, and with your sanity intact. The companies that figured that out are the ones thriving as we head into 2026.”
The bottom line
2025 threw everything at business travel: tariffs, conflicts, strikes, visa chaos, and technological revolution. Yet South African companies not only survived but grew stronger. They embraced AI, prioritised wellbeing, and learned that in an unpredictable world, the best strategy is building resilience, not just cutting costs.
As you plan for 2026, remember: it’s not about predicting the next crisis. It’s about being ready for whatever comes next. Because if 2025 taught us anything, it’s that the only constant in business travel is change, and the companies that thrive are those that turn disruption into opportunity.
