At least 70 per cent of international tourists are prepared to avoid South Africa if President Cyril Ramaphosa’s government fails to curb the capture and breeding of lions in cages for profit, according to a new poll by the World Animal Protection and Bloody Lion released on Monday.

The majority of over 2500 respondents across South Africa, the U.S., the UK, the Netherlands and Germany said that they would be uninterested in visiting South Africa should the government reverse an earlier decision to halt the captive lion industry.

World Animal Protection said “practices linked to canned hunting, cub petting tourism” have long angered tourists who were placated in 2021 by the South African authorities with a plan to “phase out the commercial exploitation” of lions held captive.

Results of the survey carried out by Savanta revealed 77 per cent of respondents opined the government should make wildlife-friendly tourism a priority and stop breeding lions in cages for profit.

Seventy per cent of international tourists indicated they would “put off visiting a country that allows lions to be bred and kept in captivity for profit”.

No fewer than 65 per cent said they would seek alternative tourist destinations should South Africa continue to hold lions in cages and breed them for financial gain.

Sixty-nine per cent cautioned that the government could suffer irreparable reputational and economic damage as a tourist destination if it backs out of its initial plan to phase out the breeding of lions for profit.

Tourism accounts for roughly nine per cent of South Africa’s GDP,, and the poll estimated that the four countries, the UK, the U.S., the Netherlands and Germany, accounted for over 1.2 million tourists who visited South Africa in 2025.

“Given that tourism supports one job for every 13 international arrivals, this could translate to approximately 66,000 tourism jobs at risk,” the report stated.

Edith Kabesiime, wildlife campaign manager at World Animal Protection Africa, urged the South African government to phase out captive lion farming in order to preserve the authentic experience sought by tourists.

“Captive lion breeding is cruel, has no conservation value and risks undermining South Africa’s standing as a leader in wildlife protection,” Ms Kabesiime said in a statement on Monday. “Tourists increasingly want authentic, responsible experiences, and these poll findings show that protecting lions in their natural habitats aligns with both public sentiment and economic resilience.”

Louise de Waal, director of Blood Lions, echoed the concern, pointing out that the captive lion industry was “deeply problematic, creating issues around reputational damage, ethical and animal welfare concerns and zoonotic diseases”.

“We call on Minister Willem Aucamp to end the delays and uncertainty and urgently deliver the promised phase-out of this industry,” said Ms de Waal.