The great Dezemba squeeze: South Africans aren't skipping December, they're outsmarting it

Every December, South Africa goes on the move, typically for about 12 days. This year the journey costs more. The Reserve Bank raised interest rates again in September, taking prime to 10.75%, and petrol is closing in on R30 a litre.

With household budgets under increasing strain, many might have expected South Africans to cut back on festive spending altogether. Yet Standard Bank and partner data from last year's festive season shows South Africans didn't cancel Dezemba. They planned it differently. 

The numbers point to a clear shift from spending more to spending smarter: Middle- and lower-income households made up to 45% more hotel bookings in December 2025 but spent 6% less on each, even as December airfares run more than 20% above the rest of the year. The numbers tell a story of moving towards value-seeking travel rather than abandoning it altogether. South Africans adjusted how they travelled, giving rise to four distinct types of festive travellers that stood out last year. With pockets even tighter now, Standard Bank expects their habits to be even stronger in 2026. 

“December is non-negotiable for most South African families. It's when people go home, reconnect and finally rest,” says Michelle Munemo, Head of Travel & Lifestyle at Standard Bank. “Our data shows people haven't cancelled it. They've become more strategic, and we want to help their money go further.”

The Early Bird: December is sorted by November

The Early Bird books the flight first, because it's the biggest cost and the fastest to increase. Almost a third of annual spend on local airlines is booked between September and November, and the average December flight is booked more than six weeks ahead.

Why? Because waiting costs money: average spend on each flight purchase rose 39% between September and November. The busiest flying days are mid-December Fridays, and returns peak from 2 to 4 January. Through Standard Bank Travel in the Banking App, qualifying credit card clients can save up to 40% on flights across all airlines, for themselves and up to eight family members or friends. And from 26 to 28 October, all Standard Bank clients can get 10% off LIFT base fares for travel between November and April, through Standard Bank Travel in the Banking App.

The Homecomer: the long road back

For the Homecomer, Dezemba means going home to family in Limpopo, the Eastern Cape or rural KwaZulu-Natal, usually by road and usually staying with relatives. City hotels and entertainment venues feel the exodus, with festive spending falling by as much as 34% as regulars leave town.

The Homecomer's biggest cost is the drive itself. With petrol near R30 a litre, a long return trip can cost as much as budget flights for one or two people, so it pays to compare. Drivers can claw some of it back: UCount Rewards members earn up to R10 back per litre off fuel when they fill up at Astron Energy with a qualifying Standard Bank card. Many break the journey: spend on roadside stopover hotels rises 52% over the festive season, and those rooms go early. Standard Bank clients can save up to 30% at Courtyard Hotels, City Lodge Hotels, Town Lodges and Road Lodges in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Mozambique when they book through Standard Bank Travel by 31 January 2027 and pay with any Standard Bank card.

The Coastal Family: more trips, smaller bills

The Coastal Family heads for the sea for a week or more, and December is when they book, with Durban increasingly becoming as popular as Cape Town for coastal getaways. Hotel booking spend peaks in December, 45% above an average month. But they're stretching every rand: spend on apartment-style stays rises 69% as families choose a kitchen over restaurant bills.

Distance and timing push the bill up: a stay outside travellers’ home province averages 2.2 times one close to home, and hotel bookings made in December and January each cost about 9% more. Families flying to the coast can save before and after the flights, with 15% off pre-booked Uber Reserve airport rides for Standard Bank clients, up to R100 a ride.

The Road-Tripper: keys in hand by October

The Road-Tripper wants freedom on the other end, whether that's a coastal drive or a game reserve. Car hire bookings peak in October, 18% above average, well before the holidays begin. National parks spend follows the same early pattern, peaking in September and October as families secure the best camps. Over the holidays, bookings with some rental companies rose by as much as 44%. If a road trip or a park stay is on the cards, the time to book is now, and qualifying Standard Bank credit card holders can save up to 35% on car hire with selected partners.

What all four have in common

The smartest festive travellers aren't spending less on December. They're spending earlier and planning the whole trip rather than one booking at a time. Standard Bank helps them do it: flights, airport rides and hotels can be booked together through Standard Bank Travel in the Banking App, with further savings on car hire and fuel for the rest of the journey.

* Michelle Munemo is Head: Travel & Lifestyle, Standard Bank South Africa.