SA Government unveils visa-rule overhaul to promote tourism

Share
Tweet
Post
Send

The South Africa government will overhaul its visa rules by the end of next month to promote tourism and make it easier to do business, part of a package of measures aimed at reviving an economy that’s mired in recession.

Minors who are foreign nationals will no longer require a copy of their birth certificate and consent from both parents to enter the country, Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba told reporters in Pretoria on Tuesday.

Visitors from India and China will also not have to apply for visas in person at a South African embassy, while business travellers from those nations will be issued with 10-year multiple-entry visas within five days of application, he said.

More than 10 million people visit South Africa each year, a number President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration wants to increase exponentially as it seeks to create jobs for the 27% of the workforce that’s unemployed.

The tourism industry has complained that stringent new visa laws introduced in 2015 – which the government said were necessary to combat child trafficking and terrorism – had prompted many travellers to consider alternate destinations.

“It is a challenge inherent in immigration management to detect, prevent and act against risks without unduly inconveniencing law-abiding travellers,” Gigaba said. “Changes to our visa architecture have potential to boost tourism and to make business travel more conducive.”

Ramaphosa, who took office in February, first outlined plans last week to change the visa regime in his “stimulus and recovery plan,” which aims at reviving an economy that entered a recession in the second quarter, but never provided details.

Visitors from a number of countries, including the UK, US, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Russia and Angola, don’t need visas to come to South Africa.

The government is in talks about extending the exemption to other nationals, including those from Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Sao Tome & Principe, Ghana, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Iran, Lebanon, Kuwait and Cuba, Gigaba said.

Other concessions include allowing frequent visitors to South Africa to apply for three-year multiple entry visas, and business people and academics from Africa to seek 10-year multiple-entry visas.

South African minors will still require the consent of both parents to leave the country and must be in possession of their birth certificate, Gigaba said. The latter requirement will be dropped when the government implements plans to issue minors with passports.

The government plans to smooth the clearance of travellers through the busiest border posts, by installing a biometric movement-control system. The new system is nearing completion, with several pilot sites already up and running.

Source:fin24

Share
Tweet
Post
Send

Related Posts

SA:  Park Hyatt Johannesburg Unveils Room 32 

 In a city where culinary ambition is on the rise, Park Hyatt Johannesburg has quietly – and confidently – opened the doors to Room 32, a refined dining destination that

Sponsored

Follow Us

Follow Us on X

Thank you, Your Excellency President Tshisekedi @fatshi13 for lighting up the inaugural #WorldMusicTourismFestival and my deep and heartfelt thanks to my brother Minister Didier M'Pambia, your unstoppable passion in putting the DRC and Africa’s vibrant culture on the global stage

#VoyagesAfriq | Two days until the Seychelles becomes the world's sailing stage!

Race by day, revel by night.

Daily ceremonies, exotic anchorages & marine beauty await.

Join the Seychelles Challenge from 20–29 July 2025.

#SailingSeychelles

https://seychelles.com/listingdetails/6716230f292e62692459b790?utm_source=digital-marketing&utm_campaign=The-Seychelles-Challenge-2025&utm_medium=landing-page

#VoyagesAfriq | Network under Kenyan skies.

Engage with tourism leaders & forge partnerships that span continents.

Visit Essence of Africa 2025 in Malindi, 7–9 Oct 2025.

Build relationships that last!
https://essenceofafrica.travel/

#VoyagesAfriq | Ready to reshape your tourism business?

WTE Miami 2025 is your platform!

Join us Sept 17–18 in the city where innovation meets opportunity.

Register early for premium access and exposure!

https://www.wtemiami.com

Load More