Travellers from Nigeria to South Africa can now apply for visa online. South Africa’s Home Affairs Department announced the portal had been opened since August 19 this year for a pilot.
Firming up this was Chief Operating Officer of South African Tourism, Nomansonto Ndlovu who said that the new e-visa regime was part of a grand scheme towards easing access to South Africa from the West African market,
“We have finally launched the e-visa system, it is live, it is being utilized as I speak to you now in Nigeria. Now if you are in Nigeria, you can apply online for your visas; you can load all your documents in the system and you can travel and get your visa in South Africa.
“That for me is a huge improvement and a huge intervention which is what this market needed and this is the news that we have brought to the market here and we think that this will go a long way in really helping in improving that perception about the difficulties that people have had in trying to have their visas for South Africa,” she reiterated.
It is a big win for the market and for us in South Africa because we know the West African market loves coming to South Africa.
The new e-visa is opened to Nigerian ordinary passport holders for a short-term visitor’s visa to South Africa. “No other visa category except a visitor’s visa, not exceeding 90 days will be issued via the e-visa platform,” the Home Affairs Department stated.
Beyond this, SAT is broadening its horizons in West Africa. Its regional office is embarking on roadshows in Ghana and Nigeria where they are engaging with tour operators and travel agencies promoting business linkages between South Africa Product Owners (SAPO). Nomasonto believes that
