JOHANNESBURG – South Africa will make its new visa rules easier for
visitors with children and those from India, China and Russia, after
tourism numbers dropped this year, the government said on
Friday.



Industry leaders have said the new rules are costing around $540
million a year in lost revenue by making it more complicated for
foreigners, drawn by natural attractions such as the Kruger National
Park, Table Mountain and the Sterkfontein Caves, to visit.



South Africa`s cabinet accepted recommendations from a committee
appointed by President Jacob Zuma in August to look at the rules`
impact, the Department of Home Affairs said in a statement.



A rule requiring a parent to carry a child`s unabridged birth
certificate when visiting South Africa will be relaxed to allow the
original or a certified copy to be shown just at the visa application
stage, the department said.



Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom said in July the rules had to be
relaxed after a "worrying drop" in visitor numbers, but Home Affairs
Minister Malusi Gigaba argued at the time that they were needed to
guard against child trafficking.



Visitor numbers from China dropped sharply because prospective
visitors had to appear at the South African embassy or consulate in
person, which could require a long trek.



The department promised to "ease the process of application, in
particular for tourists," from countries like China, India and
Russia.



These could include a long-term multiple entry visa for over three
months and up to three years for frequent travellers, the department
said.



South Africa is considering a visa-waiver for India, China, Russia and
other countries and visas on arrival for visitors who have valid visas
for Britain, the United States, Canada or other countries that apply
stringent checks.


In the next three months,
• Implement the capturing of

biometrics at ports of entry starting
with a pilot at OR Tambo, King Shaka and Cape Town airports;
• Look at introducing an accredited tourism company programme for
countries like China, India and Russia;


• Consider a long-term multiple entry visa for a period exceeding
three months and up to three years for frequent travellers (for
business meetings), business people and academics;


• Principals will issue letters confirming permission for children to
travel on school tours; and
• Extend the validity of the parental consent affidavit to six months.
Within a year,
• Add visa facilitation centres, including in Zimbabwe, United Arab
Emirates and Botswana;
• Consider a visa-waiver for India, China, Russia and other countries`;
• Look at issuing visas on arrival for persons travelling to SA having
in their passports valid visas for the UK, USA and Canada or any other
country that applies stringent checks on visitors to their countries,
to ease travel for tourists;
• Consider granting a certain category of frequent travellers
(business and academics) from Africa a 10 year multiple entry
visitor`s visa;
• Open two business visa facilitation centres in Durban and Port
Elizabeth, in addition to the centre recently opened in Sandton; and
• Print parents` details in their passports so that they do not have
to carry birth certificates.


In the long term, one year and beyond,
• Install systems for pre-flight checks at international airports;
• Upgrade advance passenger processing systems and implement passenger
name record, to enhance risk assessment; and
• Finalise automation of the visa and permitting system.


It says these measures will ensure the balance between national
security and economic interests of the country, without compromising
child safety. V.1345

One of the highlighted topics: Critical Skills Visa.

- Key Insight: Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast track to working in South Afr...
- This matter relates to critical skills visa and its broader implications.
- Individuals are advised to seek professional guidance.

Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast trac V.6139
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One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, became a victim of identity theft in 2012 when fraudulent transactions occurred, using her personal details.

-The Pretoria High Court found that the department of home affairs had violated constitutional rights without due process.
-Only half of Lawyers for Human Rights` test group has been unblocked, while 385 000 identities remain blocked nationwide.
-LHR appeals extension, urges affected people to seek help now.

Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) are intensifying pressure on the department of home affairs over the national ID-blocking crisis, accusing the state of acting too slowly to unblock qualifying individuals despite a landmark court ruling.

In January last year, the Pretoria High Court found that the department`s practice of blocking IDs without due process was unlawful and unconstitutional. One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, a Swati citizen and South African permanent resident since 1998, fell victim to identity theft in 2012 when fraudsters used her personal details.

 V.6133
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6128
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6129
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A Washington state mother and her 6-year-old son have been released after spending more than three weeks in US immigration detention due to a brief trip to Canada and a small paperwork mistake, her attorney told CNN on Saturday.

Sarah Shaw, a New Zealand citizen who has lived legally in the US since she arrived in 2021, was detained at the Blaine, Washington, Customs and Border Protection checkpoint when returning home after dropping her two oldest children off at the Vancouver airport for a flight to visit their grandparents in New Zealand. Shaw, 33, chose the flight out of Vancouver because it was direct and she didn`t want her children to have to navigate a layover alone, her attorney Minda Thorward, told CNN.

 V.6130
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On 22 July 2025, the Gauteng High Court dismissed Sitrusrand Boerdery`s review of the Department of Employment and Labour`s refusal to issue a Working Conditions and Salary Benchmarking Certificate, an essential precondition for obtaining corporate visas under the Immigration Act.

Acting Judge Kekana AJ held that the Department`s decision was lawful, rational and procedurally fair. This judgment illustrates how businesses can - and must - structure their corporate visa applications to meet statutory requirements, and how legal practitioners should prepare robust review challenges when administrative authorities decline to recommend foreign-work permits.

 V.6131
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The United States could forfeit an estimated 9.4 billion dollars in visitor spending over the next three years following the introduction of a new 250 dollars `visa integrity fee,` according to industry groups, who warn the policy risks undermining tourism and costing thousands of jobs.
The United States’ decision to introduce a 250 dollars `visa integrity fee` on international visitors has triggered sharp criticism from the global tourism industry, with officials warning that the measure could deter millions of travellers and cost the U.S. economy billions.
The 250dollar `visa integrity fee,` part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed on July 4, 2025, will take effect later this year. According to immigration law firm Envoy Global, it applies to all nonimmigrant visa holders which include students, tourists, temporary workers, and business visitors particularly from African countries. V.6132
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6127
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1. Right to Legal Representation•You have the right to consult with a legal representative.•Contact an immigration practitioner, legal aid clinic, or attorney urgently.•Do not sign any documents without understanding them fully. 2. Section 34 of the Immigration Act•You must be brought to court with 48 hours to confirm arrest but you can remain locked up very long as courts figure out what to do with you •If you`re found to be illegally in South Africa, you may be detained for up to 30 days (extendable by a magistrate) pending deportation.•BUT this cannot happen arbitrarily. You must be informed of your rights, and Home Affairs must follow due process.- becomes a nightmare , you could lose your job , business , place to stay V.6121
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Driving for Bolt, Uber, Mr D, or Checkers Sixty60?If you`re undocumented, you`re risking more than just your income.The Risks if You`re Not Legal: - Vehicle impoundment - Heavy fines - Arrest & deportation - Permanent bans from working in SA V.6122
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