Picture:HIGH SEASON: Tourists buying curios at the St Lucia
iSimangaliso Wetland Park. A tourism association is claiming the
delayed implementation of the changes to SA`s visa regulations hurt
tourism last month.
INITIAL indications are that the tourism industry failed to take full
advantage of the traditionally busy December period because of the
"absurd" visa regulations, the Southern African Tourism Services
Association claims.


The association, which represents inbound tourism services companies,
said it had received information from the UK press and some travellers
who were turned away at various airports because they did not meet the
visa requirements, particularly the birth certificate
requirement.


In October the government announced the easing of some of the more
onerous visa rules. Inbound travellers accompanied by minor children
were no longer required to produce an unabridged birth certificate,
and prospective visitors did not have to apply for visas in person.
But the revised rules are yet to come into effect. The Department of
Home Affairs has said it will take at least three months to effect the
changes.


Southern African Tourism Services Association CE David Frost said on
Monday it was "absurd" that the revisions had not yet come into
force.


"Why did home affairs choose to wait three months? These regulations
have caused irreparable damage ... we should have taken advantage of
the weak rand to grow the sector, but the birth certificate
requirement still stands," he said.


Reports last month were that between 10 and 20 families were daily
denied travel to South Africa from London`s Heathrow Airport, on the
basis that they did not meet the visa requirements.


Mr Frost said due to the weak rand, visitor numbers should have

been
up 30% over December. Official visitor numbers are expected to be
released by Statistics SA within the next three months.


Democratic Alliance tourism spokesman James Vos said last week the
government`s tardiness was costing the economy billions of rand, as
tourists did not want to travel to SA because of the "difficult and
cumbersome" requirements.


"With the rand being at its lowest point in 14 years, SA`s tourism
industry should be thriving, but it is not because onerous visa
regulations are repelling tourists` interest in our country. If the
(African National Congress) government acted to relax the visa
regulations, as it promised to do in October, festive season in-bound
travel could have been seamless and booming," Mr Vos said.


But home affairs said last week reports of UK-based travellers
experiencing problems when entering SA because of immigration
regulations were "baseless and inaccurate". It said negative reports
had emerged due to the misrepresentation of facts.


Meanwhile, Cape Town Tourism said on Monday major attractions in the
city had noted "favourable attention" during the season so far. Cape
Town International Airport reported a 13% increase in visitor arrivals
at the airport in November, with close to 430,000 passengers
arriving.


"The exchange rate is extremely favourable for international visitors,
and it`s also making more locals have `staycations`, travelling as
tourists in their own city rather than splashing out on overseas trips
… so a positive impact on the statistics is cautiously anticipated
once the figures are released at the end of January," said Cape Town
Tourism spokeswoman Nicole Biondi. V.1525

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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