Zimbabwe: New visa regulations to boost tourism
08 March 2016 – Africa Report

Zimbabwe tourism authorities have relaxed visa requirements in a drive
to shore up the tourism sector, following a report ranking the 27 out
of 52 countries on the continent's visa openness index by the African
Development Bank (AfDB).
Chinese nationals on tourism visits will now be able to apply for
visas on arrival, while permits have been scrapped for countries in
the Southern African Development Community.
It is expected that the new visa regime will enhance migration flows
into Zimbabwe
The department of Immigration's principal director, Clemence Masango
said the new regulations were in response to calls by players in the
tourism industry for a relaxed visa regime.
"All Sadc countries no longer need visas to enter Zimbabwe, as they
are now in category A of our visa regime" he explained. "It is
expected that the new visa regime will enhance migration flows into
Zimbabwe with the resultant socio-economic benefits to the country."
The Zimbabwe migration management system comprises a three-tier visa
model classified into categories A, B and C.
Category A refers to

countries whose nationals are exempt from visa
requirements, while those in category B obtain visas on arrival.
Category C national are required to apply for visas prior to travel.
By relaxing visa requirements for emerging economies, the southern
African nation hopes to improve perceptions of the country, long
regarded as a security risk.
As relations with the west grew icy, Zimbabwe has been trying to lure
Chinese tourists, but so far this has not yielded the results the
country hoped for.
A measly 6,000 Chinese tourists visited Zimbabwe last year, the lowest
in the region, as Botswana had an estimated 43,000, Zambia 55,000 and
South Africa 158,000.
The Zimbabwe Council for Tourism says the country lost 1 million
visitors from South Africa in the last two years due to the
depreciation of that country's currency, the rand against the United
States dollar.
The report, Africa Visa Openness 2016 ranks countries on the openness
of their visa regimes, with Zimbabwe having a score of 0.319, lower
than most of its neighbours besides South Africa, which has a poorer
score. V.1587

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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