Zuma woos Dubai businessmen
Mar 28 2016 – Fin24
Cape Town - South Africa has put in place laws and policies to help
businesses thrive in the country, President Jacob Zuma told the United
Arab Emirates business community on his official visit to the Gulf state.
South Africa is open for business - thriving business, he told the
business community in a prepared speech on Monday.
"I can assure you that our government will do everything humanely
possible to help your businesses thrive in South Africa."
Zuma's visit to UAE follows a weekend stint in Saudi Arabia where he
cemented business and political ties with the Saudi kingdom.
He told the members of the UAE business community South Africa last
year outlined nine immediate priority areas to stimulate economic growth.

Among these is the expanded beneficiation of the country's minerals
and the development of the ocean economy, "something in which the UAE
has registered significant progress".
"We therefore invite you to invest in our Operation Phakisa, and
partner us as we turn our vast sea waters into an engine of growth."
Another area he highlighted for economic growth is South Africa's
attractive tourism sector. He assured potential travelers that the
government is working on the challenges caused by the newly-introduced
amendments to South Africa's visa regulations.
Zuma noted that since his last visit to the UAE in 2011 total trade
between South Africa and the Arab country

increased sharply from
$1.8bn to more than $2.2bn in 2015.
Major South African exports to the UAE include base metals and allied
products, steel for construction and general engineering, machinery,
electronics, minerals, defence equipment, chemicals, plastic goods,
and food stuffs. Seventy per cent of South Africa's imports from the
UAE consist of crude oil.

Other exports to South Africa include machinery, transportation
equipment, consumer electronics, home appliances, computer accessories
and textiles.

Zuma said he believes the growing trade relationship between the two
countries can be further expanded to other sectors.

"The excellent air links between our two countries position us to
further enhance our trade, especially in fresh produce."
He pointed to a vegetable planting project in the Dube Trade Port near
the King Shaka International Airport in Durban that can be exploited
for exporting local produce to the UAE.
Referring to World Expo 2020 in Dubai, Zuma said the South African
farming community would be ready to ensure there was more than
sufficient fresh produce in the UAE markets.
On foreign direct investment, Zuma said the UAE had currently a total
of R3bn invested in 14 FDI projects, while South Africa had invested a
total of R5bn between January 2003 and June 2015 in 27 FDI projects in
the UAE. V.1602

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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