More work needed, despite record arrivals
6 Apr 2016 _ Tourism Update
Despite the large number of arrivals, more work needs to be done.
While South Africa received a record 1 012 641 tourist arrivals in
January, exceeding the million tourists arrivals mark for the first
time ever, more work needs to be done for the country to recover lost
market share.
This is the opinion of Lee-Anne Bac, Director Advisory Services at
Grant Thornton.
"We welcome this notable level of growth for the first month of the
2016 year, albeit off a low base which was recorded in 2015," said
Bac. "A bumper month in January clearly indicates that the industry is
on the rebound, which bears testimony to the tourism sector`s
resilience and its ability to bounce back.
"The stats for January 2016 are outstanding and most certainly
encouraging," said Bac, adding: "We mustn`t become complacent though.
"The closest South Africa has ever been to this milestone was in
January 2014 when there were 949 000 tourists. In fact, for the entire
2015 year tourist arrivals to South Africa never even broke through
the 900 000 number in any month."
David Frost, CEO of SATSA, believes improvement in numbers lies in
action. "What we really need to do is get the action done,` he

says,
adding that one of the key areas of competitiveness is ease of access.
Frost mentions visa regulations as being the greatest barrier to
tourism growth. "That`s the easy stuff – get rid of birth certificates."
Of the overseas visitors arriving in South Africa during January,
arrivals from China grew by a remarkable 93%. According to Grant
Thornton this is a result of changes in visa processing, which include
new visa processing centres, accredited travel company programmes and
specific visa exemptions.
"The significant growth in arrivals from China is a welcome relief and
it truly is an indication that the amendments to visa regulations for
the Chinese market are already starting to bear fruit," continued Bac.
However, she pointed out that these arrivals from China were still
lower than arrivals recorded in January 2012 and 2014, which she said
was indicative of more work to be done. According to the firm`s
calculation, if South Africa had not experienced the negative issue of
the visa regulations on the Chinese market in particular, the country
should have had about 2 500 more Chinese tourists in January 2016 than
was actually recorded. V.1607

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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