South Africa is working towards allowing all African citizens to enter
the country without visas but at first trusted travellers like
diplomats officials academics business people and students will be the
only ones to benefit.


The Department of Home Affairs outlines the steps that will be taken
towards scrapping visa requirements in its latest White Paper on
International Migration which was adopted by cabinet six weeks ago but
not made public yet.


The African Unions Agenda 2063 championed by former AU Commission
chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma calls for the scrapping of visa
requirements for all African citizens travelling on the continent by
2018 based on the views of the African Rennaissance.


The African passport was launched with great ceremony by Dlamini Zuma
and Rwandan President Paul Kagame at last years AU summit in
Kigali.


According to the White Paper South Africa fully supports the vision of
an Africa where its citizens can move more freely across national
borders where intra Africa trade is encouraged and there is greater
integration and development of the African continent.


It said the current status was untenable. For instance on average
Africans need visas to travel to 55% of other African countries. They
can get visas on arrival in only 25% of other countries. Finally they
do not need a visa to travel to just 20% of other countries on the
continent.


Security based approach
But the White Paper which moves South Africas approach to immigration
from a purely administrative one to a security based approach warns
that the scrapping of visas needs to happen with caution.


South Africas risk based approach advocates for an incremental removal
of migration formalities for frequent and trusted travellers including
diplomats officials academics business persons students etc.


The policy is envisaged as follows: African citizens can enter South
Africa visa-free where there are reciprocal agreements.


Visas will only be

needed when there are risks of foreign nationals
overstaying security risks like organized crime terrorism and
political instability civil registration risks i.e. fraud by foreign
governments in issuing documents or an unable or unwillingness to
identify their nationals when requested and for countries with a high
number of nationals who abuse the asylum system.


One of the countries identified elsewhere in the document as doing
such is Zimbabwe.


Key elements of the visa free regime would be visa free entry for
visits up to 90 days recognition of visas for third parties for
example regional visas agreed standards on immigration and border
management agreed standards on civil registration and sophisticated
real time risk management information and intelligence sharing.


Where visas are required South Africa should make it as easy as
possible for bona fide travellers to enter South Africa by
standardizing and expanding the use of long term multiple entry visas
for frequent travellers business people and academics according to the
White Paper.


A list will be developed of countries whose visa adjudication systems
are trusted and recognized by South Africa and technology will be used
to establish trusted traveller schemes.


Free movement of African citizens
At regional level South Africa should continue to advocate for a free
movement of African citizens the paper states.


It also says however that there has been a large influx of semi
skilled an unskilled economic migrants who could not get visas and
permits through the mainstream immigration regime.


These had some negative consequences such as the asylum seeker
management system being abused and overwhelmed by economic migrants
and then these migrants and by extension also South African workers
being abused by some unscrupulous South African employers. V.1962

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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