CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - South Africa will speed up visa processes and
lure major conferences in an effort to boost foreign arrivals by 40
percent by 2021, its tourism minister said on Friday.
The new measures are part of a goal to attract five million
additional travelers â€` four million international tourists and one
million extra local holiday trips and will help limit the “blip” a
major drought is having on South Africa’s top tourist draw card, Cape
Town, said minister Derek Hanekom.
“I am bullish because there is huge growth potential,” Hanekom told
Reuters in an interview.
“On the international front conditions are very much in our favor so
its going to be easier to achieve the four million part than the one
million,” he said.
Tourism, which contributes more than 400 billion rand ($34 billion)
to Africa’s most industrialized economy, or around 8 percent of GDP,
is seen by government as key to help drive growth and reduce a
stubbornly high unemployment rate.
South Africa emerged from a recession last year but is struggling to
grow its economy and less disposal income means locals are hesitant
to travel.
However, the long-haul destination still provides good value for
money for

foreign tourists attracted to its white beaches, iconic
Table Mountain and wildlife safaris.
Earlier this month, the World Travel and Tourism Council said travel
and tourism would contribute around 424.5 billion rand to the overall
economy in 2018, before rising by 3.5 percent a year to 598.6 billion
or 10.1 percent of GDP in 2028.
Besides establishing a fund which is geared to help South Africa win
more global conferences and exhibitions, Hanekom said home affairs
officials were also developing online visa applications, as well as
possibly producing them for tourists on arrival at airports.
“Of course the first prize for us and the easiest is when visitors
from particulars countries don’t need visas at all,” he said.
Hanekom said discussions with home affairs and foreign relations
departments would consider granting more countries visa waivers for
short trips, following success with visitor numbers from Russia which
increased 57 percent last year.
Tourism officials said current visa processes were putting off
tourists from China, India and Nigeria, some of the world’s largest
outbound travel markets.
($1 = 11.8239 rand) V.2168

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.

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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.

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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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