The need for families to obtain unabridged birth certificates before
travelling is a deterrent to tourism‚ which should be a growth
industry‚ according to survey.
Research by Travelstart from February 12 to March 12‚ 2018 tapped
into the views of 559 travellers‚ specifically‚ those who have
travelled outside South Africa in the past two years with minors
under the age of 18.
• 67% of respondents said they needed to apply for an
unabridged birth certificate to travel.
• 41% of the sixty seven percent said their application took
more than 6 weeks to process through Home Affairs‚ adding hassle‚
stress and cost implications to travel outside South Africa.
• 27% said they encountered administrative problems related to
the unabridged birth certificate.
Most respondents also said they encountered problems when departing
South Africa. Survey participants cited immigration (55%) and check-
in (42%) as the points in their journey where they experienced
problems.
Everywhere in the trade‚ consultants have unabridged-related horror
stories to share and 50% agree customers are confused by the
regulation.
Most airline representatives were reluctant to comment about
unabridged birth certificates saying: “it is a sensitive matter and
they are only applying the rule set by government”. However‚
Travelstart said‚ two well-known airlines that fly to South Africa
daily from hubs overseas confirmed their passengers experienced
problems regularly and pointed to a lack of training for immigration
officials and confusion at certain stations being the primary cause
of unabridged issues.
From the airlines` perspective‚ most problems occur at immigration
and check-in - aligning with passengers’ experience.
Twenty nine percent of travellers said they have been denied boarding
in the past two years because of unabridged birth certificate
regulation.
Travelstart also engaged members of the SA travel trade including
independent travel consultants and those working for retail travel
agencies. Travelstart found that foreign

families travelling to South
Africa are most negatively affected by unabridged birth certificates.
`Everywhere in the trade‚ consultants have unabridged-related horror
stories to share and 50% agree customers are confused by the
regulation.`
Almost two thirds (67%) of surveyed agents said their clients have
been affected by unabridged birth certificate regulation with foreign
families travelling to South Africa (67%) and single mothers (33%)
being the most negatively affected.
According to Aviation Barometer‚ published every quarter by Airports
Company South Africa‚ growth in passenger numbers at nine airports
held steady at just over 3% in the fourth quarter of 2017.
Despite this growth‚ Travelstart said: `Unabridged birth certificates
continue to prevent families from travelling. In many cases‚
travellers and airline staff at overseas origin airports are left to
fend for themselves with the onus being on the traveller to carry the
correct documentation...`
Tourism currently sustains 700‚000 direct jobs‚ but its growth is
being stymied. The unabridged birth certificate policy should be
reviewed‚ said Travelstart.
`. . .The regulation is negatively impacting the tourism experience
and more than likely deterring willing participants from a sector
thirsty for growth. . .
`As the potential for growth in the sector is more than apparent and
needed to boost jobs and the economy‚ those working in South Africa’s
travel trade remain hopeful that revising the need for superfluous
unabridged birth certificate regulation forms part of South Africa’s
new dawn (as espoused by President Cyril Ramaphosa).`
Travelstart added the policy was not even effective in addressing the
reason it was implemented - to combat child trafficking - as real
human traffickers don’t follow legitimate and documented methods of
travel but cross the border in illegitimate and clandestine
circumstances. V.2178

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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