President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Monday evening that South
Africa would host a major investment conference in August or
September 2018, which would aim to raise over R1trn in new
investments over five years.
`The investment conference, which will involve domestic and
international investors in equal measure, is not intended merely as a
forum to discuss the investment climate,` said Ramaphosa, according
to his prepared notes.
He was speaking at OR Tambo International Airport, before leaving for
a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London.
`Rather, we expect the conference to report on actual investment
deals that have been concluded and to provide a platform for would-be
investors to seek out opportunities in the South African market. We
are determined that the conference produce results that can be
quantified and quickly realised.`
Ramaphosa said government hopes that the conference would generate at
least $100bn - or about R1.2trn -in new investments over the next
five years.
`Given the current rates of investment, this is an ambitious but
realisable target that will provide a significant boost to our
economy.`
The president first referred to plans to hold an major investment
conference during his maiden State of the Nation Address in mid-
February.
Special envoys
Ramaphosa also unveiled the names of four `special envoys on
investment`, who he said would spend the next few months

engaging
both domestic and foreign investors around economic opportunities in
SA.
They are former minister of finance Trevor Manuel, former deputy
minister of finance Mcebisi Jonas, executive chair of the Afropulse
Group Phumzile Langeni, and chair of the Liberty Group and former
Standard Bank head Jacko Maree.
`They will be travelling to major financial centres in Asia, Middle
East, Europe and the Americas to meet with potential investors. A
major part of their responsibility will be to seek out investors in
other parts of Africa, from Nairobi to Lagos and from Dakar to
Cairo,` he said.
The president also named businesswoman Trudi Makhaya as his economic
adviser. Makhaya holds a number of degrees in business and economics,
including from Oxford University and the University of the
Witwatersrand.
Ramaphosa said that Makhaya would coordinate the work of the four
special envoys and organise a series of investment roadshows in
preparation for the conference.
According to Makhaya`s website, she has served as an adviser and
angel investor to a number of companies, and has held non-executive
directorships at Vumelana Advisory Fund and MTN South Africa.
She has also held management or consulting roles at Deloitte South
Africa, Genesis Analytics, AngloGold Ashanti and the Competition
Commission. V.2194

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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