Statistics SA has released its arrival numbers for April 2018. The
figures show an overall decline in arrivals between April last year
and April 2018, with the country seeing 6% fewer arrivals.
Additionally, the year-to-date numbers have also dropped by 1%, with
total arrivals thus far for 2018 sitting at 958 311.
In April 2018, the top ten countries and their April 2017-April 2018
differences were as follows:
1. UK (down 21%)
2. USA (down 1%)
3. Germany (down 28%)
4. France (down 6%)
5. The Netherlands (down 11%)
6. Australia (down 6%)
7. India (down 12%)
8. China (up 2%)
9. Canada (up 1%)
10. Brazil (up 16%)
Of the top ten countries, only three showed month-on-month growth.
Argentina, while not in the top ten, has continued to grow, up by 36%
thus far in 2018. Other countries whose numbers continue to grow
include Sweden, Norway, Chile and Israel.
Visitor numbers from the rest of Africa are rising, with Botswana,
Lesotho, Mozambique and Zimbabwe providing the most arrivals. This may
be attributed to retail tourism taking off in the country, as Sisa
Ntshona, CEO of South African Tourism said during a stakeholders
briefing in Johannesburg on June 14: “South Africa is seen as a
shopping destination.” Outside of the SADC region, numbers from Ghana,
Ivory Coast and Senegal are looking positive with increases of 23%,
10% and 12% respectively.
Lee-Ann Bac, Director of Grant-Thornton told Moneyweb that April’s
stats were bad, but should be treated with caution because of the
shift in the Easter holidays. With Easter falling in March last year
and April this year, the results for April alone look bad, but are
something of an

anomaly.
Echoing this sentiment, South Africa’s Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom
told Business Day on Tuesday, June 19: “March was a good month this
year compared to last year, when Easter fell in April. This year,
Easter fell at the end of March.”
Bac also said that a large problem facing South Africa’s tourism
industry is the message being sent. “Everyone, from our politicians to
the private sector, needs to be aware of what they are doing and
saying, and how this has an impact on tourism.”
Bac used the Western Cape water crisis as an example, saying that the
restrictions, panic and even the term ‘Day Zero’ all contributed. “It
was all intended to get locals to save water but the impact was much
greater. As a society, we need to be more conscious of the
repercussions of what we do.”
This was reiterated by Ntshona who mentioned the negative impact
international media had on the country, showing exaggerated images of
Cape Town’s Day Zero, adding: “If Cape Town is in a mess, so is the
rest of South Africa. The country suffers.”
Hanekom added that visitors have been put off by messages of ‘Day
Zero’. “There have been cancellations by people who were not sure the
drought would be over when they arrived. They had heard about the Day
Zero.”
Hanekom also added that a decline in visitors this year could result
in a strong rebound in 2019 by those who had postponed their visits,
saying: “I am not at all alarmed by the drop in April. It was to be
expected.` V.2298

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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