South Africa’s overseas visitors declined slightly in June, but remain
consistent with seasonal trends.
Statistics SA’s latest tourism and migration report, reflecting
arrival numbers for June, reveals that South Africa saw marginal
growth of 2.8% from June last year. However, overseas numbers in fact
declined, reflecting a drop of 1.7% year-to-date arrivals.
The top ten countries remain the same as May, with their positions in
the top ten having shifted slightly. Important to note is the increase
in arrivals from key source markets such as USA and UK, which are
consistently the top two countries. The top ten countries and their
percentage changes from the same time last year are:
1. USA (up 1.2%)
2. UK (up 3.2%)
3. Germany (down 12.8%)
4. Australia (down 9.1%)
5. India (down 8.5%)
6. France (down 8.7%)
7. China (up 9.1%)
8. Brazil (down 10.6%)
9. Netherlands (down 0.9%)
10. Canada (down 0.7%)
Overall, European numbers have declined, showing 2% less than the same
time last year. North America has shown a small amount of growth, up 0.7%.
An examination of the trends over the last four years shows an
expected seasonal decline around June. Comparatively, although 2018 is
down slightly from 2017, it continues to reflect the seasonal shifts
seen in previous years. The graph below reflects the overall numbers
of the last four years to illustrate this.

The Chinese market continues to grow. Last month, Tourism Minister
Derek Hanekom made special note of this during a pre-recorded
interview screened at the

Southern Africa Tourism Services Association
conference. Hanekom encouraged South Africans to welcome Chinese
tourists, even suggesting learning Mandarin to tap into the market
more effectively.
The Portuguese market continues to decline, reflecting a 21% decline
in numbers from 2017, compared with the year-to-date figures for this
year. Conversely, the Argentinian arrivals have grown a remarkable 30%
this year, adding to strong numbers from South America which has grown
to 57 051 arrivals so far this year, 6.7% higher than last year.
South Africa’s largest source market overall continues to be SADC
countries, making up 73% of all arrivals and 98% of the total arrivals
from Africa. With 3.7 million arrivals this year, this is a 4.3%
increase in year-to-date numbers from last year. South Africa’s
neighbouring countries provided the most visitors with the largest
being Zimbabwe followed by Lesotho, Mozambique, Eswatini (Swaziland)
and Botswana. Angola has shown the most growth, up 22% from the same
month last year, followed by Malawi which is up 10%.
Consistent with these numbers, the report indicates that the majority
of visitors to SA arrived by road (74.8%). Air transport made up a
quarter of all arrivals with the majority of those (74%) using OR
Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg as their port of entry.
Overseas arrivals to Cape Town International Airport remain consistent
at 21% of total arrivals. V.2408

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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