The Department of Home Affairs has published an amendment to the
Immigration Act which is set to have major implications for
immigrants, tourism and the economy.

The changes â€` which will come into effect from 1 December â€` were first
mooted as part of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s economic stimulus
package revealed in September.

Arguably the biggest change will be the reversal of a rule introduced
by former Home Affairs minister, Malusi Gigaba, which required foreign
minors travelling to South Africa to produce an unabridged birth
certificate before being allowed access into the country.

This birth certificate requirement has been a major point of
controversy, with a 2016 report released by the DA finding that the
rule cost the country as much as R7.5 billion due to lost business
from blocked tourists.
Other changes include:
• Revised rules for spouses entering the country as part of a
permanent homosexual or heterosexual relationship.
• Revised rules for applicants of a general work, business, and
corporate visas.
• Changes for applicants of permanent residency or residency on other
grounds.
More changes expected
While these changes are likely to be welcomed, they form only a small
part of the proposed immigration changes expected to be introduced in
the coming months.
Prior to his resignation former Home Affairs minister, Malusi Gigaba,
said that visitors from India and China will also not have to apply
for visas in person at a South African embassy, while business
travellers from those nations will be issued with 10-year
multiple-entry visas within five days of application.
Other proposed changes include the relaxation of rules for other
countries, with visitors from the UK, US, Germany, France, the
Netherlands, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Russia and Angola expected to
be exempted.
The government also plans to smooth the clearance of travellers
through the busiest border posts, by installing a biometric
movement-control system. The new system is nearing completion, with
several pilot sites already up and running.

Economic impact

Cannon Asset Managers investment analyst, Tlotliso Phakisi, said that
the urgent amendment of South Africa’s stifling visa regime could be
the quick fix needed to drag the country out of the economic doldrums.
“Introduced under Gigaba’s leadership, the tourism

industry has been
hamstrung for a number of years by unfriendly visa requirements that
have negatively impacted the number of tourists entering the country,”
he said.
“In particular, the controversial requirement that visitors travelling
with children under the age of 18 years provide their unabridged birth
certificates (UBC) upon entering or exiting has proven especially
damaging to tourism numbers.”
Citing figures from the Tourism Business Council of South Africa
(TBCSA), Phakisi said that over 13,246 travellers were prevented from
entering the country between June 2015 and June 2016 after failing to
meet the UBC requirements â€` losing the country many millions in
potential revenue.
“Despite this, however, tourism has been one of the few sectors in the
country to consistently show promise and resilience in terms of both
job creation and economic growth over the past few years,
demonstrating its potential as the lever needed for turning things
around in the short term,” he said.
“These figures help to underscore the extent to which tourism has
outperformed other key industries in job creation. And when compared
to other countries’ tourism receipts, it becomes clear that tourism
should be an easy win for South Africa, especially given our rich
natural and cultural heritage.”
Phakisi said that New Zealand was able to attract $10 billion in
tourist receipts in 2017, while Singapore, a country that is 0.006%
the size of South Africa in terms of land area, was able to bring in
$20 billion â€` more than twice that of South Africa.
“This highlights that to unlock the potential of tourism to stimulate
our economy, all we have to do is take our thumb off the
administrative pipeline that chokes the industry,” he said.
“And perhaps of even greater importance is that the cost of this
tourism sector stimulus is zero or even negative â€` meaning that it
will free up resources as we reduce administrative and regulatory
requirements.”
“Ultimately Ramaphosa’s stimulus plan and particularly visa reforms
should be welcomed as the quick fix needed to ignite economic growth
and turn the tide on unemployment.” V.2644

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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