Cape Town - China`s top diplomat in South Africa, Ambassador Lin
Songtian, on Friday said Pretoria`s existing visa and permit laws for
non-citizens do not support the country`s ambitious drive to double
tourist arrivals and attract investors to boost the economy.
`The headache issue for the tourist and investor here ... it`s very
hard to get a visa to South Africa. His Excellency [President Cyril
Ramaphosa] addressed that question last night [during the State Of The
Nation Address],` Ambassador Lin said as he addressed journalists at
the Cape Town International Convention Centre after the signing
ceremony of more than 90 trade agreements.
`Given the size and scope of China-South Africa cooperation and
bilateral trade ... I`m sorry to tell you that you have only three
visa officials in China. How can you expect one million tourists to
come to South Africa? Only three visa officials in China, and we have
long queues to wait for the visa.
`If it`s hard for them [tourists] to get a visa, that means you are
refusing them to come. If they cannot come here as tourists, how can
they come here as investors? So that question is not difficult, it`s a
technical issue and I`m happy to be informed that the Honourable
Minister of Home Affairs has already taken a decision to send more
visa officials to China. I was very happy when I was informed this
morning.`
Lin said it remains `more difficult for a foreign investor to

get a
work permit` in South Africa.
`It`s difficult for a high-tech company like Huawei ... a leading
company of technology in the world. Up to today, they complain to me
again and again that they cannot get work permits. In my view, for
such a high-tech company like Huawei, or a major investment like the
Coega Automobile, it is very important to provide the necessary work
permits to some of their key technical and high level management
personnel.`
Lin said Chinese companies were creating much needed jobs for the
South African population but that some of the executives had to be
brought from China, a costly exercise for the entities.
Delivering his State of the Nation Address on Thursday night,
President Cyril Ramaphosa said South Africa intends to double its
tourist arrival to 21 million by 2030. Some of the ways he hopes to
achieve this are through the renewal of the country’s brand and the
introduction of a world-class visa regime.
“We will make good on our ambition to more than double international
tourist arrivals to 21 million by 2030. This will be achieved through
the renewal of the country’s brand, introducing a world-class visa
regime and a significant focus on Chinese and Indian markets and air
arrivals from the rest of our continent,” said Ramaphosa in Parliament. V.2877

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
Click here for full article

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
Click here for full article

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
Click here for full article

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
Click here for full article

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
Click here for full article

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
Click here for full article

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
Click here for full article

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
Click here for full article

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
Click here for full article

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
Click here for full article