The Department of Tourism have said that they will embark on a
three-stage plan to save the industry after its catastrophic
collapse at the hands of COVID-19, saying that ultimately the
recovery may take up to two years.
The department released a revised budget for the 2020 financial
year on Thursday 9 July in which they outlined the slashing of R1
billion from it’s initial R2.5 billion kitty. In the report, the
Department said that it would follow a multi-phase plan to
mitigate losses to the drastically affected sector.
Tourism portfolio takes R1 billion budget cut
The majority of cuts within the Departments fund comes in within
the tourism research, policy, and international relations
allocation of the portfolio, which includes promotional and
marketing based initiatives that have been deemed effectively
redundant under the current circumstances.
Graphic: Department of Tourism
The department said that the tourism sector was the worst affected
by the crippling financial constraints imposed by the COVID-19
pandemic and subsequent lockdown regulations, especially those
prohibiting movement.
“All sectors have been impacted but none more so than the travel
and tourism sector. With borders being closed, planes and mass
transport being grounded, and large gatherings being prohibited,
there is almost zero activity in the sector,” they said.
“The review of the plans has taken into account the impact of the
national lockdown, associated restrictions and high levels of
uncertainty on the practical execution of some of our projects
planned for 2020/21.”
They said that the ultimate recovery of the industry may take as
long as two years.
“Early indications are that recovery of the sector may take
between 12 and 24 months,” they said.
Multi-phase recovery plan in place
The department said that the sector has previously demonstrated
“strong resilience” and “will certainly be transformed and rise

again”, with a multi-phase plan presented that will aim to
gradually stimulate activity in the sector; first from a domestic
and ultimately from an international perspective.
The multi-phase strategy looks like this:
1) Domestic:
• Phase one: “Hyperlocal” focus on attractions such as day-
visits to nearby open spaces.
• During this stage, focus shifts away form revenue
generating strategy and focuses solely on “providing a sense of
safety for being outdoors”.
• Phase two: The introduction of revenue generation for the
sector using offerings such as overnight stays and, importantly,
air travel.
In order to embark on the regional leg of the industry’s recovery,
the tourism department say that regional country border bans must
have been lifted, and a globally accepted set of health protocols
will need to have been adopted.
2) Regional:
• Phase one: This will essentially consist of the travel to
interprovincial and regions outside of South Africa’s borders by
car.
• Phase two: This will include the same aims as phase one,
but will be facilitated by regional air travel.
For the transition into the international phase of the plan to
take shape, the tourism sector will require that long-haul country
air bans are lifted, with the resumption of international travel
having taken place.
3) International:
• Phase one: International carriers resume flights as the
sector recovers.
• Phase two: The rest of the world experiences a full
recovery.
Graphic: Department of Tourism
“As the country reprioritises resources to fight the pandemic, it
was anticipated that the portfolio budget would be impacted, an
the extent of which would only be confirmed during the adjusted
budget,” the department added V.3101

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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