South Africa has announced plans of overhauling its work visa system as part of an effort to raise $110 billion of investment by 2028.

Addressing the fifth SA Investment Conference, South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa said the government would streamline application requirements to reduce the time frames for obtaining a work visa.

“We will introduce a Trusted Employer Scheme for qualifying companies and establish a points-based system to provide more flexible pathways for applicants, in line with global best practice,” Ramaphosa said.
. “We will be expanding the e-visa system to include an additional 20 countries above the 14 that are currently eligible, and will extend it to cover new visa categories such as study, business and intra-company transfer visas,” he elaborated.
Tens of thousands of foreigners working or intending to work in South Africa faced having their visas canceled at the end of March because the authorities were unable to process their applications, Business Leadership South Africa said in a statement last week.
While a last-minute reprieve validated the status of those already in the country, it was of little use to thousands more people around the world waiting for their documents to be processed, the group said.
As of March-end, the Department of Home Affairs was looking at a backlog of 62,692 visa applications.
South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa`s decision to overhaul the work visa system on Thursday was lauded by Indian business conglomerates, who said the move will create more employment and foster a slew of investments in the country.
The India Business Forum, which represents around 150 Indian companies in South Africa, have long bemoaned the delays in obtaining visas.

Over the years, the Indian missions here have also held discussions with the South African government on this festering issue.

South African businesses have previously complained that the visa regime was an obstacle to attracting investments, including in the tourism industry.
Ramaphosa also announced the launch of a new investment drive through which he expects to garner investments to the tune of R2 trillion over the next five years.
In 2018, Ramaphosa announced a target of raising R1.2-trillion in five years in a drive to create jobs and drive economic growth.

He said so far, the government had attracted R1.14-trillion in investment pledges
“South Africa continues to be an attractive investment destination despite a strained domestic and global economic climate,” Ramaphosa said, adding that there were many challenges caused by “years of under-investment, mismanagement and corruption in our electricity, rail and logistics sectors.”
“These reforms will enable us to attract skills and investment and create jobs while protecting and promoting the employment of South Africans,” he added
Praveer Tripathi, President of the India Business Forum has lauded Ramaphosa`s announcements.
“This is a very welcome step, although we would have preferred a visa on arrival,” he said.
“The President`s call for investors to help create jobs and promote employment for South Africans is also something that most Indian companies who have been here for some time now fully support. Easing the visa regime will help accelerate this even further,” Tripathi added.
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The gridlock affecting work-permit applications in South Africa is limiting expansion by German companies in the country and threatening operations that support 100,000 jobs, an industry association said. While South Africa is taking steps to improve an approval system and make it easier and quicker to get permits, the snarl-up that was exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic has limited the entry of skilled workers into a country that has a dire shortage of them. Between 2014 and 2021 only 25,298 skilled-worker permits were approved by the country, which has a population of 60 million. V.5339
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In exciting news for digital nomads, South Africa will launch a new digital nomad visa featuring two categories: a remote working visa and a critical skills visa. These visas aim to attract remote workers and skilled professionals globally as part of South Africa’s efforts to position itself as a global hub. Once put into action, this move will establish the country as only the fifth African nation offering this kind of visa to people who spend long periods working in different countries. V.5338
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The Home Affairs official was accused of selling passports at R3,000 to foreigners A 34-year-old former Department of Home Affairs employee will spend the weekend behind bars after being arrested on fraud and corruption charges. Malusi Mlondo appeared briefly in the Durban Specialised Commercial Crime Court on Thursday and was remanded in custody. V.5329
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Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said the arrest demonstrated the department`s zero-tolerance against corruption. • A Department of Home Affairs employee in Limpopo was sentenced to an effective eight years in jail for fraud and corruption. • NPA spokesperson Mashudu Malaba-Dzhangi said Amos Ngwenyama accepted R1 000 to fraudulently issue a birth certificate. • Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said the sentencing demonstrated the department`s commitment to tackling corruption. V.5330
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A United Kingdom (UK) citizen - who laid a criminal charge of corruption against a Home Affairs official who wanted R60 000 to renew the retirement visas of him and his wife - is still waiting for the police probe to show results. He is also still waiting for the visas he applied for in 2022. A United Kingdom (UK) citizen - who laid a criminal charge of corruption against a Home Affairs official who wanted R60 000 to renew the retirement visas of him and his wife - is still waiting for the police probe to show results. He is also still waiting for the visas he applied for in 2022. V.5331
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With just a few weeks to go until the 2024 elections, the Department of Home Affairs has publicized the nation`s identification document (ID) process. The department acknowledges the critical role of voter identification in facilitating participation and ensuring electoral fairness. Delays and inefficiencies at Home Affairs have historically impeded the democratic right to vote, particularly affecting those in rural areas. V.5332
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SAUDI VISA FOR AFRICAN CITIZENS South Africa is not among the countries exempt from Saudi Arabia visa requirements, therefore a Saudi Arabia visa is required. South Africans need a current visa to travel to Saudi Arabia lawfully. South African citizens can obtain a Saudi electronic visa. Saudi Arabia is located in the Middle East. The eVisa is an electronic visa that permits citizens from approximately 50 countries to travel to Saudi Arabia for tourism. V.5333
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I recently renewed my passport at Home Affairs in a bank branch and was very impressed with the service and quick turnaround time. The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) and major banks first launched the option to do Smart ID card and passport applications via select bank branches in 2016. It has slowly grown to around 30 locations, including branches from Absa, Discovery Bank, FNB, Investec, Nedbank, and Standard Bank. V.5334
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The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has spent over R412.95 million in legal fees since the start of the 2018/19 financial year - with over R117.69 million of this spent between 1 April 2023 and 29 February 2024. This was revealed by the Minister of Home Affairs, Aaron Motsoaledi, in a recent written response in parliament. DHA has seen an exponential increase in the amount that it spends on litigation, with the current amount for 2023/24 (note these figures are until the end of February, several months short of the full financial year) nearly 16 times that of the amount spent in 2018/19. V.5335
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Short on time? Here are the highlights: • Following recent announcements from British Columbia and Ontario, Nova Scotia becomes the latest Canadian province to declare how its quota of study permit applications for 2024 will be distributed across sectors and institutions • As in Ontario, private institutions and language schools stand to be the most negatively affected by the distribution arrangement, but some public universities will also see significant reductions in study permit applications • All Canadian provinces have now distributed their allocation of study permit applications for 2024, and all are now also issuing provincial attestation letters (PALs) V.5336
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