Tourist arrivals to the country doubled in the first nine months of the year compared to the same period last year, according to Tourism Minister, Patricia de Lille.
“Between January and September this year, South Africa saw a significant influx of tourists, with over 6.1 million visitors arriving in the country, more than 58.4% when compared to the 3.8million arrivals to South Africa during the same period in 2022.
“During this period, visitors from Africa represented 4.6million of the total arrivals to South Africa, a 60% increase in Africa land arrivals and a 35% increase in Africa air arrivals when compared to the same period in 2022,” de Lille said in response to a suggestion by EFF MP Anthony Matumba that she had failed in her core mandate, including implementing a global tourism brand campaign and integrated destination brand.
The minister was also asked by IFP MP Khethamabala Petros Sithole, whether her department had implemented any of its plans to encourage tourists to visit the country after Covid-19.
De Lille said some of the targets that were not achieved in the previous financial year had been submitted and presented to the portfolio committee with the remedial action.
De Lille said South Africa welcomed more than 862 000 arrivals from Europe between January and September, a 50,9% increase on the more than 571 000 arrivals in 2022.
South Africa welcomed more than 148 000 visitors from Asia, an increase of 82,6% and China`s arrivals showed a significant increase to 3060 visitors in October 2023, a 132,5% increase when compared to the same period in 2022, she said.
De Lille added that all markets saw an increase in arrivals to South Africa of between 48

and 99%.
“During the first two quarters of 2023, total tourist foreign direct spend amounted to R48 billion.”
Furthermore, South Africans took 18.8 million domestic overnight trips in the first half of 2023.
“This is up 23.4% when compared to the same period in 2022.”
Overnight spend was also up by 21.2% to reach just over R52 billion in the same period, she added.
De Lille noted that there was growth in air access with the resumption of the direct flight from China in February and
Latam launching its inaugural flight to South Africa in September.
South African Airways also relaunched its direct flights from Cape Town and Johannesburg to Sao Paulo in Brazil in October.
She said they were expecting direct flights between Johannesburg and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia to resume this month.
“We are working with the Saudi Arabia Air Access team to secure a direct flight from Cape Town to Jeddah.
“South Africa also has six active airlines connecting over 23 cities in African countries including Nigeria, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Botswana.”
De Lille added that they had scrapped a controversial R1 billion Tottenham Hotspurs deal within a month after her arrival in the department.
“In the 2023-24 financial year, due to my intervention, an out-of-court settlement was reached, unlocking the R1.2 billion Tourism Equity Fund.” The minister said the green paper on the Development and Promotion of Tourism in South Africa was gazetted for public comment in September. V.5114

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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