Creating a more flexible and welcoming visa environment, especially for tourists from countries with a strong track record of compliance and economic contribution, could be transformative for the sector says FEDHASA.
JOHANNESBURG FEDHASA acknowledges Home Affairs Minister AaronMotsoaledi‘s statement regarding the internal circular issued on 21 December 2023. While the Minister regards the ensuing media storm and the distress among the tourism sector as unintended consequences of an internal document, the reality presents a starkly different picture.
The experiences shared globally by “Swallows” tourists who migrate seasonally in search of warmer climates attest to a more distressing outcome. These narratives, far from being isolated, have reverberated through international communities, painting South Africa as a
destination fraught with visa challenges.
Says Rosemary Anderson, National Chair, Federated Hospitality Association of South Africa (FEDHASA): “It is a matter of fact that the circular, though intended for internal use, became a public concern that significantly dented the image of South Africa’s tourism sector. The delay inaddressing and retracting the circular allowed for widespread dissemination of negative experiences, solidifying a perception of South Africa as unwelcoming.”
This incident underscores a recurrent theme in our visa regime’s history well-meaning policies that inadvertently deter tourism and tarnish our reputation on the global stage, she adds. This incident may not only have affected the immediate plans of many international visitors but
has also sown seeds of doubt about South Africa’s openness as a tourist destination. The damage inflicted by the circular including forcing individuals to leave and marking them persona non grata for a period goes beyond mere inconvenience. It has eroded the essential
confidence and security that tourists seek when choosing a destination.
Furthermore, the specific targeting of “Swallows”, who contribute significantly to our economy through extended stays, highlights a missed opportunity in our visa policies. These individuals, who seek refuge from the harsh European winters, are not merely tourists but are economic contributors who invest their time and resources into our local communities and businesses.
“The

need for a more accommodating visa policy, one that recognises the value and potential of such long-term visitors, has never been more apparent,” Anderson says.
The discussion should not just revolve around rectifying the fallout of the circular but should also prompt a broader reassessment of our visa policies.
Proposals for Visa Regulation Improvements
In response to these challenges, FEDHASA proposes several key improvements to the visa regulation framework:
• Introduction of longer-term visas: Recognising the seasonal migration patterns of international visitors, particularly from Europe and America, South Africa should consider the introduction of longer-term visas. These visas would accommodate stays beyond th traditional three-month period, catering to those with the financial means to spend extended periods in the country without seeking employment.
• Streamlining the visa extension process: The current process for extending visas, crucial for visitors wishing to stay longer than three months, must be simplified and made more transparent. The receipt of a visa extension application should be recognised as a valid interim measure to allow applicants to remain in the country while awaiting the outcome.
• Addressing the backlog and improving communication: Efforts must be intensified to address the significant backlog in visa processing and to improve communication with applicants. This includes providing timely updates on application status and resolving technical issues within the eVisa system to ensure a smoother, more reliable experience.
• Promoting tourism recovery and economic growth: It is imperative that all barriers to entry for international visitors be critically examined and addressed. By making strategic adjustments to our visa policies, we can encourage longer stays, increase spending in our economy, and accelerate the recovery of the tourism sector.
FEDHASA remains committed to working closely with the Department of Home Affairs, the tourism industry, and other stakeholders to ensure that South Africa is seen as a welcoming, accessible, and attractive destination for international visitors. V.5252

DA MP says hours lost continue to result in persons being unable to collect their ID documents due to unmanageable queues The DA has been inundated with complaints that the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) systems are offline, resulting in long queues and delayed processing of documents. Through questions posed to the Minister, the DA can now reveal that the DHA has lost over 77 years’ worth of working hours due to system downtime and load-shedding from 2019 to date. Concerningly, this data only relates to hours lost for the application of smart IDs, meaning decades more of working hours could have been additionally lost in other spheres such as passport or visa applications. V.5314
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Home Affairs’ seemingly endless court battles set the department back more than R110-million between April 2023 and the end of February this year. This was revealed in a written parliamentary response by minister Aaron Motsoaledi. He said the department accumulated a litigation bill of R117 692 996.3, higher than the R72 637 944.51 spent the year before. V.5315
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Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) this week revealed that Cape Town International Airport (CTIA) has achieved a ground-breaking milestone by processing more than 10 million passengers over a single financial year. This is the highest number of regional and international passengers processed since COVID-19 V.5316
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In recent years, South Africa has seen a significant influx of immigrants from various African countries, as well as other parts of the world. This has raised important questions about the country`s immigration policies and their impact on job creation for both locals and immigrants. The South African immigration system, like many other countries, is a complex and ever-evolving process that aims to balance the country`s economic needs with its social and cultural interests. Let`s take a closer look at how this system intersects with job creation in South Africa. The South African government implemented the Immigration Act of 2002, which outlines the country`s immigration policies and procedures. Under this act, foreigners are required to obtain a visa or permit to enter, work, or study in South Africa. The type of visa or permit required depends on the intended purpose of the individual`s visit and their country of origin. V.5312
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Due to system downtime and load-shedding, the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) lost nearly 141,000 hours of Smart ID application and production time between the 2019/20 and 2022/23 financial years. Minister Aaron Motsoaledi revealed this figure in a recent response to questions raised in Parliament by Democratic Alliance MP Adrian Roos. Motsoaledi provided a breakdown of smart ID production and application hours lost to technical difficulties and load-shedding per province for each financial year from 2019/2020. These disruptions hit home Affairs offices in the Eastern Cape the hardest, with over 34,000 hours to rotational power cuts and system downtime. Mpumalanga offices lost the next-highest number of hours at 17 V.5313
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Home Affairs Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has said the public has shown great support for the final White Paper on citizenship, immigration and refugee protection which appeared in the Government Gazette on Wednesday. Briefing the media, he addressed what he saw as a long-overdue need to replace an outdated Citizenship Act, as well as enact proposed changes to existing legislation. V.5306
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Minister Aaron Motsoaledi’s indifference to the plight of those affected by his decisions is appalling In the tumultuous seas of immigration law, where uncertainty looms and families are left adrift in bureaucratic limbo, the department of home affairs has emerged as a sinking ship. As a director of a firm of immigration attorneys I’ve witnessed first-hand the dire consequences of the department’s negligence and incompetence. Today, I raise my voice not just as an attorney but as a concerned citizen, urging for a radical overhaul to salvage what remains of our immigration system. We have tirelessly fought battles in the courtroom against home affairs’ disregard for agreed-upon time frames. Countless cases have landed on our desks, each one a testament to the systemic failures plaguing the department. We’ve seen cases where contempt applications were the only recourse, as the department brazenly ignored court orders. V.5307
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Document proposes overhauling the Citizenship Act, the Refugees Act and the Immigration Act and a review of the international treaty on refugee protection Home affairs minister Aaron Motsoaledi says the cabinet has approved a white paper overhauling the country’s immigration laws after “robust engagements” that resulted in “wide support” of the document’s policy positions. V.5308
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The DA has been inundated with complaints that the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) systems are offline, resulting in long queues and delayed processing of documents. Through questions posed to the Minister, the DA can now reveal that the DHA has lost over 77 years’ worth of working hours due to system downtime and load-shedding from 2019 to date. Concerningly, this data only relates to hours lost for the application of smart IDs, meaning decades more of working hours could have been additionally lost in other spheres such as passport or visa applications. The lost hours are largely due to system downtime, surpassing load-shedding. In the 2022/2023 financial year, where we experienced extensive load-shedding, system downtime was the cause of 41 691 hours lost (17 years), whereas load-shedding caused around 9 322 hours lost (4 years) at DHA civic offices on the production of smart IDs. V.5309
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JOHANNESBURG - Minister of Home Affairs Aaron Motsoaledi said that while the White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection had been gazetted, there were amendments that needed to be made to the legislation before it could be passed into law. The White Paper is proposing an overhaul of the country`s migration laws, with the aim of tightening rules around allowing migrants into the country. V.5310
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