As a South African who has adopted a nomadic work lifestyle alongside my wife, Ingrid Lotze, I’ve been an interested observer of South Africa’s snail-pace digital nomad visa (DNV) development process. Despite the optimism surrounding its introduction, the visa seems to miss several crucial marks for digital nomads like us.


The DNV falls short in meeting the key needs of digital nomads. It glaringly overlooks critical factors such a friendly visa, tax, bureaucratic and legal framework. It also fails to take into account, for obvious reasons and understandingly so, safety�`a significant need among digital nomads globally. Despite South Africa’s renowned beauty and potential as a remote work hub, the persistent safety issues present a considerable deterrent, overshadowing the benefits.

It appears there was scant real engagement with digital nomads during the DNV’s development. Meaningful consultation could have offered invaluable insights into essential features such as a streamlined bureaucratic process and a more nomad-friendly tax regime. For example, the requirement to register to pay taxes after six months will discourage longer stays, pushing nomads to depart by the five-month mark to avoid fiscal complications.
The assumption that digital nomads will significantly boost the local economy might also be overly optimistic

The assumption that digital nomads will significantly boost the local economy might also be overly optimistic. Nomads are known for their economical lifestyles, seeking to maximise their budgets, which may mean the actual economic input is less substantial than anticipated. This frugality, coupled with the potential short stays prompted by tax policies, might reduce their economic impact further.

The DNV appears to be crafted more with an eye towards boosting South Africa’s flagging image as a progressive nation than to meeting practical needs. A visa scheme that focuses more on tangible benefits rather than enhancing national prestige could provide greater mutual value to both South Africa and digital nomads.

To make South Africa a top choice for digital nomads, a more comprehensive strategy that extends beyond the visa itself is necessary. Addressing broader issues such as ease of doing business, appropriate tax and bureaucratic frameworks, and especially improving safety is crucial.
The Portuguese example

Portugal’s digital nomad visa stands as a benchmark of success, featuring straightforward application processes, favourable tax conditions and strong community engagement. Emulating aspects of Portugal’s approach could help reshape South Africa’s strategy into a more holistic and appealing one.

For the DNV

to transform into a competitive, nomad-friendly strategy, South Africa needs to overhaul the visa parameters and enhance the overall environment supporting a nomadic lifestyle. By engaging with the nomad community for continuous feedback and implementing necessary adjustments, South Africa can shift from being just a picturesque destination to a viable, long-term home for international remote workers.

A thoughtful re-evaluation, genuinely considering the needs of digital nomads, could align South Africa’s offerings with the dynamic and diverse needs of global digital nomads, avoiding the pitfall of becoming just another well-intentioned publicity stunt.

The author, Gavin Moffat, is a public speaker, author and entrepreneur, serving as the co-founder at join.the.dots, a firm specialising in strategic business consulting, reputation management, executive coaching and training. Alongside this, he also co-founded Hers&His, focusing on diversity and inclusion initiatives. In April 2022, Moffat and his wife and business partner, Ingrid Lotze, embraced a nomad work lifestyle under the initiative “7 t-shirts each”, where they explore the world while working remotely, carrying only seven t-shirts each because that’s all you can carry when your whole life is in a suitcase. Their travels have taken them through multiple countries including Kenya, Mauritius, Thailand, Laos, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Korea and Nepal
A thoughtful re-evaluation, genuinely considering the needs of digital nomads, could align South Africa’s offerings with the dynamic and diverse needs of global digital nomads, avoiding the pitfall of becoming just another well-intentioned publicity stunt.

The author, Gavin Moffat, is a public speaker, author and entrepreneur, serving as the co-founder at join.the.dots, a firm specialising in strategic business consulting, reputation management, executive coaching and training. Alongside this, he also co-founded Hers&His, focusing on diversity and inclusion initiatives. In April 2022, Moffat and his wife and business partner, Ingrid Lotze, embraced a nomad work lifestyle under the initiative “7 t-shirts each”, where they explore the world while working remotely, carrying only seven t-shirts each because that’s all you can carry when your whole life is in a suitcase. Their travels have taken them through multiple countries including Kenya, Mauritius, Thailand, Laos, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Korea and Nepal V.5322

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. My passport was set to expire in October 2024, and because many countries require that your passport be valid for six months from a travel date, a renewal was due. V.5324
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DA MP says this is up 20 000 from the 74 000 six months previously Department of Home Affairs visa backlog is up by 20 000 in 6 months The Democratic Alliance (DA) can reveal that the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) Visa backlog has increased from 74 000 in August 2023 to 92 000 as of 16 February 2024. This is an increase of just under 20 000 in about 6 months. Download the Parliamentary question and answer here. The increase goes against what the Minister told the Home Affairs Parliamentary Committee in March 2023. V.5325
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The European Union (EU) will limit visas for people from Ethiopia. This is because the Ethiopian government hasn`t been helping take back citizens who stay in the EU illegally. The EU Council announced this in a statement on Monday. Ethiopians won`t get visas for multiple entries anymore. Also, Ethiopians with diplomatic and service passports won`t have their visa fees waived. V.5326
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CRIMINAL convictions more than two decades ago came to haunt a man who was offered a job as a senior data discovery and enrichment expert, but after his prospective employer got wind of the convictions, retracted the job offer. But the Gqeberha Labour Court came to his rescue and found that the man should be given a second chance, given that his convictions occurred 20 years ago and had meanwhile been expunged. V.5327
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Nigeria’s economy, which ranked as Africa’s largest in 2022, is set to slip to fourth place this year and Egypt, which held the top position in 2023, is projected to fall to second behind South Africa after a series of currency devaluations, International Monetary Fund forecasts show. The IMF’s World Economic Outlook estimates Nigeria’s gross domestic product at $253 billion based on current prices this year, lagging energy-rich Algeria at $267 billion, Egypt at $348 billion and South Africa at $373 billion. V.5328
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There are fears that more people will be separated by the introduction of a minimum salary level for those wanting UK family visas. Families living in the UK and abroad have raised concerns about what new rules will mean for them as they try to reunite with foreign spouses. In December, the Home Office, which says migration to the UK is too high, announced a package of measures to reduce net migration, following a spike in arrival numbers. V.5318
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An Ethiopian asylum seeker, who does not speak English, claims he was duped by a senior immigration official into paying an admission of guilt fine when he thought he was paying for bail.Two Western Cape High Court judges have condemned the official`s `deplorable` behaviour, set aside the fine, and ordered the immigration official be taken off the case. Tsegaye Esyas claims Annelise van Dyk treated him like an animal which led to him attempt suicide while in police cells. V.5320
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EREMY MAGGS: I want to stay with crime now. Individuals with a criminal record may be faced with significant challenges when seeking employment, I think that’s a given. Here in South Africa, employers may legally exclude an applicant from consideration for a position if having a clean criminal record is what is termed an inherent requirement of the job. That phrase, inherent requirement, is important, but what exactly does that mean, and when can an applicant be lawfully excluded for having a criminal record? V.5321
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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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