Your expression of interest of a business visa has reference and we have provided you with an overview of the basic requirements
A Business Visa is issued to foreign nationals wishing to invest in or purchase a business in South Africa.
Investment in own Business, with or without a South African partner.
A business visa may be issued by the Department of Home Affairs to a foreigner intending to establish or invest in a business in South Africa in which he or she may be employed, and to members of such foreigners’ immediate family providing that certain requirements have been met.
Although the Act calls for investment of R5,0 million in a business to get both temporary and permanent business visa, you can get these visas with less capital investment - sometimes for as low asR400,000 ($45,000 USD) investment using our expert team at SA Migration Services.
Many businesses do not require a capital investment as large as R5 million and in certain cases, you are allowed to reduce this amount and commit to a smaller investment if your business falls within the certain industries . The following businesses to be in the national interest, and therefore qualifying for reduction or waiver of the capitalisation requirements as determined to be in the national interest in relation to a Business Visa:
• Agro-processing
• Business Process Outsourcing and IT Enabled Services
• Capital / Transport equipment, metals and electrical machinery and apparatus
• Electro Technical
• Textile, Clothing and Leather
• Pulp, paper and Furniture
• Consumer goods
• Boatbuilding
• Automotives and Components
• Green Economy Industries â€` Power Generation / Renewable Energy
• Advanced Manufacturing
• Tourism infrastructure
• Chemicals, plastic fabrication and pharmaceuticals
• Creative and Design Industry
• Oil and Gas
• Mineral beneficiation
• Infrastructure Development
• ICT - Information and communications technology
The Minister has declared any businesses in the following sector as undesirable and will therefore not be considered under this category of Visa :

a) Businesses that import second hand motor vehicles into the Republic of South Africa
or the purpose of exporting to other markets outside the Republic of South Africa
b) The exotic entertainment industry
c) Security Industry
SA Migration Services will professionally help to arrange your Business Permits for you.
How to Qualify for a Business Visa in South Africa
How to Qualify for a Business Visa in South Africa
If you want to know how to qualify for a business visa in South Africa, read our top 5 hints and tips below. If you prefer to speak to one of our experts you can call us on any of the numbers above or request a call back, or email us.
Our top 5 hints and tips on how to qualify for a business visa in South Africa.
1. The amount you need to invest
A large part of how to qualify for a business visa in South Africa is how much money you have to invest into your new South African business. A minimum investment is required to be made into the business within a 2 year period of time. Further the source of these funds must be from outside of South Africa.
Whilst exemptions to this investment can be applied for they are granted only rarely.
2. How many jobs you will create
South Africa courts foreign investment, from SME’s through to large corporates. A large factor in it doing so is the creation of employment opportunities for local South Africans. As such your application will be scrutinised for the employment positions it creates.
60% of your employees need to be either South African citizens or permanent residency holders.
3. What sector your proposed business is in
Whilst courting foreign investment, regulations also pay attention to attracting the right sort of businesses to South Africa. There are specific sectors such as tourism and manufacturing that are deemed priority industries.
Speak to one of team about the industry sectors currently deemed a priority.
4. A business plan
Many see a business plan as a blueprint to the success of the business. It is a direct reflection on the amount of research, innovation and thought that has gone into planning the operation.
Further, the business plan will also identify the business’s chances of succeeding and the

applicant’s own business ability.
A comprehensive business plan which also highlights the applicant’s ability to meet the business visa requirements is a must.
5. Understanding the ongoing requirements
How to qualify for a business visa in South Africa is one thing; keeping the visa is another, and often little or poor advice is given to this important consideration.
Once the business visa is obtained there are ongoing requirements that must be adhered to. Temporary residency holders are obliged to report back to the Department of Home Affairs every 2 years, whilst permanent residency holders must do similar 2 years after receiving permanent residency and 3 years thereafter.
Know your future obligations and ensure you work with a company that is committed to you over the term of such obligations.
Immigration to South Africa on a business visa
Immigration to South Africa on a business visa
One of the ways of obtaining residency in South Africa is via Immigration to South Africa on a business visa. A business visa does not just mean setting up a business, or buying into one in South Africa, but it also means you wish to work within this business. Should you be wishing to invest, but not wishing to work in the business please see information here on the investors visa.
Below we give you ten need-to-know facts on Immigration to South Africa on a business visa:
1. Who can apply for a business visa?
Immigration to South Africa on a business visa is for foreign nationalities that are not married or in partnerships with either a South African citizen or permanent residency holder.
Those in such a relationship need to apply for either a spousal visa or life partner visa (depending upon their marital status) and obtain an endorsement to this visa rather than a standalone business visa.
2. What residency can you obtain with Immigration to South Africa on a business visa?
You would first apply for temporary residency (a business visa) which, if granted, is normally for a period of not more than 3 years. Once temporary residency has been received you may make an application for permanent residency (a business permit).
3. Can my family also immigrate if I am granted this visa?
As with all visa in South Africa each applicant is granted a visa in their own right. Your spouse or partner and any children of a non school age would need to apply for accompanying visa and children in education would require study visa.
4. What is the basic criteria for a business visa?
The Department of Home Affairs will require, amongst other items:
• A comprehensive business plan;
• An appropriative business structure;
• Undertaking with regards to the employment of South Africans;
• An investment amount of not less than 5 million rand originating from funds abroad;
5. Can I run more than one business?
Immigration to South Africa, on a business visa, is specific to a particular business and does not entitle you to work within any other entity other than the one specified on the application and subsequent visa. You can however freely make investments into other businesses but not work in them.
6. I have seen reports that you can get exemptions from investing the R5 million rand; is this true?
The immigration act does allow for this, you can view more here on business categories that may qualify for a waiver.
7. How many people must I commit to employing?
It is a requirement that 60% of your staff are South African citizens, or Permanent residency holders.
8. In what format must the business plan be?
There is no specified format but business plans are central to Immigration to South Africa on a business visa and as such must be comprehensive. It should also be remembered that the business plan also needs to be written in accordance with specific items that the Department of Home Affairs will look out for in judging your application so it will vary from a normal one.
9. Where should I make an application?
Legislation forbids any visa application that would result in a change of status. As an example, entering South Africa on a tourist visa and then applying whilst on this tourist visa for Immigration to South Africa on a business visa, would not be allowed. Where a change of status does not apply then the application can be made in South Africa. V.5376

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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