Angola-South Africa entry VISA free exemption a big boost for tourism, trade & investment in the Cape

Source: SAMI, 04/02/2018

Wesgro, Cape Town and the Western Cape’s official Tourism, Trade and
Investment Promotion Agency, warmly welcomes the decision by the
South African and Angolan governments to exempt each other’s ordinary
passports from visa requirements.
We understand that, as of 1 December 2017, citizens of Angola and
South Africa travelling to each other’s countries will be able to
enter for a period of 90 days per annum, provided that each visit
does not exceed 30 days in total.
This development will have a positive effect on business and leisure
tourism. It will also open the door for future trade and foreign
direct investment.
Cape Town Air Access, a partnership between Wesgro, the Western Cape
Government, the City of Cape Town, Airports Company South Africa,
South African Tourism and Cape Town Tourism, helped secure direct
flights from Luanda and Cape Town on TAAG Airlines. The airline
currently flies to Cape Town three times a week on a Boeing 777-300.
This service will be increased to daily this summer from 1 December
2017 until 15 January 2018.
With this VISA free exemption, we hope to see this direct route grow
even further, bringing many more tourists to our shores.
Angola is a key market for tourism in the province with bed nights
from the market reaching 225 000 in 2016. Angolan tourists stayed an
average of 19 days in the province in 2016 and the average spend by
an Angolan tourist increased by R3 300 in 2016, with a total of R22
600 being spent per tourist.
Angola is also one of the largest trading partners of the Western
Cape, with the Wesgro trade team having already prioritised Angola in
terms of wine promotion, as well as helping more Western Cape
companies export to the country. Together with WOSA, our trade team
has embarked on several wine sales missions, partnering with
Shoprite. The in-store promotions we facilitated were a great success
and led to R405 000 worth of wine being sold.
The rest of Africa is front and centre of the Western Cape’s trade
strategy. Wesgro, in particular, has assisted Western Cape companies
to grow their exports to the rest of the continent. Over the last two
years, these exports will generate R535 million over five years, as
well as create 839 jobs. Wesgro has also facilitated R737 million in
outward foreign direct investment into Africa, in terms of our
mandate to also ensure our work benefits the rest of the continent.
Wesgro CEO, Tim Harris said: “Wesgro is thrilled about this very
important decision taken by the South African and Angolan
governments. Easing up on travel restrictions like this will provide
new markets for tourism, and help take the Western Cape economy to
new heights.”