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Home affairs seeks extension of VFS Global visa contract The department wants to extend the contract until it is ready to launch a public-private partnership

Source: Business Day, 02/06/2020

If the contract with VFS were to be terminated, the visa system and
tourism would collapse, the minister warned. VFS handles the visa
application process while the department makes the decisions and
issues the visas. Motsoaledi stressed that the department did not
have the capacity to handle the entire visa issuing process on its
own.
VFS has been handling visa applications on behalf of the department
since 2010. The contract was extended for two years in December 2018.
The departmentâ€™s acting director-general Jackie McKay said the
extension was intended â€œto protect the department against operational
disruptions at a time when there is substantial uncertainty and
global risk that Covid-19 has imposed on international travel,
investment and migratory movement in generalâ€.
An extension of the VFS contract would allow for a continuity of
operations while the department proceeded with its public-private
partnership process and the introduction of an e-visa system, he
said.
An extension would also allow for a smooth handover to the new
service provider which would not be possible in the six months
remaining before the VFS contract expires.
McKay noted that the process would take between 24 and 36 months.
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