How South Africa’s new visa could work

Source: Businesstech, 16/02/2022

South Africa is considering the adoption of a remote-working visa as
part of a push to attract more skilled workers, and their money, to
the country.
Remote-working visa are travel permits that legalise the status of
travelling professionals. Like tourist visas, they are easy to obtain
and do not require long paperwork and a work contract. However, they
allow for longer stays.
The Western Cape provincial government has previously mooted the visa,
with president Cyril Ramaphosa confirming it is under consideration in
his state of the nation address on Thursday evening (10 February).
The move has been welcomed by the City of Cape Town which stands to
see significant benefits from the visa.
“Working tourists tend to spend up to R50,000 during their stay, which
has the potential to add up to a significant boon for the economy,”
said the City of Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee member for economic
growth, James Vos.
“This revenue reaches multiple industries, including educational
institutions, transport, accommodation, retail, and restaurants.”
Vos said the new visa can be easily introduced through an amendment to
Section 11 of the Immigration Act, which relates to an extension of
visas beyond 90 days for specific activities. This is because remote
workers tend to stay beyond three months in a location, he said.
The application can be authorised by a ministerial directive while
applying regulations already in place and governing visitors’ visa
applications, he said.
At present, these visa applicants must show:
• Control of sufficient financial resources (by means of a bank
statement);
• Proof of accommodation and medical insurance for the duration
of their stay;
• A medical certificate, radiological report, and police
clearances.
The remote working visa will additionally:
• Require an applicant to provide evidence of employment abroad,
as well as a sufficient income from such employment or own business
registered abroad;
• Allow the applicant’s dependants to accompany them.
“South Africa has long been a global tourist hotspot. By showing that
we also have the means for people to work while they’re here, we
entice them to stay longer,” said Vos.
“I will also begin engagements with industry bodies such as CTT and
the Federated Hospitality Association of South Africa (Fedhasa) to get
the ball rolling on creating specific product and pricing categories
that cater to this specific market so that Cape Town remains top of
mind for these travellers.”
Attracting skilled workers
Ramaphosa said that attracting skilled workers was a key focus of his
government’s plans to rebuild the economy.
“The world over, the ability to attract skilled immigrants is the
hallmark of a modern, thriving economy. We are therefore streamlining
and modernising the visa application process to make it easier to
travel to South Africa for tourism, business and work,” he said in his
state of the nation address.
“A comprehensive review of the work visa system is currently underway,
led by a former director-general of Home Affairs, Mavuso Msimang. This
review is exploring the possibility of new visa categories that could
enable economic growth, such as a start-up visa and a remote working
visa.”
Ramaphosa noted that the government has also published a revised
critical skills list for the first time since 2014, following detailed
technical work and extensive consultations with business and labour.
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