The move by Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Leon Schreiber , to extend the temporary concessions for foreign nationals awaiting visa, waiver, and appeal outcomes is a welcome relief to the tourism and hospitality sector leaders who have been tirelessly lobbying for visa reforms.
We are extremely pleased to see Minister Schreiber prioritise this critical issue so early in his tenure, said Rosemary Anderson, FEDHASA National Chairperson. This extension provides much-needed certainty for both businesses and individuals, including our valued swallows and sends a strong message that South Africa is open for business and welcomes international visitors, she added.
Inbound industry body, SATSA, has long been calling for structured engagement with the previous Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi , andthe association's CEO, David Frost , highlighting the significant challenges with SAs visa regime that are hampering tourism growth in key markets.
These challenges include an ineffective e-visa system, long delays due to backlog and inefficiencies, the timeous implementation of the remote work visa and the sudden revocation of visa extensions granted to foreigners who have homes in South Africa and stay in the country for extended periods of time.
SATSA Chair, Oupa Pilane highlighted that the much-needed 'swallows', also known as 'Sun Chasers', who visit for up to 180 days, are a golden goose for South Africas economy and its tourism sector, which is the third-highest GDP earner for the country and enjoys a deep and vast supply chain that creates job opportunities.
