The impediment comes after an initial delay when changes to the visa regime had to be temporarily withdrawn because mandatory public consultation procedures hadn't been followed. President Cyril Ramaphosa announced his intention to introduce a remote-working visa in his 2022 state of the nation address.
"There is just a tax-related matter that needs to be addressed in the regulations," said home affairs minister Leon Schreiber in response to queries. "Once that is done, the department will commence with the roll-out."
South Africa's byzantine work permit regime, which means that securing a work permit can take well over a year, has been flagged as a hurdle to economic growth by both the presidency and the country's main business organisations.
Still, a backlog of more than 300 000 applications for all kinds of residence permits has been halved since a new cabinet was announced on 30 June, after the formation of a coalition government.
