Visa overhaul aims to attract business

IMPACT – MEDIUM

What is the change? South Africa is planning to overhaul its visa regime to encourage tourism, business and investment, according to a press briefing by Minister of Communications Nomvula Mokonyane.

What does the change mean? The overhaul will cover visas for tourist and business visitors, workers with scarce skills, and children.

• Implementation time frame: Ongoing. The minister did not set a time frame for the overhaul but plans to pilot an e-visa program have been set for March 2019.
• Visas/permits affected: Visit visas, e-visas, critical skills visas.
• Business impact: The changes are intended to attract business and those who want to invest in South Africa.
• Next steps: The visa changes will be announced in greater detail in the coming weeks.

Background: The South African government has identified visas as an issue that it wants to address. A team of ministers from various agencies is looking into ways to overhaul visa rules to support the tourism sector and foreign direct investment.

Analysis & Comments: The government is focusing on visas as a relatively quick way to reduce barriers to travel and mobility. Meanwhile, a broader overhaul of the country’s immigration system has been outlined in a White Paper published by the Department of Home Affairs last year.

Source: Deloitte LLP. Deloitte LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales with registered number OC303675 and its registered office at 1 New Street Square, London EC4A 3HQ, United Kingdom.