October 2021 – HOF Migration

The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has begun implementation of its electronic visa system (e-Visa) to 15 countries.

The implementation would be released in a phased approach, starting with Kenya and Cameroon, said DHA Chief Director of Port Control, Rika Anker, in a letter to the airline industry on Monday (September 6).

She noted that only short-term e-Visas would be issued initially for a period of 90 days or less. “Other e-Visa categories will be added later during the implementation process.”

Meanwhile, addressing the National Tourism Stakeholder Forum, DHA Director of Immigration Services, Phindiwe Mbhele, listed the 15 countries and outlined the process followed to begin implementation.

He said e-Visa activation would start this month and likely conclude in November. The 15 countries are (in order of activation):

Kenya and Cameroon
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Philippines and Rwanda
Ethiopia, Iran and Egypt
India, Uganda and Mexico
Pakistan and Nigeria
China and Saudi Arabia

Since November 2019, the Government has been testing the South African e-Visa. At the same time, facilities with smart technology are being set up at major South African airports to facilitate electronic document checks.

Thulani Mavuso, DHA Director General of Home Affairs in South Africa, said earlier this year that the new online system would be introduced to increase tourism by making it easier for foreign visitors to obtain a visa to travel to South Africa.

The implementation and fast-tracking of e-Visas is also one of the key enablers of the Tourism Sector Recovery Plan, which focuses on three strategic pillars: re-igniting demand, rejuvenation of supply, and strengthening and enabling capability

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The UK will soon allow quarantine-free travel for almost all countries, including South Africa, according to a report in The Sunday Telegraph.

The current measures imposed by the British government permit entry to only British and Irish Nationals arriving from high-risk countries – commonly referred to as red list countries – who are required to quarantine in government-managed hotels.

However, Reuters reports that British prime minister Boris Johnson is expected to allow fully vaccinated arrivals from countries including South Africa, Brazil, Mexico and Indonesia for hotel quarantine-free travel later this week, citing The Sunday Telegraph.

The Sunday paper reported that the UK’s red list of destinations would be cut to nine from 54, with the announcement expected to be made on Thursday (7 October).

The UK’s hotel quarantine policy for higher risk countries costs £2,285 per adult (R46,000), putting a huge financial burden on potential travellers to the country.

Reuters reported that the country is already planning to relax its travel rules from 4 October by scrapping its amber list for medium risk destinations and no longer requiring fully vaccinated passengers to take a Covid-19 test before they arrive in the country from places not on the red list.

“The government has said that from later in October, arrivals in England will no longer have to take a PCR test two days after arrival and can instead opt for the cheaper lateral flow test.”

President Cyril Ramaphosa said in an address to the country earlier this week that he had spoken with Johnson to discuss the UK’s red listing of South Africa.

“This has put us in a disadvantaged position since the United Kingdom is South Africa’s biggest source of tourism from the northern hemisphere and a significant trading partner.

“While UK scientists were concerned about the presence of the Beta variant in South Africa, the reality is that the Delta variant is now by far the dominant variant in the country,” the president said.

Ramaphosa said that he put South Africa’s case to the UK prime minister, “which he understood very well”.

“We both agreed that decisions of this nature should be informed by science and are hopeful of a positive outcome when the issue comes up for review in the coming days,” the president said.

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Monthly Archives: October 2021

SA is ready to roll out e-Visas to 15 countries

South Africa to be taken off UK red list for travel