The new Home Affairs regulations, which require all travellers under 18 years old to carry an unabridged birth certificate when travelling to and from South Africa, are still causing major confusion amongst industry players and consumers alike.

Todd Neuman, SAA Vice President, Commercial for North America, explains that there remains a lot of confusion as to what is needed exactly for young travellers. Everyone in the US tends to have a birth certificate, according to Neuman, but there is no mention of this document being ‘unabridged’. That is why most people are still uncertain as to whether or not their birth certificate is actually suitable for travelling to South Africa. For single parents, the confusion is even greater.

At Indaba 2015, trade publications from around the world demanded answers from SA Tourism on the new regulations. One journalist from a Chinese newspaper said: “There is a lot of talk about what the tourism industry wants to do to stop the new regulations, but there is not a lot of action. Isn’t it now time to take action?”

Thulani Nzima, CEO SA Tourism, responded by saying SA Tourism has actively raised its concerns about both the new regulations for minor travellers and the in-person visa applications.

The collection of biometric information is problematic and should be done on arrival, says Nzima. He explains however that the South African government is currently assessing and reviewing which countries should need a visa, and which countries should be eligible to obtain a visa-on-arrival.

With the regards to the requirement for a birth certificate, Nzima explains that the entire world is concerned about the trafficking of children and the government should address the problem. However, the methodology with which the South African government is approaching the problem is flawed.

Nzima says he has interacted at Indaba 2015 with buyers from different countries who have all reported how difficult the new regulations will be for them. “Some countries don’t have birth certificates. For others, the translation is extremely costly,” he says.

According to Nzima, there will be confusion at the airports, as airline staff is currently not well trained to understand the new regulations.  He fears some airlines may even choose not to accept certain travellers if they are unsure about the documentation. “Travellers will then say: Why bother going to South Africa instead of elsewhere where the process is easier?”

Meanwhile, tour operators and guesthouses have started to see the impact of the new regulations. Tony Kinahan, 7 Passes – a tented camp in Wilderness, says he has started seeing cancellations from families as a result of the new immigration regulations.

However, the real impact on travel to South Africa will only be seen further down the line, according to Nzima. He explains that although South Africa has undoubtedly lost some bookings already, the real impact is yet to be felt.