South Africa needs to urgently create functional e-visa platforms if it wants to capitalise on the potential offered by visa reforms recently introduced in the country, according to Tourism Update readers.

In October, the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) introduced the much-anticipated remote working visa and a points-based system for work visas. When asked what the biggest barrier is to the country capitalising on these initiatives, 43% of readers singled out lack of functional e-visa processing platforms. Another 23% of respondents said inefficient visa processing is the biggest issue while 21% said negative perceptions of the destination are the major problem. The remaining 12% identified lack of air access as the biggest barrier.

Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber has promised that the DHA will embark on a major digitisation drive to enhance efficiencies, including the visa processing space.

Is South Africa ready to host F1?

South Africa’s bid to host a Formula 1 (F1) Grand Prix has been accelerated under new Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Gayton Mackenzie.

Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille has said she and Mackenzie plan to meet the organisers of the global motorsport phenomenon by year-end to discuss bringing the championship back to the country. South Africa last hosted the F1 Grand Prix in 1993.

Discussions about hosting the event have accelerated over the past two years with the country reportedly narrowly missing out on securing a spot on the championship’s annual calendar.

F1 is the world’s most-watched motorsport, attracting viewership of 1.5 billion in 2023. The average attendance per race is nearly 300 000 people, which would bring significant economic value to South Africa.

We want to know whether you think South Africa is ready to host a world-class F1 race.

Our poll question this week is: