Tourism Update has received concerning reports this week from people in the industry operating in international markets including Russia, India and Uganda. The accounts below describe potential visitors’ experiences with the implementation of SA’s new visa regulations. 
From Russia:
“We haven't had any news about implementation of the new regulations lately. We have devastating news from our Russian clients though. One lady had to fly to Moscow to apply for an SA visa in person, for herself and her 16-year-old daughter. She phoned the embassy beforehand and was told that she could sign the application on behalf of her daughter as she was under 18. The lady arrived at the embassy and there was a long queue of people waiting outside – it was snowing, being winter (October) in Russia. 
“The embassy was only letting people in one at a time. After the long wait in the cold outside our client was let in but was then sent back home to get her daughter’s signature. Other clients, a wealthy elderly couple who had prepaid their entire trip, after queueing in the cold outside were denied visas having been told that they did not have enough money. They had paid for five-star hotels for the entire length of their stay and hired private guides and transport. These people are definitely not underfinanced! They had to cancel their whole trip as they decided that having to go through this terrible process again would be too much for them. 
“The embassy does give information to clients on the phone about the application process and there is no updated list of documents on the website for them and no examples of filled forms. We had a client, who wanted to come to South Africa to buy a wine farm, but also had to cancel the trip and whole idea due to the hostility of the SA mission in Moscow. So many people who come all the way to the embassy are treated with disrespect and get sent back. And, by the way, equipment for biometric data still has not arrived so people come to appear in person for no real reason. It wasn't like this when our clients could apply through visa service companies in their own cities.” 
Margarita Murma from African Star Travel
From India:
“We are aware that post-October 1, biometric visa applications will be in place. Having said that, we have until now, not received any official communication from the Consulate in India. The last time we checked with VFS South Africa, they did not have a clue about this and we have not received any communication from them either. There are only two VFS centres in India, in Mumbai and New Delhi, processing South African visa applications. We were made to understand that VFS would open visa processing centres in many more cities, but we have no knowledge of it happening and nor does VFS. 
“The grapevine news is that the South African Consulate has not, until now, implemented the biometric process and is not likely to do so for some time as they do not have the biometric visa processing machines in place.
“It’s better to rather be safe than sorry, so I have been advising clients that the biometric visa process will be and has been implemented from October 1, which resulted in most of them changing their choice of destination from South Africa to either Australia, New Zealand and or the Far East for the forthcoming Diwali break.
“To the best of my knowledge the only countries requiring biometric intake are the US, the UK and now South Africa. After South Africa announced the biometric visa requirement, France did away with theirs. Most countries do take biometric data, but this is done at the point of entry, while the traveller is standing before the immigration officer. 
“Holding a very important portfolio in the South African Government, the Honorable Home Affairs Minister should have made sure provisions were in place before setting a deadline. South Africa, I am sure, has lost a huge amount of the tourist money and they don’t have the provisions in place to start the biometric visa process. Only losses for your beautiful country.” 
Vikram Samant, MD of Quantum Travels
From Uganda: 
“I was in Uganda and had a very interesting meeting with the board of TUGATA (The Ugandan Association of Travel Agents). I was very concerned to hear that they were having major problems getting South African visas. 
“They mentioned that they had certainly not been informed of any biometric requirements and they have always been able to apply for visas on behalf of client. They said people were losing the payments that they had made for accommodation and flights (as it is required that flights and accommodation are paid for before you apply for a visa to South Africa) as visas are being granted too late or not at all.
“They said the embassy had limited the number of people they saw daily, causing long queues, and that there were only three doctors in Uganda whose yellow fever certificates are accepted by the SA High Commission visa dept. The saddest thing about this entire conversation was that the general consensus was that they would not recommend that people travel to South Africa unless it was unavoidable.”
What have your clients experienced when applying for SA visas? Let us know by sending your reports to editor@tourismupdate.co.za.