The private sector’s tireless lobbying of South Africa’s Presidency and Department of Home Affairs has led to tangible solutions addressing the visa obstacles hindering the country’s inbound tourism.

Advocacy efforts and direct engagements with government over visa issues have been spearheaded by the country’s apex private-sector tourism body – the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) – which represents 38 industry associations, including SATSA and FEDHASA.

With ongoing lobbying by its member associations and the trade, these efforts were instrumental in pressuring government to finally introduce South Africa’s remote working visa and launch a Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS), which will significantly boost arrivals from the powerhouses of India and China.

Tripling arrivals from China

Through the TOMSA levy – a 1% charge paid by tourists for the use of signed-up travel and tourism services – the TBCSA has funded extensive research (presented to the Presidency) supporting the need for visa waivers and e-visas for key source markets.

The private sector’s clarion call has been backed by the Department of Home Affairs’ increased willingness under the leadership of new Minister Leon Schreiber. Within weeks of taking office, Schreiber fast-tracked the introduction of the new TTOS, set to be implemented from January 2025.

Initially focused on China and India, the TTOS paves the way for large tour operators to apply for 90-day visa waivers for groups travelling to South Africa.

Despite being among the world’s largest outbound markets, India and China only accounted for 3.9% and 1.8% of all international visitors to South Africa in 2023.

Speaking during the TBCSA Tourism Leadership Conference at Sun City in September, Home Affairs Western Cape Provincial Manager Yusuf Simons said operators in China expect their tourist numbers to “double or triple” as a result of the TTOS.

“We will have a dedicated desk in Home Affairs’ head office and account managers that will deal directly with tour operators with the goal of reducing turnaround times to between two and three days,” said Simons.

Working together with the Department of Tourism and the private sector, Home Affairs will soon finalise the criteria for the TTOS, he added.

“This, of course, needs to be supported by an efficient e-visa system for India and China. This is the platform the Minister is focusing on through a special adviser and a technical team so everyone is on board with digital transformation.”

TBCSA CEO Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa said research by Genesis Analytics into potential avenues for eased visa regimes has been submitted to the Presidency.

“The comprehensive report shows where we want the visa regime to be as a tourism industry, where we want technology to play a role and how we can assist in implementation. We have invested heavily in ensuring we put a proper case forward for making improvements.”

Additional focus will be placed on easing access for individual travellers from China and India and advocating for visa waivers for travellers from Eastern Europe and Mexico, Tshivhengwa added.

“For us, as the tourism industry and economic cluster, visa waivers are the ideal solution for reaching our target of attracting 15.6 million tourists to the country by 2030. But this is highly dependent on the security cluster as there are issues of state security that need to be considered.”

Pressure forces action on remote working visa

FEDHASA and SATSA have also been the strongest voices in pushing government to introduce a remote working visa, since President Cyril Ramaphosa’s 2018 promise to implement the programme.

The continuous pressure finally paid off with the finalisation of the visa, together with a points-based work visa system, by Home Affairs. On September 18, Schreiber promised to launch the two initiatives within a month after successfully addressing potential tax implications for remote workers.

Schreiber said South Africa’s annual GDP growth rate could triple by attracting 11 000 more highly skilled individuals and increasing tourist arrivals by 10% would add another 0.6% to annual GDP growth.

“Introduction of the remote working visa offers significant benefits to the visa holders and the South African economy,” said Rosemary Anderson, FEDHASA National Chairperson. “By attracting remote workers from around the world, we also attract foreign spending. This initiative also aligns with our promotion of South Africa as a premier destination for business and leisure travellers.”