South Africa has welcomed the first group of Chinese tourists to be processed through the country’s Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS) – a new digital system designed to simplify the visa application process for travellers from China and India who use approved tour operators.
The group of 15 Chinese tourists, accompanied by their tour guide, arrived at Cape Town International Airport on Saturday evening (February 22). A South African government delegation, led by Minister of Home Affairs Dr Leon Schreiber and Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille, welcomed them. To watch the video, click here.
Visas for the tour group were securely processed within six hours, Schreiber said. Hundreds of visas were issued under the scheme since its launch on February 12, he added.
Developed by the departments of Home Affairs and Tourism, the TTOS was introduced to address visa processing challenges affecting travellers from China and India. The system allows selected tour operators to submit group applications and receive visa decisions online, within three days, reducing processing times.
“This is an exciting moment. We have worked tirelessly to make this happen. I commend Minister Schreiber and the Department of Home Affairs team for the swift implementation of this new and improved visa initiative,” De Lille said.
The launch of the scheme was accompanied by outreach engagements in India and China, which included newly introduced initiatives such as the remote work visa aimed at encouraging the registration of more tour operators, she said.
Enhanced visa procedures are expected to help South Africa capture a larger share of the global tourism market. Although over 100 million tourists from China and India travel internationally each year, South Africa received about 41 000 visitors from China and 75 000 from India in 2024 – a fraction of the potential market.
“We have no doubt that the TTOS will exponentially increase arrivals, which will stimulate demand across the tourism and services sectors,” De Lille said.
