President Cyril Ramaphosa has promised a “significant overhaul” of the worker visa system – including the introduction of a remote worker visa – which will not only boost investment but help grow the tourism sector as well.
No timelines or details on implementation have been given.
This should urgently be addressed. “Timing is everything. Especially for those businesses working in the tourism and hospitality sectors,” said the City of Cape Town Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth, James Vos.
In his speech at the 5th Investment Conference held in Johannesburg on Thursday (April 12), Ramaphosa announced, amongst others:
- Decentralising the adjudication of visa applications to foreign missions and streamlining application requirements to reduce the timeframes for obtaining a work visa.
- The introduction of new visa categories for remote workers and start-ups to attract dynamic entrepreneurs and promote spending in SA’s economy.
- The expansion of the e-Visa system to include an additional 20 countries over and above the 14 that are currently eligible.
- The e-Visa system will be expanded to cover new visa categories such as study, business and intra-company transfer visas.
The City of Cape Town, FEDHASA and the Western Cape Provincial Government have been lobbying hard for changes in the visa regime, particularly e-visas and remote worker (digital nomad) visas.
“I’m really happy that this is happening. It will boost our chances to attract more visitors and skilled workers to our shores,” said Vos, noting that he and his team had incorporated these visa changes into Cape Town’s destination value proposition and marketing campaigns.
‘Reform requires follow-through’
While also welcoming the visa reform announcement, Mireille Wenger, Provincial Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities, highlighted that, ultimately, reform required follow-through, and building confidence required action.
“We need much more speed in overhauling the current visa regime.”
Wenger added: “While I do welcome that more countries will be added to the 14 who are currently eligible to apply via the e-Visa system, the fact is that this system is not working and needs to be fixed on the backend before more applications start piling up.
“In a reply to a Parliamentary Question in the National Council of Provinces, it was revealed that only 48% of e-Visa applications received have been processed, and that of all applications received, a mere 3% had been granted.”
She pointed out that “clearly there is much work to be done to ensure the visa system helps rather than hinders investment, economic growth, and job creation.”
