The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) is finalising a few remaining details of the new Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS) aiming to improve visa processing for key tourism source markets China and India. It is on track for the TTOS to be operational by January 2025.

This was revealed during a recent DHA webinar for tourism organisations to discuss the draft criteria for the TTOS last week. Officials outlined progress in its implementation and admission into the scheme.

Project lead for the DHA Yusuf Simons said the TTOS will be based on the same principles of the Trusted Employer Scheme, allowing tour operators to qualify for priority processing of their visa applications due to fewer requirements and supporting documents.

He said the benefits of the scheme include reduced visa requirements and red tape and those who are accepted will be helped by a key account manager with dedicated resources at the DHA. This will be accompanied by an upgraded e-visa system that “will be a vehicle for tour operators to submit group applications for tourists online without the need to approach a South African embassy in China or India”.

According to the service level agreement, visa outcomes must be issued within two to three days.

TTOS will initially run as a pilot project for 100 days with 100 tour operators accepted into the first cohort. TTOS status will be valid for five years. The draft requirements are currently being finalised and the webinar will provide feedback on current criteria.

For tour operators in India, applicants will need proof of an office and legal registration in either India or South Africa as well as proof of business and appropriate tourism authority registration. South African operators will require a valid BBBEE certificate, proof of insurance and copies of the personal profiles and IDs of business owners. Businesses must have relevant experience in operating tours between South Africa and India, ability to speak English and interpret for guests and a cumulative 200 tours over the previous 12 months.

Those applying to operate tours between South Africa and China must be registered with the Approved Destination Status scheme, which has its own application criteria.

Concerns were raised during the webinar about criteria participants believe could exclude small and medium-sized enterprises not servicing the required numbers of tours.

Simons said this will be considered before criteria are finalised. In the meantime, this is a pilot project.

“The 200 tours requirement over the past year is not cast in stone,” he said.

India and China are the initial focus countries but the DHA said the programme could be rolled out to additional countries later on.

Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said his team has worked very hard and very quickly on reforms to help “position this department as an economic enabler”.

He emphasised that TTOS is a relationship built on mutual trust between government and tour operators, which seeks to balance reduced red tape with risk management to ensure security is not compromised.

“This is completely doable. We must avoid, as far as we can, imposing harsh barriers or barriers that are not conducive to the economic growth we are trying to achieve but, at the same time, ensuring we build that trust.”

About the timelines, he said: “I’m an impatient Minister so we’re not going to wait a year. We want this scheme to be off the ground early next year.”

During a press conference to outline the achievements of the Department of Tourism during the first 100 days of the Government of National Unity, Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille said: “With initial focus on targeting travellers from China and India, the TTOS will remove some of the key obstacles standing in the way of South Africa becoming a favoured tourism destination for the second and fifth largest economies in the world.”

The DHA said all agreements and the memorandum of understanding have been prepared – only the criteria need to be finalised. The Minister of Home Affairs will soon publish a notice in the Government Gazette inviting applications for the scheme.