New visa centres – too little, too late?

Although the new immigration regulations will not be amended, the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has announced it will increase the number of visa centres throughout China and India to minimise any negative impact on tourism.  

Mayihlome Tshwete, spokesperson for the DHA, told Tourism Update the department will be working in close cooperation with the Department of Tourism to identify where additional visa centres would be beneficial. He also warned however that it is unlikely all the visa centres will be up and running by October, when the new immigration regulations will be implemented. “The introduction of new visa centres in China and India will happen gradually,” he said.

Although the DHA’s initiative is a step in the right direction, tourism industry players warn that it might be too little, too late. Cullinan Holdings CEO, Michael Tollman, told Tourism Update a lot of the damage has been done already.  To reverse or at least limit the damage, the DHA needs to issue a clear-cut statement outlining when and how the biometric requirements will be practically implemented. 

Tollman warns it would be a disaster if the Ministry’s forges ahead with the biometric requirements before having additional visa centres in place. He explains the DHA should not implement the biometric requirements until they can do so in a systematic fashion comparable to how it is implemented in the US. He advises that if the DHA wants to limit the impact on tourism from China, at least 10 to 12 biometric centres will be needed throughout the country.

According to Tshwete, R5m will also be also be invested in the installation of biometric systems at all South Africa’s international points of entry to eventually eliminate the need for transit visas. 

Tshwete further explained that minors travelling to South Africa would not necessarily need an unabridged birth certificate, but a document of that country written in the language of that country that is an equivalent of the South African unabridged birth certificate. He added that this document would need to be verified in the country of departure.