South Africa to ease visa rules to attract Indian tourists
South Africa anticipates an increase in tourism and business from India and China following the digitalisation of its visa process. “As part of our reform agenda, we will continue to enhance our visa system to make it easier for skilled people to invest in our country and grow tourism in South Africa,” said Predident Cyril Ramaphosa.
Indian companies and diplomats have applauded South Africa’s visa tourists after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced an overhaul of the country’s visa system. In his State of the Nation Address at the Cape Town City Hall recently, Ramaphosa revealed that South Africa anticipated an increase in tourism and business from India and China following the digitalisation of its visa process. “As part of our reform agenda, we will continue to enhance our visa system to make it easier for skilled people to invest in our country and grow tourism in South Africa,” Ramaphosa stated.
“This year, we will launch an Electronic Travel Authorisation system to enable a secure, fully digital visa application process. This system will use artificial intelligence and automation to reduce corruption and enable faster processing times for tourist visas,” he continued.
“We have cleared over 90 per cent of the backlog of more than 300,000 visa applications,” Ramaphosa added. The president further emphasised that these changes would “send a strong message that South Africa is open for business and tourism”.
Indian companies have long voiced frustrations over delays in visa processing, with some even considering redirecting investments to other African countries. “There have been challenges in both visas and direct flights. We have seen that the governments of India and South Africa have been working diligently to resolve these issues and create easier opportunities for our people to engage conveniently,” Mahesh Kumar, India’s Consul General in Johannesburg told Reuters.
“This is very encouraging and will substantially help bring our two societies closer, facilitating more collaboration in business and tourism,” Kumar added.
Ashish Sharma, CEO of 24, a company specialising in travel between India and South Africa, said the visa reform would not only boost tourist numbers but also prompt airlines to consider introducing direct flights to South Africa in the near future.
“This new visa regime will significantly increase travel from a major market like India. South Africa has much to offer Indian tourists, from its climate and natural beauty to shared culture and heritage. Unfortunately, in the past, Indians were unable to visit the country to their full potential due to delays and complex visa procedures and the lack of direct flights,” Sharma remarked.
“I am pleased that the first issue will soon be resolved, and I’m confident the second one will follow. We are receiving positive feedback from both the government and aviation sector about the possibility of direct flights between India and South Africa,” Sharma continued.
Sharma also mentioned that major Indian airlines would be receiving new aircraft in 2026, giving him confidence that direct flights between the two countries would become a reality.
Gourish Chakravorthy, President of the Bengali Association of South Africa and CEO of Ion Exchange Safic, a joint venture between India and South Africa, welcomed the digitalisation of the visa process, stating that it would streamline the issuance of visas.
“This digitalisation of South Africa’s visa system is very welcome as it will not only speed up visa issuance but also reduce errors in the scrutiny of applications and ensure that genuine visas are issued,” Chakravorthy said.
“This will help deserving individuals receive their visas on time, contributing to the economy and making it easier for people to visit this beautiful country, which will ultimately increase tourism revenue,” he concluded.
Originally Published by CNBCTV18
