In a bid to boost tourism in the country, the South African government on Thursday announced visa waivers for four countries, reported Times Live.
Home Affairs Minister Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi said visitors from New Zealand, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates will no longer require a visa to visit for holiday, conferencing and business purposes with immediate effect.
The move follows the release of the official tourism sector report in May, which reflected a decline in the overall number of visitors to South Africa from Europe and the Middle East in the first financial quarter of the year, which is normally one of the most popular times to visit. As per the report, the number of foreign travelers to the country decreased by more than 10 percent between April and May 2019 alone.
Motsoaledi said the South African government is also in discussion with Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and New Zealand about relaxing entry requirements for its citizens.
“We took this decision unilaterally but we are engaging these countries to see how they can relax entry requirements for our citizens,” Motsoaledi explained.
He said the move is likely to boost the country’s tourism sector, growing the economy and creating jobs. He revealed that Qatar has already waived the visa requirement for South Africans.
“I am glad to say that Qatar has already waived visa requirements for South Africans and this will enable our people to attend the Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022 easier,” Motsoaledi.
Notably, the SA government is also in talks to extend the visa waiver to Ghana, Cuba and Principe and Sao Tome. The country has already waived the visa requirement for 82 of the 193 countries of the United Nations, including all members of the South African Development Community (SADC) aside from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
