SAACI Response on the Announcement by the Cabinet Inter-Ministerial Committee on the Immigration Reg

The South African Association for the Conference Industry has noted the changes to the regulations governing the application process for South African visas for children and foreign visitors. We welcome the fact that the changes have been agreed to, and we particularly congratulate Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom on his achievements and engagements with regard to the overturning of some of the measures.

Minister Hanekom has consistently been a supporter of easing the regulations, with the aim of preventing dramatic and long-term damage to the local tourism industry. The lifting of some of the measures will ultimately help to restore inbound tourism levels to what they were before the regulations were implemented; following their passing into law, visitor numbers dropped to their lowest since the 2008/2009 global financial crisis.

SAACI members discussed the visa regulations at length at the 2015 edition of our annual congress, and it was made clear that the entry requirements would inhibit growth and lead to reduced revenue from international visitors, be they travellers, medical tourists or international business delegates.

While SAACI fully supports efforts to combat child trafficking within and through South Africa, we have always believed that these efforts do not have to be diminished by putting in place more tourist-friendly visa laws. We applaud the Inter-Ministerial Committee for re-evaluating the regulations objectively and constructively, and reaching the conclusion that a more practical solution must be found.

The measures agreed to include (in broad terms):

• Under certain circumstances, applicants for a South African visa will not have to make their applications in person;
• Those individuals will still have their biometric data recorded at certain ports of entry;
• Certain nations, such as India, China and Russia, will have their own visa application regulations, in order to ease the process for these critical markets;
• South African children will still be required to carry an affidavit from their parents allowing them to travel, but it will now be possible to have parental details printed in child passports, reducing the need for these affidavits;
• In-bound child travellers will only be required to submit birth certificates during the visa application process, instead of keeping the documentation with the child throughout the trip.

We look forward to seeing these findings and decisions implemented, allowing for a more free flow of tourists and international business into South Africa. We recognise that these measures will take time to roll out fully, but we at SAACI believe that the agreement to change the requirements is certainly a positive step.