In an effort to facilitate business travel between South Africa and Nigeria, South Africa has introduced a five-year multiple entry visa for business travellers.
According to Business Day, this announcement was made by Bobby Moroe, the Consul-General of South Africa to Nigeria, during the Nigeria-South Africa Chamber of Commerce July Breakfast Meeting 2024, sponsored by South African Airways.
Moroe described the new visa policy as a ‘special provision’ for business travellers, stating, “We now have a five-year multiple entry visa for business people. This includes tourist visas. Our turnaround period has been cut short. We are now also able to invite you for a briefing if you will be travelling to South Africa in groups.”
To further simplify the visa process, Moroe explained that group appointments with VFS can be set up, making it easier for Nigerian business groups to obtain visas. This initiative is part of the consulate’s ongoing mandate to address and respond to visa-related challenges raised by stakeholders.
Since the immigration forum held last year, the consulate has been working on mechanisms to streamline the visa application process for Nigerians.
Moroe highlighted that the turnaround time for visa processing has been significantly reduced to a maximum of seven to eight days. He also noted that applicants now have the flexibility to submit certified copies of their data pages if they need to travel while their visa application is being processed.
Moroe assured that the consulate can assist with transit arrangements for travellers heading to Zimbabwe and Namibia via South Africa. He added that South African nationals do not require visas for certain regions, similar to how West African nationals can use their ECOWAS passports for stays not exceeding 90 days.
Regarding trade relations between Nigeria and South Africa, Moroe pointed out that the trade volume is in favour of Nigeria. According to 2022 statistics, Nigeria’s trade volume with South Africa stood at $72.1 billion, primarily due to exports of rubber, petroleum, and crude oil, compared to South Africa’s $447 million.
He emphasized the high consumption of apples and pears in Nigeria, accounting for $43.2 million of the trade volume.
Moroe encouraged increased participation of Nigerian companies in the South African market to further balance trade relations.
Kemi Leke-Bamtefa, Country Manager of South African Airways, also spoke at the event, announcing plans to increase the airline’s flight frequency from Lagos from three weekly flights to five weekly flights, effective late October 2024.
She also mentioned the launch of two new destinations: Perth in Australia and São Paulo in Brazil, reinforcing SAA’s commitment to connecting travellers to various destinations in Southern Africa.
