The Department of Home Affairs has announced a new partnership with the South African Revenue Service (SARS) and others that will greatly expand access to Smart ID and passport applications.
The partnership is specifically focused on the department’s digitalisation efforts and will help the DHA:
• Integrate with banking platforms to expand access to Smart ID and passport services to hundreds of bank branches as well as to banking apps;
• Create an option to select secure courier delivery of documents that eliminates the requirement to collect documents only at Home Affairs offices;
• Introduce Smart IDs for naturalised citizens and permanent residents.

Alongside SARS, the partnership includes the Border Management Authority (BMA) and Government Printing Works (GPW).
This will also enable the DHA and agencies to leverage SARS’ technology to improve immigration services.
This will see the launch of an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system to digitalise and automate immigration procedures to eliminate inefficiency and fraud.

It will also improve the Movement Control System (MCS) at all ports of entry to the country.
“The agreement marks a new era that will fundamentally reform and improve the way that government works in the Republic of South Africa,” which aims to deepen collaboration on digital platforms to enhance services and improve data sharing, said the DHA.
Signing of Multiparty Collaboration Agreement – Left to right: BMA Commissioner Dr Masiapato, SARS Commissioner Mr Edward Kieswetter, CEO of GPW Ms Alinah Fosi, DHA Director-General Mr Livhuwani Tommy Makhode. Photo: Supplied

Livhuwani Makhode, DHA Director-General said that this “exceptional and reliable relationship with SARS, which has been in existence since 2010, represents a right step in dealing with myriad challenges faced by Home Affairs”.
Home Affairs Minister Dr Schreiber said that “it is difficult to overstate the significance of what we have jointly achieved with today’s adoption of this historic agreement.”

“SARS is a world-class institution that must never be taken for granted, and I want to thank the Commissioner and his team for their visionary commitment to breaking down silos in the interests of South Africa”.
“Equally, I applaud the diligent and unwavering commitment of the Home Affairs, BMA and GPW teams in embracing the power of digital transformation,” added the minister.
Schreiber highlighted the mutual benefits of digital transformation, including enhanced fraud prevention, improved revenue collection, and streamlined immigration.

The second agreement was a multi-party memorandum of understanding involving the DHA, SARS, BMA, and GPW.
They said that this signifies a crucial step in creating a governance framework to enable, strengthen, and oversee the evolving strategic partnership between these signatories.
It was noted that SARS and the BMA have already been working towards greater alignment and closer collaboration, and this agreement will strategically and operationally integrate them further.

BMA Commissioner Dr Masiapato commended the existing collaboration between SARS and BMA, stating that “the multiparty agreement signed today will enhance the relationship that has already been in place with SARS”.
SARS commissioner Edward Kieswetter said, “The agreements concluded today prove the success of a whole-of-government approach to tackling modern and sophisticated challenges that the government faces.”

“The opportunity to have a common platform dealing with a unique digital identity for individuals and entities will help the government to ensure that there is only one identity through which the individual interacts with government.”
“This unified platform will surely prevent double-dipping, such as when an individual receives a grant while they are in government employ. It will also build smart modern organisation that makes the movement of people seamlessly,” he added.

GPW CEO Alinah Fosi emphasised the agency’s role in digital verification, ensuring secure, high-quality digital IDs for seamless e-government access and hassle-free travel.
Work to implement these improvements is reportedly underway, with the Department of Home Affairs planning to announce their activation on an ongoing basis over the next twelve months and beyond.

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The department of home affairs says it has carried out the highest number of deportations of illegal immigrants in five years.
In the financial year ended March 31, 46,898 people were deported — an increase of 18% compared to the previous year. Deportations for the preceding years were:
• 2020/21: 14,859;
• 2021/22: 20,093;
• 2022/23: 22,560; and
• 2023/24: 39,672.

Minister Leon Schreiber said the effectiveness of enforcement operations flows from improved collaboration between the department, the Border Management Authority, police and local law enforcement.
“It further reflects the impact of joint initiatives like Operation Vala Umgodi,” he said. Translated as “plug the hole”, this is a government policy to curb illegal mining.

The deportations over the past year exceed the number of deportations conducted by France (22,000) and Germany (20,000) combined over the same period, the department said.
“The fact that home affairs now performs more than double the number of deportations conducted in a country like France, which has the highest rate of deportations in the EU, sends a clear message to offenders that the days of impunity are over,” Schreiber said.
“This improved performance, coupled with our digital transformation reforms that will automate entry-and-exit to prevent people from entering the country illegally through our ports of entry, is contributing to enhanced national security and trade facilitation.”

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Foreign investors and entrepreneurs face overprotective red tape and imbalanced arbitrary immigration policies
As the world has watched US President Donald Trump’s “America First” administration in action, from trade tariffs to the termination of 90% of USAID foreign aid contracts, an introspective assessment of state-determined priorities surrounding what constitutes the “national interest” has been reignited.

Due to its intrinsic mutating nature, a clear definition of what constitutes the national interest has always been uncertain and elusive. From an international relations perspective, Trump’s agenda reflects a razor-sharp application of the so-called “realist school” (also known as realpolitik), whereby national interest in the implementation of a state’s foreign policy “is designed to influence the behaviour of other states for its own benefit, and it can exercise this influence through co-operation, coercion or conflict”.

Immigration policies follow similar self-interest patterns in protecting and promoting the national interest from both a domestic and foreign policy perspective, and are mostly driven by economic and demographic factors. The preservation of citizens’ jobs, boosting employment and stimulating the economy are often key factors that determine immigration policies, and SA’s stringent immigration regime reflects these protective traits. In light of this multilayered nature, co-operation and alignment between different governmental departments are key to an unambiguous application and pursuit of the national interest.

SA’s struggle with high unemployment, one of the highest globally at 33% at the end of 2024, has been a constant reminder of a stagnant economy since 2007. A recent World Bank Group report concluded that “over the past decade, SA has struggled to expand its economy, growing by only 0.7% per year” and “targeted policy actions — fostering competitive markets and strengthening institutions — can spur recovery and lay the foundation for sustainable growth and shared prosperity in SA”.

Unsurprisingly, in early 2025 the IMF ranked SA as the most difficult place to do business in the world, putting us last among the 49 countries measured. Nonetheless, from an immigration perspective, for decades SA has attracted the interest of foreign investors and entrepreneurs from all over the world who share the vision of a young and dynamic country with great opportunities.

Big multinational corporations and BEE discouragement aside, individual private investments into SMEs in SA have been fuelling the economy behind the scenes. According to the Banking Association SA, SMEs make up 91% of formalised businesses, provide employment to about 60% of the labour force and account for about 34% of GDP. Looking at foreign investment and catalysts to economic growth, it most certainly is not all about size.

Desirable and undesirable businesses
However, over the past few years foreign individual investors and entrepreneurs who are willing to, or have already, personally invested in SA are faced with overprotective red tape and subject to imbalanced arbitrary immigration policies surrounding the evasive definition of “national interest”, beyond the application of the legislative scheme and objectives of the SA Immigration Act.

In terms of the act, business visa applicants require committing to a minimum foreign direct investment into an SA business of no less than R5m, and the investment must relate to a business that is deemed to be ” feasible”, in the SA “national interest” and will employ South Africans to account for no less than 60% of its permanent staff component.
The department of trade, industry & competition is mandated to assess the investment and the business, and to issue — where applicable — a letter of recommendation towards the visa or permanent residence application. Published in the Government Gazette is a list of businesses that are deemed to be undesirable, which cannot support a business visa or permanent residence application.

In the same gazette can be found the list of business sectors that qualify for a financial or capital contribution reduction. In brief, these are the highly desirable business investments, which, for immigration purposes, are to be promoted regardless of the R5m investment and automatically deemed to be promoting the national interest. Among these highly desirable sectors are agro-processing, renewable energy and infrastructure development.

While this may seem straightforward and reasonable on paper, the reality is that the process has for more than a decade been blatantly hijacked by a disconnect of policy guidelines. The department of trade, industry & competition’s mandate for these purposes remains void of essential guidelines and definitions to function outside its own mission statement and the provisions of the Immigration Act and its regulations.

This is particularly so regarding the standard to be applied towards the “national interest” evaluation. Interdepartmental collaboration between international relations & co-operation, home affairs and trade, industry & competition is all too often overlooked, causing a practical implementation deficit on the ground.

Arbitrary policies and procedural misdirection
Once an investment of R5m has been established and the business determined not to be undesirable, and all legal and employment undertakings met, what other interest is to be assessed and what constitutes “national interest” still remains a vague and arbitrary exercise.
The Immigration Act is unequivocal in relation to its empowering provisions. The home affairs minister is responsible for the revision and publication of undesirable businesses, and the identification of highly desirable businesses that are in the national interest, irrespective of the value of the investment. The department’s director-general is responsible for approving a reduction in, or waiving entirely, the financial or capital contribution, where the business investment falls within the list of desirable businesses.

Applications for business visas and for permanent residence in terms of the act are addressed to the director-general for adjudication, and where the trade, industry & competition department recommendation stands with a lesser investment, it should be within the scope of those applications that the director-general has the direct authority “to reduce or waive” the investment by granting the visa or permit.

Yet applications submitted to the department towards the recommendation of reduced investments in these highly desirable sectors, when approved, instruct the applicant to apply for a ministerial waiver for the financial reduction — in contradiction to the provisions of the act, injecting a misguided, capricious step in what should be a two-step process.
This stance is not merely the result of an oversight, but has been adopted on the advice of the legal services team with the departments of trade, industry & competition and home affairs. In 2022, the government said it was “working to effect changes in terms of the Immigration Act and its regulations ... however, this is a long-term process”.
To date, progress on these issues has ground to a halt, mirroring SA’s economic growth, blocking much-needed foreign investment.

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Industry experts have welcomed the Department of Home Affairs’ extension of the reprieve offered to foreigners in South Africa and praised the department for eradicating 94% of the 300,000 visa backlog.

However, this comes with the warning that the expedited process may have inadvertently led to higher rejection rates and appeals—creating a detrimental feedback loop.
The Minister of Home Affairs, Leon Schreiber, recently announced a timely reprieve for foreign nationals with pending visa, waiver and appeal applications.
The extension will allow foreigners to travel and remain in the country under specific conditions.

The extension was set to expire today, 31 March 2025, but has now been extended to 30 September 2025
This will allow these foreigners to remain in South Africa to travel and remain in the country under specific conditions.

Schreiber said that many of the applications’ outcomes will not be ready for collection before the deadline of 31 March 2025, mainly due to delays in the printing process.
However, the processing of appeal applications will also not be completed by the expiry of the current concession, and this is now where the department is focusing its efforts.

Jaco Brits, head of immigration at Xpatweb, welcomed the minister’s extension.
The minister has already extended the concession on two separate occasions due to the challenges in processing applications at the department.

The key condition of the extended concessions is that applicants who are waiting for the outcome of their applications can remain in South Africa.
The affected parties are also allowed to depart and re-enter South Africa up to and including 30 September under specific conditions without being declared as an undesirable person.
However, Brits stressed that applicants from non-visa-exempt countries who travel out of the country with a VFS application receipt must apply for a Visitor’s Visa, allowing them to re-enter the country.

A welcome boost
The concession extension will protect valid visa holders regarding their lawful stay in South Africa, allowing them to continue their activities per their current visa conditions.
Brits commended the Department of Home Affairs for eradicating nearly 94% of the visa backlog in the last half a year.

However, expediting the process may have created more challenges with a rise in the rejection of applications and, consequently, appeals.
Xpatweb said the Minister’s commitment to focus on processing the resultant appeals is a positive development.

The concession for foreigners was first introduced in September 2022 by former Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi due to a serious backlog in the visa application process.
At one point, the visa backlog stood at 300,000, dating back to a decade.
However, it should be noted that the temporary measures announced will not apply to permanent residence applicants.

Permanent residence permit applicants must ensure that their temporary resident status in South Africa is kept valid at all times while they wait for their outcome.
“Under Minister Schreiber’s leadership, the DHA continues to reach important milestones and has introduced several encouraging reforms to the visa regime,” said Xpatweb.

“He has been consistent about his vision for efficient service delivery by embracing modern technological solutions and improving access to the department’s services.”

The visa consulting service added that the minister has, on several occasions, committed to positioning the DHA as a powerful engine for economic growth.
This includes highlighting the importance of highly skilled foreign professionals and how they can contribute to the South African economy.

Outside of professional visas, Schreiber has also attempted to expand tourist numbers via the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS), which should increase tourist numbers from China and India.
The new system will cut red tape and hold the TTOS participants liable for the misrepresentation or transgressions committed by their clients

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UK - In a shake-up of long-standing travel rules, European nationals heading to the UK will from Wednesday need a mandatory entry permit, which the British government says will strengthen border security.

The Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) can be bought online in the next few days for £10 (12 euros), but the price is rising swiftly from April 9 to £16.
It is similar to the ESTA system in operation in the United States and will be mandatory for all European visitors to Britain from April 2, following its roll-out for US, Canadian and other visa-exempt nationals in January.

"By digitising the immigration system we are paving the way for a contactless UK border," Migration Minister Seema Malhotra said earlier this month when the website was opened for the first applications.

"Expanding ETA worldwide cements our commitment to enhance security through technology and innovation."

The permit allows visits of up to six months and is valid for two years. It is required for all travellers including minors and babies.
The application, which can be made on a smartphone app or through the government website, has been open to Europeans since the start of March.
From Wednesday, nationals of some 30 European countries - including all those in the European Union except Ireland - will need to carry the electronic permit to enter Britain, which left the EU in 2020.

The applicant will need to provide a photo of their passport and their face. The process takes around 10 minutes, according to the Home Office.
In most cases, an application decision is made within minutes. However, the government recommends allowing up to three working days for the application.

If successful, the ETA is digitally linked to the applicant's passport.
Flight passengers transiting airside without crossing the UK border are exempt from the scheme, after pressure from Heathrow which feared a loss of passenger footfall connecting through Europe's busiest airport.

Only Heathrow and Manchester airports have provisions for airside transit in the UK.
Almost 84 million passengers passed through Heathrow in 2024 - a third from the neighbouring EU.
- Scheme expanded -
The scheme was first launched in 2023 for Qatar, before being extended to five regional Gulf neighbours.

In January, it was expanded to nationals of around another 50 countries and territories, including Argentina, South Korea and New Zealand.
Almost 1.1 million visitors were issued with ETAs before the end of 2024, according to the Home Office.

It is not applicable to UK residents or anyone who already has a UK immigration status.
ETA mirrors the ETIAS scheme for visa-exempt nationals travelling to 30 European countries, including France and Germany, which has been delayed until 2026.

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