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President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the digitalisation of South Africa's visa system to attract tourism and business from India and China. The reform aims to ease visa applications, reduce corruption, and boost tourism and investment opportunities, especially with Indian companies showing strong interest. South Africa has unveiled plans to revolutionize its visa processing through digitalisation, steering towards increased tourism and commercial exchanges with India and China. President Cyril Ramaphosa, during his State of the Nation Address, highlighted the introduction of an Electronic Travel Authorisation system. Ramaphosa's reform is designed to expedite visa procedures, incorporating artificial intelligence to minimize corruption and swiftly clear backlogs, demonstrating South Africa's openness for business and tourism. Indian businesses and travelers have faced cumbersome visa delays, prompting threats of diminished investment. With a looming surge in direct flight considerations, stakeholders like Ashish Sharma of 24 By 7 Travel express optimism in resolving travel challenges and bolstering South African tourism. The country's natural allure and cultural affinities with India stand to gain from these transformative changes. |
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The Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs has resolved to have an intensive interaction with the Minister of Home Affairs on the governance and operational challenges at the Government Printing Works (GPW). The committee discussed its oversight visit to the entity towards the end of 2024, where the committee observed various challenges that need urgent attention. “The GPW should be a prime entity for security printing and the challenges observed have the potential to undermine the effectiveness of the entity. From the Information and Technology challenges, inability to create a harmonious working relationship with workers, to expensive machines that have been lying idle, these challenges are a risk factor that needs immediate solution,” said Mr Mosa Chabane, the Chairperson of the committee. The committee also highlighted concerns that the entity is outsourcing work while it has internal capacity and that negatively affects the morale and effectiveness of the entity. In the context that the committee highlighted the need for the entity to expand its business across the continent, it is necessary for the committee to engage the Minister on the implementation of the Inter-Ministerial Task Team recommendations on the entity and efforts to strengthen governance and operational effectiveness. Meanwhile, the committee received remaining oral submissions on the Immigration Amendment Bill and has appreciated all the inputs it received. It is of the view that they have empowered members when deliberating on the Bill. It will also take into consideration all submissions received. The committee has also agreed on a programme for public participation on the Marriage Bill in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) from 24-26 of February. It has completed public hearings in Gauteng and KZN is the following province for the public hearings. “Public participation is the bedrock of our constitutional democracy, and it is important that the people of KZN come out in their numbers to make inputs on the Bill,” Mr Chabane emphasised. |
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Nairametrics sources confirm that the service, which previously allowed eligible applicants to renew their visas without an in-person interview, has been quietly removed from the appointment booking system. While the US Embassy in Nigeria has yet to issue an official statement on the change, applicants attempting to schedule visa renewals have reported that the drop box feature is no longer an option on the appointment booking platform. Appointment backlogs Applicants who spoke to Nairametrics stated that they have not been able to access the platform suggesting that it may have been removed. However, Nairametrics sources confirm the feature may have been removed as a slew of executive orders from Donald Trump started to impact the world. This development is coming amid a backlog of visa applications, with many applicants waiting months to secure drop box appointments before this removal. - Some even reported waiting nearly a year to get a physical appointment, adding to the frustration of an already tedious process. - This change comes at a time when many applicants had already been struggling with long wait times-some as long as a year-to secure an in-person visa appointment. - As of January, dropbox appointment slots were unavailable in Lagos, pushing many applicants to seek alternatives in Abuja. Now, with the complete removal of the drop box feature, all applicants will have to go through in-person interviews, returning to the process that was in place before 2020. What you should know The drop box (Interview Waiver) program in Nigeria was initially introduced to ease the visa renewal process by allowing certain applicants to submit their documents without attending an in-person interview at the US Embassy or Consulate. To qualify, applicants had to meet specific criteria, including: - Having a prior US visa that expired within the last 24 months. - The previous visa must have been issued in Nigeria as a full-validity, multiple-entry visa. - Applying for the same visa classification as the prior approved visa. - No record of overstaying, working without authorization, or having criminal convictions in the US. In August 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the US Department of State expanded eligibility, allowing those whose visas expired within 48 months to apply through the drop box system. This measure aimed to streamline visa renewals and reduce in-person interactions amid pandemic restrictions. However, the drop box service in Nigeria has faced previous suspensions. In 2018, during Donald Trump’s first administration, the US government removed the option, citing concerns over visa overstays by Nigerian travellers. At the time, the US mission mandated in-person interviews for all applicants, leading to longer processing times and delays in securing visa appointments. With the recent removal of the drop box feature, Nigerians applying for US visas will now revert to full in-person interviews, adding to the already extended wait times for visa appointments. This policy shift may significantly impact business travelers, students, and frequent visitors who previously relied on the drop box system for faster renewals. |
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Key topics - Smart IDs & passports to be available at more bank branches. - Home delivery option planned for ID and passport documents. - Digital transformation to combat fraud and streamline services. The seventh BizNews Conference, BNC#7, is to be held in Hermanus from March 11 to 13, 2025. The 2025 BizNews Conference is designed to provide an excellent opportunity for members of the BizNews community to interact directly with the keynote speakers, old (and new) friends from previous BNC events – and to interact with members of the BizNews team. Register for BNC#7 here. Home affairs minister Leon Schreiber says that he aims to dramatically expand his department’s partnership with South African banks this year and increase the number of branches offering smart IDs and passports. Speaking with Izak du Plessis on Nuuspod, Schreiber said that for almost a decade the partnership has been limited to around 30 bank branches around the country. “This must become hundreds if not thousands of bank branches. I want every village, town, city, and suburb in South Africa to have access to Home Affairs services in a local bank branch,” said Schreiber. “I believe this will reduce the pressure on our offices and alleviate the long queues. Not to mention greatly expanding our footprint.” Schreiber said another goal for 2025 is for documents to introduce a delivery option for documents. “It is already accepted practice that if you order a new bank card, it gets delivered to your home or office for a fee,” he said. In addition to making Home Affairs’ services more convenient to access, Schreiber said he wanted to use technology to further combat fraud and identity theft. Schreiber said any process that allows or requires human intervention opens the door for fraud. “It is only possible for someone to steal an ID number or engage in fraudulent activity like swopping out photos because the system has gaps that allow for human intervention,” he previously told the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs. “Until such time as Home Affairs has been transformed into a digital-first department, these abuses will keep happening.” “Instances like these — and potentially much worse — will keep happening for as long as Home Affairs processes are manual, paper-based, and vulnerable to human discretion,” he added. He also said that digitally transforming Home Affairs has been accompanied by cracking down on individuals perpetrating fraud in the department. Schreiber said there had been dozens of disciplinary cases and arrests in the past year, ensuring that people there are consequences for defrauding the system. The minister’s commitment to expanding Home Affairs bank branches across South Africa comes after he promised on Twitter/X to “work flat-out” in 2025 to ensure all South Africans can get smart ID cards. Residents born in South Africa have been able to apply for years, but naturalised citizens and permanent residents have been left behind and stuck with green ID books. “Home Affairs will work flat-out this year to ensure that all South Africans are able to obtain Smart IDs as part of our vision to deliver Home Affairs @ Home,” Schreiber said in a post on X. The Home Affairs @ Home plan aims to expand the department’s partnerships with banks, introduce home deliveries, make smart IDs available to all citizens, and launch new online channels. The emphasis on making smart ID cards available to all citizens suggests that the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) will allow naturalised citizens and permanent residents to apply for the document. The DHA has allowed naturalised residents to apply for the document in the past. However, they must first secure an invitation to apply from the DHA’s director-general. In August 2024, Schreiber said support for smart ID cards was gradually being implemented for naturalised citizens. At the time, 280 cards had been issued, and another 697 were in progress. “Once the system has been adjusted to verify compliant applications, all naturalised citizens will be able to visit any Home Affairs office equipped with live-capture facilities to apply for their smart ID cards,” he added. However, permanent residents in South Africa have never been allowed to apply for smart ID cards, and the challenges these residents and naturalised citizens face are a severe problem surrounding the DHA’s plans to phase out green ID books. Schreiber and other Home Affairs officials have encouraged South Africans to upgrade to the smart ID card, warning that the old green ID book puts people at greater risk of having their identities stolen. Smile ID’s 2024 Digital Identity Fraud report showed that the South African green ID book was the most targeted on the continent in fraudulently attempting to gain access to various services. This includes using stolen identities to open bank accounts and apply for welfare. Smile ID said national IDs were regularly targeted because they were the most common form of government identification and mandatory for most adults. |
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E-hailing services in Tshwane came out victorious after the Pretoria high court granted an urgent interdict prohibiting the Tshwane metro police from impounding vehicles due to outstanding operating permits. Afrikaans e-hailing service Wanatu mobilised seven co-applicants including other e-hailing operators such as Uber, Bolt and inDrive to take on the metro police in court. The e-hailing services argued their services and income were at a standstill while the City of Tshwane dealt with a backlog in issuing operating permits. The city cannot punish drivers for a backlog they did not cause. Judith van der Walt, Wanatu CEO The impound led to the newly established Wanatu, launched in October and operating in Pretoria and Centurion, suspending its services from February 5. Wanatu proved to the court it was “impossible” to obtain permits as the department of roads and transport halted the acceptance and processing of permit applications, CEO Judith van der Walt said. “This is a victory for every e-hailing driver in Tshwane. The city cannot punish drivers for a backlog they did not cause. I am relieved and overwhelmed that Wanatu is back on the road,” she said. “Wanatu is committed to complying with all regulations. This is why we are fighting for Wanatu and the rights of the e-hailing drivers who stood with us.” The Tshwane West E-hailing Association, which joined the legal action, said members would resume operating immediately. Its president Wandisile Rala told TimesLIVE they were pleased to get back on the road to earn an income for their families. “I am happy we won the case and we did this, working together, as we had a common enemy. We are about to meet all the members and after that we are opening our apps and will continue operating immediately,” he said. Wanatu will now proceed with a full court application to compel the Gauteng department of roads and transport to process the outstanding permit applications. |
