The extensions will help address a backlog of applications. One of the first acts of new Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber has been to give visa applicants a reprieve. Schreiber extended the temporary concession for foreigners awaiting the outcome of their visa, waiver and appeal applications. Home Affairs claims the move is aimed at addressing a backlog of applications and not prejudicing the applicants due to the expected delays. Protection for lawful contributors to SA Home Affairs considers itself a vital economic enabler, and the move may set the tone for the new administration. “[This decision] signals the minister’s commitment to improving the visa system to make South Africa a more attractive destination for international investment, tourism and job creation. [It] serves as a signal of intent to reinvigorate the Department of Home Affairs,” stated the department on 4 July. “In order to build confidence in this new approach, Schreiber further commits to avoid a repeat of the current situation that has seen the previous concession expire prior to the extension being announced,” the department added. New expiry date 31 December 2024 The new concession will only apply to foreigners who have been legally allowed entry into the country. Applicants who have submitted their applications via VFS Global and who can show a verified receipt from the VFS Global tracking system will also be accommodated. Visa holders awaiting a decision on their waiver applications have been given an extention until 31 December 2024. These visa holders will be allowed to travel unreistricted up to, and including, the expiry date. Long-term visa holders, such as business, study, relative’s and work visas will have their permits extended until 31 December. Extensions for negative outcomes Applicants appealing a negative decisions on any of the above visas will also have their paperwork extended until the end of the year. These applicants must produce a copy of the rejection letter and receipt of the appeal application to leave or re-enter South Africa. However, short term visa holders (90 days or less) must arrange to leave South Africa within 90 calendar days of their visas expiration or risk being declared undesirable.

The news: South Africa’s Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber has announced the government’s plan to digitise the department, eliminating the need for in-person visits. The government expects this online system to reduce, if not eliminate, in-person visits by transforming the current paper-based processes into an automated platform, allowing South Africans to access services like ID applications, passport renewals, and visas remotely. The system will use advanced facial and fingerprint recognition technology, similar to smartphone features like Face ID, to instantly verify applicants. Outlining how the system will work, Schreiber explained that South Africans can submit online applications for an ID, passport, certificate, or visa through a secure online portal. In turn, the platform will verify the completeness of the documents, check for fraud, conduct facial recognition, cross-reference databases, process cashless transactions, and communicate the outcome to the applicant, all within seconds. Schreiber emphasised that this digital shift would not only speed up the process but also cut down on the need for in-person visits. The department’s goal is to eliminate the frustrations of long wait times, lost paperwork, and corruption, which have plagued the department for years. Additionally, Schreiber emphasised that the new system will free up Home Affairs employees to focus on assisting vulnerable populations who need more direct support. This group includes individuals in rural communities, people without access to smart devices, and those with complex or urgent cases that cannot be handled online. The Minister, however, acknowledged the frequent system outages that the department has faced over the years as a major issue. Despite a R400 million network revamp in 2022 by the State Information Technology Agency (SITA), the system has continued to fail, most recently in January 2024. Schreiber highlighted that fixing this problem is critical to achieving the digital vision for Home Affairs and vowed to address the department’s poor internet infrastructure, which has been a source of repeated service disruptions. Notably, Schreiber`s plans extend beyond the Southern African nation`s borders as the new digital platform aims to serve South Africans worldwide, with the possibility of having IDs and passports delivered directly to their doors, mirroring how banks deliver credit and debit cards. If successful, the digital transformation could finally bring much-needed improvements to South Africa’s Home Affairs system.

The short answer
Women in customary marriages have the same rights as women in civil marriages.
The whole question
In customary marriage can a woman who still uses her maiden name be forced to change her children's surname to their father's surname?
The long answer
Thank you for your email asking if a mother in a customary marriage who still uses her maiden name can be forced to change her children’s surname to their father’s.
The Recognition of Customary Marriages Act of 1998 which became law in 2000, gives women in customary marriages the same rights as women in civil marriages. That means, amongst other things, that one parent cannot change the children’s surname without the consent of the other.
If you register your customary marriage with Home Affairs, you are given a marriage certificate and your children can be given their father’s surname. If your customary marriage is not registered with Home Affairs, you will not have a marriage certificate and the children will be registered under your maiden name. All children’s births must be registered within 30 days, so they can get a birth certificate. You don’t have to be married to register the birth, but without a marriage certificate, Home Affairs will not give the child the father’s surname.
If the father wants them to take his name, he will need to go with you to Home Affairs and ask that the children be allowed to take his surname. Again that means you must both agree. If you were in agreement, a form would have to be filled out at Home Affairs and a fee of R70 paid.
The following documents would be needed:
• The children’s birth certificates.
• A copy of the ID, birth certificate or passport of the person whose name the children are adopting.
• An affidavit giving reasons for the change of surname.
• The applicant’s contact details (residential address, email and telephone number).
If you do not agree to change the children’s surname, your husband could try to get a court order to allow him to change it

 Here are the latest adjustments to 2024 car licence renewal fees in South Africa, as the department continues with stringent reforms … The new Transport Minister is taking the department to task over 2024 car licence renewal fees. However, motorists are reminded that when it comes to how much licence renewal will cost outright, it still varies from province to province. And 2024 car licence renewal fees depend heavily on the unladen weight of your car, otherwise known as Tare. Currently, the Department of Transport is once again under fire for its appointment of French firm Idemia as a bidder to produce new smart driver’s licence cards. As The South African reported recently, the same company lost a lucrative ACSA tender to run biometric identification at local airports following BEE irregularities. 2024 CAR LICENCE RENEWAL Note that your 2024 car licence renewal fee is over and above the renewal service you use. Nevertheless, with yet more legal wrangling underway, we turn our attention back to E-Natis and 2024 car licence renewal fees. The government-funded traffic services portal now serves all provinces in the country for 2024 car licence renewal. And here’s what you can expect to pay for your annual vehicle licence renewal following the latest annual adjustments. A reminder that you have a 21-day grace period should you miss your 2024 car licence renewal window. Go beyond that and you’ll be liable for a late-licencing penalty fee. Ignore that and you will face even harsher censure. Furthermore, the penalty fee is calculated at one tenth of your annual licensing fee accrued per month. So, the longer you leave it, the more expensive it becomes. We recommend you create a profile with E-Natis to get timely updates about licence renewal. Because, the days of receiving a (MVL2) licence renewal notice in the post are long behind us. ADJUSTED RENEWAL FEES IN SOUTH AFRICA Fines accrue every month you drive without a valid vehicle licence. Image: File Most passenger cars driven on the road weigh between 750 kg (at the lightest) to 2 750 kg (for a large luxury SUV). So, for 2024 car licence renewal fees, we’re going to focus on these categories only. If you use/operate a trailer or semi-trailer there are additional fees you should research. We’ve focused on the three most populous provinces for 2024 car licence renewal fees: Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape. Interesting that the latter works out the cheapest across the board in each weight category. There are links at the end of the article to the other provinces: Tare Limit Gauteng W.Cape KZN 750 kg 1 000 kg R384,00 R336,00 R456,00 1 000 kg 1 250 kg R432,00 R408,00 R516,00 1 250 kg 1 500 kg R600,00 R558,00 R648,00 1 500 kg 1 750 kg R708,00 R624,00 R780,00 1 750 kg 2 000 kg R900,00 R708,00 R912,00 2 000 kg 2 250 kg R1 044,00 R966,00 R1 092,00 2 250 kg 2 500 kg R1 260,00 R1 128,00 R1 296,00 2 500 kg 2 750 kg R1 416,00 R1 272,00 R1 506,00 *from Car Licence Renewal Fees ARE YOU DUE TO RENEW YOUR LICENCE SOON?

Life Partner visa is issued to someone in a long term relationship.
This type of South Africa life partner visa is available to people in either heterosexual or same-sex relationships and can apply for a life partner temporary residence visa or a permanent residence depending on the length of the relationship in question.
An application for temporary residence life partner visa requires that the partners are in a proven relationship for 2 years. Foreigners who are life partners of South African citizens or permanent resident holders may apply for permanent residence if they have been together for 5 years or more in terms the Immigration Act.
To obtain permanent residence, you would have to have been living with your partner for more than 5 years. This came about with the new regulations.
The life partner visa is very similar to the spousal visa but accommodates same sex partnerships. You will have to prove financial and emotional support and may be called upon to be interviewed by the department.
SA Migration Intl will guide you through the entire process and make sure that your application is fully compliant with the immigration law to ensure a successful outcome. Once your application has been submitted we ensure you will be able to track the progress of said application either directly via VFS or via our followup processes via our application tracking system and be kept fully up to date with the progress of your application.
Once we confirm that you will qualify for the visa we will ensure you have a successful application.
If you need a life partner or spouse visa for South Africa please contact us now!
www.samigration.com"