Chinese govt favours SA for travel groups - thanks to Covid-19 tests not being enforced

News 24 – 26 January 2023

SA's tourism market can benefit from the pent-up demand created among Chinese tourists during their years of lockdown.

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• China reopened its borders earlier in January after years of strict lockdowns during the pandemic.
• SA, which did not impose mandatory Covid-19 testing for Chinese tourists, is on a list of countries approved by the Chinese government for group travel from China.
• Countries like the US, UK, India, Japan, and France, which decided to impose mandatory Covid-19 testing for Chinese travellers, are noticeably absent from the group travel list.

South Africa's decision to not impose Covid-19 tests on Chinese tourists is one of the key reasons why it is one of the first countries to which the Chinese government has approved group travel.

China reopened its borders earlier in January after years of strict lockdowns during the pandemic. Individual travellers with the necessary permission could start travelling outside the country again.

Last week, the Chinese government released a list of 20 countries to which it will allow group travel as of 6 February. Group travel is only permitted via travel agencies accredited by the Chinese government.

South Africa is on this list, which, apart from eight Asian countries, includes Russia, the UAE, Switzerland, Egypt, and Kenya.

Countries like the US, UK, India, Japan, and France, which decided to impose mandatory Covid-19 testing for Chinese travellers, are not on the list. The Chinese government has criticised mandatory Covid-19 testing, claiming such measures lack a scientific basis.

Last week, the Chinese embassy in SA tweeted, "glad to hear that #SouthAfrica will be one of the first countries to receive Chinese tourists organised by Chinese travel agencies and online travel companies starting from 6 February 2023".

Charles Wang, product and marketing manager of Walk Through Africa Tours, based in Johannesburg, says not imposing mandatory Covid-19 testing will help to bring more Chinese tourists to SA.

For example, when South Korea announced stringent rules regarding Covid-19 control of Chinese tourists, there was a noticeable decline in numbers.

Stats from online travel agency platforms in China has shown a five times increase in searches on SA and that the popularity of SA has increased by 330%, according to Wang.

"It is more than exciting to know that China has selected SA among the first countries where agency-organised traveling will be allowed again. We feel it is an unparalleled opportunity for the SA tourism industry," says Wang.

"Ease of travel is important. In addition, [SA being on the list of 20] is mutual recognition of efforts being put into coping with Covid-19 by both countries."

China had the world's largest outbound tourism market before the pandemic. In 2019, outbound Chinese tourists peaked at nearly 155 million. According to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), Chinese visitors worldwide contributed US$ 253 billion to the global economy in 2019. South Africa only attracted just more than 93 000 Chinese travellers in 2019.

"It is important to understand that the tourism industry serves not only a financial benefit but also brings opportunities from trade and commerce. It is utterly important in understanding the growth-driven mechanism of tourism in building, facilitating, and boosting the trade activities between the two countries," says Wang.

Johan Groenewald, managing director of Royal African Discoveries, which specialises in bringing tourists from Asia to SA, says not requiring negative Covid-19 tests from Chinese tourists will likely contribute to SA being chosen as a travel destination. At the same time, SA should not expect a sudden influx of "hordes of Chinese tourists," in his view. 

"There are no direct flights to SA from China. Singapore Airlines is the only Asian airline flying into SA currently. Middle Eastern airlines plan to start flying to China again, which will be an indirect route for Chinese travellers to use to SA. Tickets to SA as long haul destination are expensive on top of that," explains Groenewald.

Nevertheless, SA's tourism market can benefit from the pent-up demand created among Chinese tourists during their years of lockdown. 

During the pandemic, because no Chinese tourists were coming to SA due to their lockdown, some travel agencies focusing on the Chinese market had to close their doors. Many Chinese tourists do not speak English and use Mandarin-speaking tour guides. Many of these tour guides have either returned to China or found alternative work during the pandemic. The infrastructure able to cater to Chinese tourists in SA, therefore, needs to be re-established, according to Groenewald.

An SA travel agent who deals with the Chinese market but wants to remain anonymous explains that travel from China is highly regulated, especially for the average citizen. That is why the Chinese government favours packaged tour groups travelling together and under the guidance of endorsed travel agencies.

In his view, SA is one of the first countries to which the Chinese government has approved group travel to restart because SA did not impose mandatory Covid-19 testing or other travel restrictions for Chinese tourists.

Minister of Tourism Lindiwe Sisulu told News24 that China and the rest of Asia are tourism target markets for SA.

"We are working very hard to attract tourists from that part of the world. However, we will follow all advice from our Departments of Health and Home Affairs regarding protocols to follow when tourists enter SA. Our country is open for business and tourists," said Sisulu.

SA's Department of Health announced earlier that because the dominant Covid-19 variant of concern in China and the world remains Omicron, and it believes immunity in SA from vaccination and natural immunity is still strong, it puts SA at less risk. The department has not seen any changes in rates of Covid-19 infection, hospital admission, and deaths.

"We have consulted the Ministerial Advisory Committees (MACs) and World Health Organisation (WHO), and in both cases, the advice has been that there is no need to impose travel restrictions on any country, including China," the department stated.

www.samigration.com

Court grants mother right to keep children in SA away from nomadic father in US

Pretoria News – 25 January 2023

Pretoria - A father of three who lives in Texas in the United States – said to have subjected his children to a nomadic life and who is so controlling that he even watches his children’s weight – lost his legal bid in a South African court to have his children returned to him.

The father launched proceedings in the Johannesburg High Court in terms of The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction Act, to have his children returned.

The purpose of the Convention is to protect children from the harmful effects of their wrongful removal from the country of their habitual residence to another country, or their wrongful retention in another country.

The Convention does so by establishing a procedure to secure the prompt return of any such child to the country of their habitual residence so that custody and similar issues in respect of them can be adjudicated upon by the courts of that country. The Convention is primarily aimed at deterring self-help, and provides for the return of children in such circumstances.

But Judge Fiona Dippenaar ruled that the evidence before the court proved that the children – aged7, 9 and 11 – will be placed in an intolerable situation if they are returned to the US.

The mother, a South African citizen, obtained permission from her husband to visit her parents here in July last year. While in South Africa, she instituted divorce proceedings against her “abusive” husband and decided not to return to the US. She has since stayed in Gauteng with the children on the same premises as her parents.

After the couple got married they mostly lived in Texas, and all three children were born in the US. The father, a US citizen, was born in Mexico. During 2018 the husband lost his job, the family condominium in Austin was sold, and the family moved to Chihuahua, Mexico, in July 2019. When he lost his job, they moved between Mexico and the US.

While the father painted a picture of a stable home for the children in the US, which he said was far more promising than life in South Africa, the mother painted a picture of a family without roots and who had lived a nomadic existence when the father lost his job.

The mother, an occupational therapist, did not work as her husband had forbidden her to do so. He also refused that the children attend school; they were homeschooled.

The mother and children had to accompany the father wherever he obtained work and had to illegally cross the Mexican border each time as neither the mother nor children had valid passports or visas to live in Mexico.

The mother said the father was a manipulative, domineering and controlling person who abused her – both physically and emotionally, and excessively controlled and dominated the children. She also referred to the “military style exercises” he forced the children to do, his obsessions with hoarding, religion and his male dominance in the family.

She and the children lived in fear of him, she said, as he insisted on controlling their lives and making choices about the children’s hairstyles and clothing, and was obsessive about none of them gaining weight.

Coupled with their nomadic lifestyle, she said the children are better off in South Africa with her. The children also voiced their desire to rather live in South Africa, where they are free to socialise and to go to school.

The judge said the father lacked appreciation for the impact life in the US had on the children and the risks of forcing them to travel wherever he finds work, even if it meant crossing borders “in a clandestine manner”.

He presented a glowing picture of life in Texas filled with opportunities while contrasting it to life in South Africa which “provides a far less certain future”. But the judge said his picture was painted in broad and abstract terms, and disregards the realities of the family’s life experiences and “the erosion of constitutional rights taking place in the US, and specifically Texas; rights protected under the South African Constitution.”

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SA-born child leaves for Croatia with father after court rules against estranged wife

Pretoria News – 25 January 2023

Pretoria - A South African-born child aged 13 will next week start school in Croatia after her father won a legal battle against his estranged wife to take his daughter with him while he assists Ukrainian refugees in that country.

The child’s mother was shortly before Christmas ordered by the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg to allow the child to live with her father abroad.

Judge Shanaaz Mia ordered the mother to sign all the necessary documents relating to her daughter’s relocation. If the mother refused to sign the documents, the sheriff of the court was entitled to do so on her behalf, the order read.

Not only did the mother lose her battle for her child to remain here, but she was also instructed by the court to foot her husband’s legal bill.

Judge Mia made it clear that the interest of a child will always prevail. In this case the child made it clear she wanted to go to Croatia with her father, with whom she had a better relationship.

The judge said the court heard “the voice of the child” in this matter, as the daughter was old enough to express her wishes.

The couple met while the father worked on humanitarian and relief projects in the southern African region. The parties got married and the child was born during the marriage.

The mother stated in her opposing affidavit that her relationship with the child was strained. She noted, however, that there were efforts to improve this relationship.

According to her, the father simply wanted to take the child away in a bid to hurt her (the mother).

The father said he was due to start his new job assisting Ukrainian refugees in Croatia and he wished to return to that country, where his family resides and where his support system is based in the form of family and friends.

Having secured employment and accommodation, he was ready to depart, but the mother refused to give her consent.

Judge Mia said the Constitution was clear that decisions relating to children were paramount and must be taken having regard to their best interests.

“Where the child’s interests and an adult’s interests are not congruent, the adult’s interests must yield to what will promote the child’s best interests,” she said.

The voice of the child report and the family advocate who consulted with the child indicated that the child wished to accompany the father to Croatia. The mother is of the view that the child, being female, required a parent of the same gender to guide her as she grows older.

The family advocate indicated that the mother would have contact regularly via WhatsApp and Zoom calls. She would thus be able to maintain her relationship with the child and to advise her and counsel her on any issues required by the child.

The mother was also concerned about the child’s safety, being in an area close to the war in Ukraine. But the court said the reality of the father’s work, in the humanitarian field, is that it will always take him to where the need arises.

“The first respondent’s (mother) concern about a war being waged in parts of Europe can be assuaged by her regular contact to check in with the child. The parties have the option of returning the child to South Africa should they feel she is in danger at any point,” the judge said.

While the father may take the child with him, he has to ensure that the mother has daily contact with the child.

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ASYLUM SEEKERS PERMIT EXPIRED or NEW ONE needed – Don’t know what to do?

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Spouse Required to be present on submission of life partner and spousal application 

New development with respect to spouse / life partner application needs pictures of spouse/ life partner  and applicant , the SA spouse  must be physically present on day of application.  No excuses.  

This info was sent to vfs today they will action wef 1 Feb 2023 . It will be signposted on website and offices accordingly . As an aside you and I will understand why, the fraudulent SA life partner s who cry foul and say they stole my ID when caught out will be exposed as well as the syndicates .

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For more information, Please contact us on :

Tel No landline CT  :  +27 (0) 21 879 5560

Tel No landline JHB : +27 (0) 12 880 1490

Whatsapp  Tel No : +27 (0) 82 373 8415 - ( Whatsapp messages only, No calls )

Tel No office : +27 (0) 82 373 8415 ( Whatsapp messages only, No calls )  

Tel No admin : +27 (0) 64 126 3073 – ( Whatsapp calls only – No Messages ) 

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Please email us to info@samigration.com

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