South Africa eases visa rules for travellers from India, China

South Africa has recently implemented several measures to simplify visa procedures for Indian travelers, aiming to boost tourism and strengthen bilateral ties. In his State of the Nation Address at the Cape Town City Hall recently, Ramaphosa revealed that South Africa anticipated an increase in tourism and business from India and China following the digitalisation of its visa process. "As part of our reform agenda, we will continue to enhance our visa system to make it easier for skilled people to invest in our country and grow tourism in South Africa," Ramaphosa stated.

Here are the key changes: 
Electronic Travel Authorisation system: South Africa has announced an Electronic Travel Authorisation system to enable a secure, fully digital visa application process. This system will use artificial intelligence and automation to reduce corruption and enable faster processing times for tourist visas, according to Ramaphosa.  

Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS): Launched in January 2025, the scheme looks to simplify the entry process for Indian and Chinese tourists. This scheme aims to boost tourism by making it quicker and easier to get visas. The TTOS is an initiative by South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs to facilitate travel for tourists from non-visa exempt countries like India and China. "This scheme will allow approved tour operators to register with the department and submit group visa applications for their travellers, streamlining the process and cutting through red tape," South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs said in a press release.

“Indian tourists account for only 3.9 per cent of all international visitors to South Africa – and China for only 1.8 per cent. Research indicates that boosting tourism by only 10 per cent per year can increase annual economic growth by 0.6 per cent and create thousands of new jobs for South Africans,” the department stated.

“We have cleared over 90 per cent of the backlog of more than 300,000 visa applications," Ramaphosa said. The president added that these changes would “send a strong message that South Africa is open for business and tourism".

Delays in visa processing has been a long pending issue for Indian companies, with some even considering redirecting investments to other African countries. “There have been challenges in both visas and direct flights. We have seen that the governments of India and South Africa have been working diligently to resolve these issues and create easier opportunities for our people to engage conveniently," Mahesh Kumar, India’s Consul General in Johannesburg told Reuters.

"This is very encouraging and will substantially help bring our two societies closer, facilitating more collaboration in business and tourism," Kumar added.