The DA’s campaign calling for the introduction of electronic visas to make it easier for tourists to come to South Africa has finally paid off. According to a reply to DA parliamentary question, the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) confirmed that the first phase of the e-visa system will be piloted by the 31st of March 2019.
The reply indicated that the rollout of phase one of the e-visa system will be at a foreign mission, embassy or local DHA office yet to be determined.
The pilot phase will initially cover temporary residence visas, adjudication of temporary residence visas, applications for waivers, applicant notifications and biometric details.
The DA has submitted several motions in Parliament calling for the introduction of e-visas, their benefits and the tourism industry’s support for their introduction. Despite its clear merits, the DHA was initially strongly opposed to the idea.
Electronic visas will boost the tourism industry by cutting turnaround times for the issuing of travel documentation while ensuring the information of applicants is secure.
Most importantly, improved tourist arrivals will facilitate more job growth in the industry while guaranteeing job security for 1,4 million South Africans already working in the tourism industry.
South Africa’s tourism industry is still recovering from the disastrous visa regulation regime and superfluous unabridged birth certificate requirement implemented by Minister Malusi Gigaba in 2015. According to the South Africa Tourism Service Association, these regulations resulted in an estimated R7,5 billion loss to the tourism economy and decrease of close to 600 000 tourists.
Since he has been parachuted back to the DHA, the DA hopes that Gigaba will not once more prove to be a stumbling block for growth in the tourism sector by standing in the way of the e-visa system.
The financial cost of introducing these measures will be much lower than the economic cost of scaring off tourists, trade and investment.
The Minister of Tourism, Derrek Hanekom, must not bury his head in the sand like he did in 2015 when the disastrous visa regulation were introduced. The success of his tenure will depend on his commitment towards the success of the e-visa system.
The DA will ensure that both the DHA and Tourism remain focused on implementing an electronic visa regime that is in line with international best practice and capable of growing our tourism sector.