Mail & Guardian
Mail & Guardian
visalatest news & developments

Ireland celebrates 30 years of ‘shared values’ with SA, reiterates support for Palestine

Irish companies have developed a significant presence in South Africa and employ more than 12 500 people

Should South Africa introduce a visa for countries that are currently exempt?

The type of visa and the cost of it should be taken into consideration

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.(Photo by SIMON MAINA/AFP via Getty Images)

US visa sanctions a reminder that Uganda must urgently stop corruption

According to Transparency International’s 2023 Corruption Perception Index, Uganda scored 26 on a scale from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean)

A recent study commissioned by the global financial services company, Visa, highlighted that although 93% of minibus taxi passengers still use cash, 56% of them would prefer to use a prepaid card if one was available.

Brave new minibus taxi world: Cashless and taxed

Brave new minibus taxi world: Cashless and taxed

Nowhere to go: Zimbabwean
special permit holders outside Home Affairs.
(Madelene Cronjé)

Zimbabwe permit holders can work until 31 December even if permit application unsuccessful

Lawyers at Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr say Zimbabwe Exemption Permit (ZEP) holders can work in the country until the end of December as they appeal unsuccessful application outcomes

(John McCann/M&G)

OPINION | New UK work visa to exclude graduates from Africa

If graduates did not get their qualifications from the list of top 50 universities, 40 of which are in the US, France, China, Hong Kong, Australia, Germany, Canada and Japan,…

Cropped shot of a woman holding her ID book in an airport

A South African passport allows entry to 103 countries visa-free

It’s best to plan ahead by ensuring you have the correct visa (if one is needed) and other documents, the vaccinations required as well as knowledge of Covid-19 restrictions

If South Africa is intent on fulfilling the provisions of the AfCFTA, then the department of home affairs must relax, rather than retract, its visa requirements for people from other countries, particularly African ones.(Gallo)

South Africa fails to tap into immigration pot of gold

South Africa appears to regard all foreigners with suspicion, making visa, residency and citizenship applications a complex nightmare

For the last decade, the government has been complaining that the country has become a destination of bogus asylum seekers who left their homes in search of economic opportunities. (Mujahid Safodien/AFP/Getty Images)

Why Africans can’t move freely within their own continent

As things currently stand, only four mem​ber states (Mali, Niger, Rwanda and Sao Tome & Principe) have ratified the free movement protocol

British efforts to strengthen its position in the world are being undermined by its visa system. (Graphic: John McCann/M&G)

UK visas discriminate against Africans

No continent has suffered more from Britain’s ‘hostile environment’ immigration policy

(Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)

Systemic prejudice in the UK, and visa refusals for African academics

Accusations of racism continue to be directed towards the UK following an inquiry concerning denials of visit visas for African applicants

About 200 African content moderators are being laid off by Sama, Meta’s Kenyan subcontractor. This comes after Facebook’s parent company Meta declined to renew Sama’s contract, which expires at the end of March.  (Stephen Lam/Reuters)

Libra, the cryptocurrency spearheaded by Facebook, arrives

Unlike other digital or cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, the Libra is intended to be backed by real assets

Immigration applications are submitted to South Africa’s 124 foreign missions, but each seems to have its own set of requirements. (Jacques Demarthon/Reuters)

Immigration Act upended by legal chaos

Every foreigner, including investors, has to hurdle ignorant officials and a multiplicity of ‘laws’

Invisible: Immigrants queue outside the home affairs department in Pretoria for permits and visas. South Africa is not living up to its constitutional obligation to meet the needs of all people. The African Continental Free Trade Area endorses immigration, yet South Africa’s home affairs department is pushing for stringent requirements for visas. (Madelene Cronjé)

Home affairs minister abdicates his duties

Our Constitution requires a humane treatment of people but functionaries fail to recognise this

Ahead of anticipated change in immigration policy, government should consider the impact immigration legislation has on foreign direct investment and global skills transfer, says the author. (John McCann/M&G)

Home affairs takes a (confusing) step in the right direction

The surprise publication of draft amendments to visa regulations is welcome. But what of the draft Bill on immigration due in March next year?

Rules from 2014 had stipulated that minors had to carry an unabridged birth certificate and have parental consent to travel. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)
Video

Unabridged birth certificates scrapped in time for festive season

Regulations from 2014 had stipulated that minors had to carry an unabridged birth certificate and have parental consent to leave the country

Wendy Kessman and Nomfundo Ngidi. (Oupa Nkosi/M&G)

Lesbian couple finally get a visa but it’s a ‘housewife’ permit

They regard it as a ‘milestone’ even if one of them is not allowed to work, but they’ll keep fighting

Angolan journalist and opposition figure Rafael Marques de Morais

Canada denies visa to Angolan anti-corruption crusader

Rafael Marques is Angola’s most prominent human rights defender. But he is not welcome in Canada

Peter Dutton has been described as solid

Australian home affairs minister considers fast-tracking visas for white SA farmers

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton says his department is looking into methods to facilitate fast-tracking visas for white South African farmers

A marked man throughout his journalistic career

UK aid chief warns charities after Oxfam sex scandal

The scandal led to the resignation of Oxfam’s deputy head and has thrown into question government funding of roughly £32 million for the charity