South Africa is set to make travel easier as it reforms its stringent visa policies to attract skilled workers and boost tourism. This update was announced by South African Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber, signaling a major departure from the country’s previous immigration practices, which have faced significant criticism.

A key element of these reforms is the introduction of a points-based system for work visas, automatically granting eligibility to individuals with particular skills. Additionally, a new remote work visa is expected to be approved soon, making South Africa more accessible to international professionals. Schreiber explained that these changes aim to draw more tourists and skilled workers, which could have a substantial impact on the country’s economic growth.

Currently, foreigners with job offers in South Africa face prolonged waiting periods for visa approvals, with many being denied for unclear reasons. While Western tourists often obtain visas on arrival with ease, travelers from important markets such as China and India encounter lengthy bureaucratic hurdles, discouraging tourism. South Africa has also been criticized for its approach toward immigrants from other African nations, who are frequently blamed for taking jobs in a country where unemployment stands at 30%.

Schreiber stressed that bringing in skilled workers could help generate jobs. As a member of the Democratic Alliance party, which recently formed a coalition government with the African National Congress, Schreiber acknowledged both parties had faced backlash for using anti-immigrant rhetoric during election campaigns.

He described the existing immigration system as a “catastrophic failure,” revealing that when he took office in July, there was a backlog of 306,000 visa applications accumulated over the previous decade. His team has since resolved 62% of these cases by dedicating additional resources and extended working hours. Schreiber also noted that the shortage of skilled labor is the second-largest obstacle to economic growth, behind only the country’s power crisis.

To further streamline the visa process, Schreiber plans to digitize the current paper-based system within the next five years. This move aims to reduce fraud and bias in visa approvals while cutting processing times, though funding limitations may present challenges.

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