Tourism Lecturer at the Tshwane University of Technology, Unathi Sonwabile Henama has welcomed with caution the expected announcements on South Africa’s visa regulations.
Home Affairs Minister, Malusi Gigaba is due to announce a number of amendments to the regulations on Tuesday morning in Pretoria.
President Cyril Ramaphosa says changes to the visa regime is part of the economic stimulus and recovery plan that he unveiled last week.
The President says within the next few months, amendments would be made to regulations on the travel of children and the list of countries requiring visas to enter South Africa.
Henama says: “It will lead to better visa facilitation and we will see increasing numbers but we must never think that the visas will be a saving factor. I believe in SA we have had too much of a greater focus on the visa issues without looking at the issues comprehensively.”
“The announcement is greatly welcomed by the minister but that is just part of a set of measures that we need to inspect. We must never say that the visa issue is the only aspect that will lead to a better tourist rate in SA, ” adds Henama.
