The South African government is taking significant steps to ease the visa application procedure for Indian tourists. Patricia de Lille, Minister of Tourism, recently announced plans to accelerate visa processing and implement an E-Visa system exclusively for Indian travellers.
In the first quarter of 2024, South Africa had 16,000 Indian visitors, indicating an increasing interest in the country as a travel destination. Ms. de Lille presented this information at a media encounter at the Africa Indaba, a recently finished South African tourism fair.
The Tourism Ministry is also working on a plan to abolish visa requirements for up to 90 days for travellers from India and China. This idea is now being considered by the president. If approved, Indian tourists might enjoy the same perks as their Russian and Brazilian counterparts, who already get a 90-day visa waiver each year. Additionally, Indian tourists may soon be able to extend their visas while in South Africa.
Aiming for 100,000 Indian tourists.
Tourism South Africa has set an ambitious objective of recruiting 100,000 Indian tourists by 2024. The focus would be on promoting travel from Tier II cities in India. Neliswa Nkani, Hub Head for the Middle East, India, and Southeast Asia, stated this goal in February of this year.
Increasing popularity among Indian tourists.
Historically, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Germany have been the top providers of non-African visitors to South Africa. However, there has been a significant surge in immigrants from India and China. Visa requirements are projected to be eased, increasing these numbers even more.
Minister de Lille underlined that, while progress is being made, the visa issue affects several government departments and ministries, so improvements may take some time. Nonetheless, efforts to speed up the process are already beginning.
