South African Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille said in an interview with an American news outlet that she aims to enhance visitor numbers from the world's most populous nations by proposing a relaxation or exemption of visa requirements for Chinese and Indian nationals.
"Visas are a problem," De Lille told media, adding: "I see my role as dealing with regulations, the visa issues, regulations around tour operating licenses and then, air access, getting more flights to come to South Africa."
The Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi, who oversees the visa system in the country, had earlier recognized its shortcomings, citing a lack of funding and personnel as reasons for not addressing the issue. The minister noted that the online visa system is accessible in approximately 34 countries but functions inadequately. He added that even though certain qualification requirements have been removed, including bank statement submissions, security screening still contributes to delays.
The overall number of tourists visiting South Africa from January to June 2023 exhibited a substantial increase of 78.2% in the first half of 2023 as opposed to the same period of 2022, according to the latest data from Statistics South Africa. Although there are indications of a recovery trend, the industry is still operating at 80% of the pre-pandemic capacity, the government said. In 2019, South Africa received over 5 million tourists between January and June.
De Lille, who was appointed to her post in March, aims to attract at least 10 million visitors in the year through March, the same as pre-pandemic levels, and plans to increase this number to 15 million by 2030. This marks a decrease from the prior target of 21 million, prompted by the fluctuating trends in global travel.
The minister said she plans to meet with Motsoaledi before her upcoming trip to Beijing to discuss waiving visas for Chinese and Indian tourists visiting for limited-duration stays. This concession has already been granted to visitors from Brazil, Russia, the US, and UK.
The majority of tourists arrive in the country from the African region, while Europe is the main source of visitors from outside the continent. De Lille noted that the United States, United Kingdom, and Germany have the highest number of non-African visitors to South Africa. However, there has been a notable increase in arrivals from China and India, and these numbers are expected to rise further with the relaxation of visa restrictions, she added.
De Lille also stressed that the Ministry of Tourism is working to ensure the safety of visitors in light of a series attacks that had a negative impact on the country's international image. To this end, it has dedicated 174 million rand ($9.2 million) to train 2,300 safety monitors, who will be deployed starting in December to secure 59 key locations, such as national parks and airports.
"Let me assure you that 99% of tourists that come to South Africa go back home safely," she emphasized, adding: "You can never really stop these crooks, they are always one step ahead of you, so it’s best to warn people" which areas should be avoided and ensure they are well-informed.
The minister stated that the government invested in a mobile app allowing visitors to seek help from private security firms and law enforcement with the push of a button in case of an attack. Furthermore, these companies are assisting with the patrolling of roads leading to Kruger National Park, the country's most extensive wildlife reserve, due to the shortage of police personnel.