In a bid to boost investment and tourism in South Africa, the Home Affairs minister Malusi Gigaba on Tuesday announced that changes in some immigration rules, including agreeing visa waiver agreements with more countries.

 

为促进南非的投资与旅游，南非内政部部长马鲁西吉·加巴周二宣布某些移民条例将做更改，其中包括与更多的国家签署免签证协定。

 

The changes are part of a broader economic turnaround programme announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa last week as his team seeks to drag Africa's most developed economy out of recession.

 

"We play a critical economic role in admitting over 10 million international visitors to South Africa annually¹, which includes tourists, business travelers, investors² and neighbours," Gigaba told reporters.

 

"Millions of jobs are sustained by the economic activity generated by these travelers."

 

Visitors from India and China, highlighted by Ramaphosa as important investment growth areas, will have travel regulations relaxed from next month, including allowing applications for 5-year multiple entry visas.

 

Gigaba said negotiations³ were also being finalized⁴ to conclude visa waiver agreements with more than a dozen countries across Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe, including Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt, Qatar and the UAE.

 

Much-criticized rules on traveling minors⁵ will be simplified, he said.

 

"The key changes will be that rather than requiring all foreign nationals who are minors to carry documentation which proves parental⁶ consent and certificates of birth, we will rather strongly recommend that the parents of these minors carry the documentation," Gogaba said.

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