South Africa’s Minister of Home Affairs, Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi says the department is scheduled to conclude negotiations with Ghana, Cuba and Principe and Sao Tome by the end of August, in order to implement modalities for its visa waivers for those countries.
He announced the visa-free status of four countries (Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and New Zealand) out of seven countries during his Budget Vote speech.
“As from today, 15 August 2019, travelers from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and New Zealand will no longer require a visa to visit South Africa for holidays, conferencing and business meeting visits. We took this decision unilaterally but we are engaging these countries to see how they can relax entry requirements for our citizens. I am glad to say that Qatar has already waived visa requirements for South Africans and this will enable our people to attend Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022 easier.”
South Africa has waived the visa requirement for 82 of the 193 countries who are members of the United Nations.
He further stated that:
“We are constantly reviewing our operations to ensure that we relax entry requirements without compromising our responsibility towards the safety and security of our citizens”.
Source: citinewsroom.com