South Africa Names Selected African Countries Eligible for eVisa
- South Africa's Department of Home Affairs launched an eVisa portal allowing eligible nationals to apply for permits entirely online
- Of Africa's 54 countries, only 18 made the eligibility cut for the South African eVisa system
- The full list of qualifying nationalities also includes countries from Europe, Asia, and the Americas
South Africa's Department of Home Affairs has unveiled an eVisa system that allows eligible foreign nationals to apply for permits online, without visiting an embassy or consulate in person, and the list of qualifying countries leaves most of Africa without access.
The department describes the portal as "easy, efficient, secure." Applicants must hold a valid passport with at least two unused pages, along with a working email address and passport number, both of which cannot be changed after registration.
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Only 18 African countries on the list
Out of 54 nations on the African continent, just 18 have been granted access to the eVisa system. Those countries are Algeria, Cameroon, Comoros, Congo (Kinshasa), Congo (Brazzaville), Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of Guinea, Senegal, and Uganda.
The remaining 36 African countries, including several major economies and significant sources of tourism and business travel to South Africa, are absent from the current list.
Which non-African countries qualify
Beyond the continent, the eVisa system extends to citizens of Albania, Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cuba, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Lithuania, Mexico, Oman, Pakistan, the People's Republic of China, the Philippines, Romania, Saudi Arabia, and Slovakia.
The inclusion of several high-volume travel markets from Asia and Europe suggests the system has been designed with both tourism and business mobility in mind.
South Africa draws significant visitor numbers from across Africa for business, tourism, and medical purposes, making the question of streamlined visa access a practical concern for many travellers.
The launch comes against a backdrop of ongoing discussions about intra-African travel restrictions, where movement between African Union member states remains comparatively limited compared to other regions of the world.
The eVisa portal is hosted on the Department of Home Affairs' official website and is currently operational for the nationalities listed.
Ghana returnees from South Africa to receive GH¢5k
In a related development, YEN.com.gh reported that the Ghanaian government had announced that Ghanaians evacuated from South Africa would each receive a GH¢5,000 reintegration grant.
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa confirmed that, in addition, each returnee would receive a GH¢500 transport allowance.
Source: YEN.com.gh
