South African Tourism has welcomed the news from the Department of Home Affairs that New Zealand and six other countries have been added to the visa waiver list for travel to South Africa.
Citizens of New Zealand, Ghana, Sao Tome and Principe, Cuba, United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia will no longer require visas to visit South Africa.
The waiver will take effect no later than the end of the South African financial year (ending 31 March 2020).
The announcement was made by the Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, during the Department of Home Affairs Budget Vote speech in South Africa on July 11.
"This is amazing news and could not have come at a better time for the tourism industry," says SA Tourism acting CEO Sthembiso Dlamini.
"As we look to achieve our 5-in-5 goals which are to increase international tourist arrivals by 4 million and domestic holiday trips by 1 million, the visa waivers will go a long way to assisting the increase of tourist arrivals into South Africa.
"The visa waivers to countries in all of our key markets will ensure that we stimulate growth in the industry that is in line with the mandate issued to us by President Cyril Ramaphosa," says Sthembiso.
