President Cyril Ramaphosa, of South Africa, has announced that tourists from Nigeria can now apply for a visa without submitting a passport.
Ramaphosa revealed this yesterday, at the opening of the 11th session of the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission (BNC) in Cape Town, which President Bola Tinubu attended.
He said South Africa has simplified its visa processes to facilitate travel for Nigerian business people and tourists, with measures such as five-year multiple entry visas. “Our efforts to create a favourable environment include our simplified visa process for Nigerian business people to travel to South Africa. Qualifying Nigerian business people can be granted a five-year multiple entry visa, he said.
He also pledged South Africa’s commitment to removing constraints on greater investment and addressing the challenges faced by companies in both countries.
President Ramaphosa acknowledged the Nigerian government’s reforms to further strengthen and foster a business environment that offers assurances to investors, including from South Africa.
The South African leader said Africa’s development and the challenges facing countries of the Global South would be firmly placed on the G20 agenda.”It will be the first time the G20 Leaders’ Summit will be held on African soil. We will seek to galvanise support for the AU’s Agenda 2063 as we pursue an inclusive global agenda”, he said.
Although the initiative seeks to strengthen business and tourism connections, some South Africans have taken to social media to express their disapproval, criticizing President Ramaphosa for the decision.
