South Africa Announces 5-Year Multiple Entry Visa for Nigerians
No Passport Required for Business Travel
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced a new visa policy for Nigerian entrepreneurs and tourists, allowing qualifying Nigerian business people to obtain a five-year multiple entry visa without submitting a passport.
“Our efforts to create a favourable environment include our simplified visa process for Nigerian business people to travel to South Africa,” said Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, highlighting the achievement from the 11th session of the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission (BNC) held in Cape Town.
President Ramaphosa emphasized the deep economic ties between the two nations, stating, “Nigeria is host to a number of South African companies. South Africa has always been open to Nigerian business, reflected in the number of investments and operations established in this country.”
He acknowledged the need for further cooperation, noting, “But there is much more we need to do. We need to remove the remaining constraints to greater investment, just as we need to address some of the challenges that companies have experienced.”
The South African leader also emphasized his government’s commitment to business development, “We want to enable investors to operate, trade and pursue opportunities in various sectors. We look forward to seeing more Nigerian companies investing in South Africa.”
Discussing the broader continental agenda, Ramaphosa highlighted the significance of the upcoming G20 Leaders’ Summit, which will be the first 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.
“For South Africa, it is our view that in shaping global discourse, programs should be tailored to ensure that in our societies, no one is left behind,” Ramaphosa added, underscoring the commitment to inclusive development.
The visa policy and economic commitments represent a significant step in strengthening Nigeria-South Africa relations, potentially serving as a model for regional cooperation and economic diplomacy in Africa.
