By John Ikani
Nigerian tourists and business professionals will find it easier to visit South Africa under new visa rules announced by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The changes include a five-year multiple-entry visa and a streamlined process allowing Nigerian tourists to apply without handing over their passports.
Speaking at the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission (BNC) meeting in Cape Town, Ramaphosa, alongside President Bola Tinubu, outlined the importance of these steps in boosting bilateral ties.
“Our efforts to create a favourable environment included simplifying the visa process for Nigerian business people travelling to South Africa. Qualifying Nigerian business people were granted a five-year multiple-entry visa,” he said.
Ramaphosa stressed South Africa’s focus on breaking down barriers to investment and strengthening cooperation.
“As we marked 30 years of diplomatic relations, we saw a bright future for our relationship. Our strong bonds of friendship provided a solid foundation for more meaningful economic cooperation,” Ramaphosa said.
The South African President acknowledged Nigeria’s hospitality toward South African businesses and pledged to foster similar opportunities for Nigerian firms in his country.
“We needed to remove the remaining constraints to greater investment and address some of the challenges faced by companies,” he said.
He also applauded Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to create a more business-friendly climate, saying such measures would encourage South African and global investments.
“Our government continued its efforts to improve the ease of doing business in South Africa. We wanted to enable investors to operate, trade, and pursue opportunities across various sectors,” he added. “We looked forward to seeing more Nigerian companies invest in South Africa.”
Ramaphosa further highlighted South Africa’s commitment to continental growth, particularly its leadership in advancing the African Union’s Agenda 2063 at global forums like the G20.
“It was the first time the G20 Leaders’ Summit would be held on African soil. We sought to galvanise support for the AU’s Agenda 2063 as we pursued an inclusive global agenda,” he said.
