13‚246 tourists kept from visiting South Africa due to unabridged birth certificates

28 October 2016 - 16:35 By TMG Digital

More than 13,000 tourists and other visitors were denied entry into South Africa in just one year because of recently introduced regulations regarding unabridged birth certificates. The total number of 13,246 visitors turned away while trying to board flights to South Africa applies to the period June 2015 to July 2016‚ according to statistics provided by the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) presented in the Portfolio Committee on Tourism meeting in parliament today.Taking into account that a tourist to South Africa spends on average R13‚000 per day‚ our country has lost potential revenue of R7.51 billion because of this regulation‚ according to TBCSA.While the department said in February that the rule would be changed, it is still in force.No queues for unabridged birth certificates, says Home Affairds Minister GigabaThere are no long queues of people waiting for unabridged birth certificates, Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba said on Thursday. Democratic Alliance MP James Vos said: "This once again reinforces the DA’s call to the Department of Tourism to implement e-visas‚ which will streamline tourist facilitation‚ reduce turnaround time and make visa applications safer and more reliable". Given that the festive season is around the corner‚ which brings thousands of tourists to our country‚ the DA would write to the Minister of Tourism‚ Derek Hanekom‚ to ask what short-term measures he has in place to counter this problem‚ Vos said. He said the TBCSA also released "worrying statistics caused by a lack for properly trained migration officers" at OR Tambo airport for the period 1-18 October 2016: Visitors stand in line at immigration at peak times for between 90 minutes and four hours; 800 passengers have missed connecting flights due to the delays;24 domestic and 9 international flight were delayed; and International Migration Services (IMS) counters are only manned at 40% on average. Due to these missed connections‚ airlines have lost an estimated R1.6-million over the 18-day period."Clearly‚ our migration office is under-equipped and under-staffed‚ costing our tourism sector and economy millions‚" Vos said...

There’s never been a more important time to support independent media.

From World War 1 to present-day cosmopolitan South Africa and beyond, the Sunday Times has been a pillar in covering the stories that matter to you.

For just R80 you can become a premium member (digital access) and support a publication that has played an important political and social role in South Africa for over a century of Sundays. You can cancel anytime.

Already subscribed? Sign in below.



Questions or problems? Email helpdesk@timeslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00.