South Africa has unveiled a new visa policy aimed at making travel easier for Nigerians, offering a five-year multiple-entry visa without the need for passport submission. The announcement was made by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa during the opening of the 11th session of the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission (BNC) in Cape Town.
President Ramaphosa emphasized that the move is part of South Africa’s efforts to strengthen ties with Nigeria and boost business and tourism between the two nations. “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.
In addition to visa simplifications, Ramaphosa pledged to address the challenges that businesses from both countries face, citing the need for better investment opportunities. He noted that Nigeria hosts several South African companies, reflecting strong economic ties, but admitted more could be done to remove existing constraints.
The two nations also agreed to finalize a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Early Warning Mechanism, which was established five years ago to prevent violence and criminal incidents involving citizens of both countries. The agreement is expected to be signed by March 2025 during a political consultation meeting in Nigeria.
On international issues, Nigeria and South Africa jointly called for a ceasefire and return to diplomacy in the Middle East. Meanwhile, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu urged stronger economic collaboration between the two nations, aiming for greater African prosperity.
