South Africa launches fast-track visa process for Indians

Why in News?

• South Africa launches fast-track visa process for Indian tourists

Key Points

• From January 2025, South Africa will launch the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS) to simplify the entry process for Indian and Chinese tourists.
• The scheme aims to promote tourism by making it faster and easier to obtain visas.

Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS)

• TTOS is an initiative of the Department of Home Affairs, South Africa
• It aims to facilitate travel for tourists coming from non-visa exempt countries such as India and China.
• “The scheme will allow approved tour operators to register with the department and submit group visa applications for their travellers,” South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs said in a press release. 
• This will simplify the process and reduce red tape.

What is South Africa’s target for Indian tourists? 

• South Africa plans to increase the number of Indian tourists from 16,000 to 100,000 by the end of this year. 
• Currently, Indians make up about 3% of South Africa’s international tourists. 
• Authorities are keen to increase this number.

Additional measures to boost tourism:

90-day visa exemption

• South Africa is considering extending the 90-day visa exemption for Indian and Chinese tourists, which will make travel much easier. 
• This will allow travellers to stay here for up to three months without a visa. 

Impact on South Africa’s economy 

• Economic growth – A 10% increase in tourism will boost South Africa’s economic growth. Growth is estimated to increase by 0.6%.
• This will create a large number of jobs. 

South Africa

• South Africa is a republic located at the southern tip of the African continent.
• It borders Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe to the north and Mozambique and Eswatini to the northeast
• Lesotho is an independent country, completely surrounded by South Africa.
• Capital – Pretoria (administrative capital); Cape Town (legislative capital); Bloemfontein (judicial capital)
• Currency – Rand